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"I wonder what the rush from being in a team sport is like," I thought out loud as Kyou and I walked around school grounds.
Such was the epitome of a teenager in spring.
After school activities and clubs manifested themselves in classrooms and fields-all their members putting forth their utmost dedication and confidence to the chances of excelling in a competition or meet.

There's something about a group of zealous people working for a common cause.
For someone like me, you can't help but feel envious.
Unable to participate in such a thing and unable to create those kinds of joyous memories, unable to form such close relationships with so many others.
For me, I only had shallow breaths and Kyou.
Inhale, exhale.
Exhale, inhale.
Just as my breathing, my life's only been moving at a steady pace.
There are no highs or lows, just a teenager moving swimmingly through every passing day.
"It's nothing too spectacular," Kyou stated as we walked down dirt paths, "I've had my fair share in middle school."
"You think it's all fun and games, but not when you break a bone or something like that," he chuckled.
Trying to empathize, I just smiled and laughed along too. "I suppose so."

"I'll come over tonight," Kyou says to me, "Can I?"
"Hmm," I mumble, putting on a professional air, "let me check my schedule." Holding up my imaginary planner and turning numerous pages, I identify today's date. "Yes, I should be free. I can fit you in," I say smugly.
After closing up my planner, I promptly get a vicious hair ruffling.
"Good, then," he smiles, satisfied at my now disheveled strands and pouts. "I'll give you a call. So be sure to not fall asleep."
"Yeah, yeah, you jerk," I mutter, as I try to salvage the ruins of my hair.

Technology, as far as I'm concerned, was highly developed by the 2XXX's. Such technology for gaming was no exception-if anything, technology for gaming had to be one of the most advanced due to the high demands around the world by elite video gamers and novices alike.
Technological advances made it so that you weren't only in a virtual universe, but a parallel one at that. The amount of detail, each crack and crevice finely chiseled down to the finest pixel. One could easily find their self immersed in such a thing, that they could mistake it for reality.

Kyou came in late at night-thankfully, it was a Friday at that, and so there was no school curfew to fret about for the next day-and I welcomed him into my personal galaxy, locking the door behind us.
"Well, have I got something for you!" he exclaims, giving me a sort of cheeky smile.
My eyes widen with excitement. "A surprise? Present? A gift for me?"
"For both of us," he says as he shows me two boxes.
Ecstatic, I immediately snatch the cardboard out of his hands and open it up for myself.
"You were serious about it after all!" I gasped.
The Cerebi, the first technological advancement of its kind. A sort of metallic glove that one slips onto the pads of their fingers, this invention opened up the door to virtual reality to the digital market.
Rather than using headsets to block one's vision of reality, the Cerebi connected one's cerebral pulses to the internet and the game itself. Rather than substituting your vision with pixel images, you were placed into the pixels themselves.
Less harmful than the side effects of headset addiction, all you needed with the Cerebi was your hand imprint, and you were in.
"Amazing... How?" I marveled at its sleekness. Such a small thing that allows you to experience something so grand. These things don't come cheap!
"I have my ways." He states in a matter-of-fact manner, opening up a Cerebi of his own.
Slipping it on, he looked to me and said, "You won't have to feel restricted anymore. You and I both can experience life as we never knew it."
The Cerebi works by gathering your genetic imprint, and in some way, re-creating you in a perfect state. Your body is no different, and your mentality is obviously left untouched. But your imperfections, flaws, blemishes-they're gone.
I've heard of this feature, but I don't really fully understand, so I look on.

"You don't have to carry an inhaler with you, and you don't have to be afraid of collapsing anymore," he says, plopping himself on the seat next to me on my bed. "You can run, you can jump, maybe you can even fly."
"There will be no one to tell you 'You can't do this,' or 'You can't do that'. There will be no one to slap you, and no one to lock you inside," he says gently. "It's just you, and I, and unlimited possibilities."
There he goes again. His gentle sincerity. He is always so concerned about me, yet he never openly shows it. Kyou teases me a bit, but he smiles whenever he does it. I'm blessed to have been able to see this side of him.
"Yeah," I smile back.

"There's this really cool game I heard about, don't worry about how to get it or what to do. I've already covered it for you."
"Just relax, okay?" He says to me soothingly. "Lay down."
My heart starting to beat, I awkwardly nod my head. He watches me with a careful eye, as I maneuver myself towards the wall and find a comfortable spot to lay myself down.
"Now close your eyes," he tells me, and I listen.
"Lift up your hand with your Cerebi," and I do. Then all of a sudden, I feel my right hand suspended in mid-air. Such an unnatural sensation, it's a bit frightening. "Don't open your eyes now. Just keep it there!" He tells me.
Something cool and flat materializes underneath my fingertips, following with some "beeps"!

Oh, God, it's actually working.

Awesome!

I'm scared.

A rampage of thoughts race through my mind.
But at the same time, it's a bit calming, and all this excitement that I previously had is flushing right out of my system; I find myself slipping out of consciousness.
As the beeping continues, I feel a hand softly stroke my head.
"I'll meet you soon, Misa" Kyou tells me.

And finally, I've hit black.

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