/ ++++++++++ PROLOGUE +++++++++++++++++

/ Sometime in the 2010-2019 decade /

The sun was setting over the skyline of Mexico City, while driving my 2004 Chevy through the central axis Lázaro Cárdenas, I could see a smile on my face for almost finishing another semester in College.

Currently, I am studying my last year of the career of Computer Engineering at the National Polytechnic Institute*, if I'm able to maintain my good average, I could really get a nice job in any company in the Mexican capital.

I can finally start saving some money and maybe even start my dream of being a video game developer for a big company.

I know, I know it's a life dream nonsense but hey, you only live once, right?

Crazy dreams aside, I soon saw my apartment complex on the street and prepared to park my car in the basement. I climbed the stairs and arrived at the small apartment of 27 square meters where I lived with my family. Just me, papa, and mum.

Mum greeted me just entering by the door and began to prepare a plate of mole poblano with rice *, (my favourite). Dad was in his room changing clothes, surely his boss had called him in an emergency from the car agency and would have to rush out of the house to meet a customer.

Leaving my backpack on the floor of my room, my mother called the 2 of us and my dad rushed to the door a moment later, planting a kiss for my mum and apologizing for another afternoon away for lunch.

God, if you really exist, please never let me get a job like that, that bloody work had brought only problems to the intra-familiar dynamics in the last 10 years ...

So, family dramas aside, Oaxacan food ** was delicious as ever and after cleaning the dishes my mother started to prepare her merchandise to go to sell in the weekend market, (a job where I had to work without knowing the enjoyment of a payment, but at least I could ask for some money whenever I needed something or wanted to buy something new.)

Despite this I was in a very good mood, I had no homework this weekend, so I could spend all afternoon doing what I liked the most; Play my new favourite franchise: Dragon Age.

With the sun already set and the moon smiling to the valley of Mexico behind big grey clouds, I enter my room full of books and clothes of mine lying on the floor. (Hey, I'll clean it tomorrow, ok?, promise)

Putting on a grey woollen shirt somewhat used and my favourite pyjamas of the best superhero of Marvel: The amazing Spiderman, (He has defeated Galactus solo, ok ?!), I decided to choose a game from my collection.

Meanwhile, the weather seemed to get worse with every minute and even at night I could hear the sound of the rain hitting the pavement in the street, poor papa would come home dripping water ...

A year ago I started my obsession with Dragon Age, and I had already finished playing all the trilogy games several times, (not counting the DLC, I did not have that much money with my student salary without a scholarship) but I was fine, I could read the wikis if I wanted to. And some books if I could.

The question of the night was: Which game to choose?

Dragon Age 2 was very inferior to his other opponents, and I preferred to play it when I just wanted to be a cool guy (or cool girl if I played with fem-Hawke), who had the best magic and the best fighter sections of the saga.

Dragon Age Inquisition, was my favourite of all. for its plot and unique quest of the saga; But if I was going to play it again after only 2 months of passing it completely, I would have to get into "The Keep" and change all my timeline to be able to play with a state of the world different from the previous one ... so ... no mi amigo, otra ocasión, quiza..

And finally Dragon Age Origins, was the second of the saga that I played, and the truth is the best in terms of stories and plots. Each game can be different and whenever something minimal changes you can find something new, never seen before.

I think I already made my decision. And just to make the moment more glorious, lightning fell just as I raised my arm with the game in my hand.

Without giving more importance to the outside climate, I take the disk out and insert it into my video game console. Soon the Bioware screen flowed on my TV and the main menu appeared.

The sight of a sword stuck in the ground, with the huge brown clouds on an epic battlefield, gave me the sensation of looking at a moving painting, and the music makes everything cooler, one knows that it will be a great adventure

It's time to choose my avatar. This is where the moment of truth comes.

The storm rages outside and I begin to fear that the light will go out killing my game before it even starts.

Out of the 7 possible Origins I only had 6 selectable ones and only the origins of Magician, Dalishano and the common elf had been passed.

Should I choose the noble human? Or maybe the dwarf without a caste? How about reviewing the common Elf Origin but as a man this time? I do not know, decisions, decisions.

The storm becomes more and more violent and suddenly it takes out a great lightning that blinds me for a second, after a quick fright, everything seems normal. I want to call mum and ask her if everything is okay, but she does not answer me. I think he went to sleep early, better like that, she's scared of noisy storms, poor little thing.

To my surprise, the light has not yet left, so I may be lucky and can play a little more.

How about seeing the Dwarves' betrayal? I know that happens in the noble Dwarf Origin but I have never played it. What if my human wizard is such a good story, how would an elf change it? What about seeing a magician story but as a man ?, I do not know ...

Another lightning strike the valley and this has been deafening, instinctively I close my eyes and scream a little, I know nothing will happen to me ... right?

Ok, last chance, do I play a bit like an elf magician or do I get to see the life of the dwarves without caste, however I love the voice of Duncan when he tells the story of your Origin, but if the light goes out, it may be that have problems if I do not keep ...

And speaking of, I think that lightning finally made it, after another horrible ray of light, my world becomes completely dark, all the lights are off and I can not see anything.

But then I turn to see the game.

The screen is still on and the menu of choice is still active.

How? But if the light went away, right? What's happening? What the fuck?

And without realizing it, a light begins to flow from behind the screen, the forms of the game begin to distort and get bigger and bigger, I soon feel that game tries to trap and absorb me, so I try desperately to escape.

I move my arms and legs trying to get away from the game, but it is useless, nothing works, and soon after, I start to feel how my body begins to fall.

The lights on the screen start to shoot in all directions and form a big tunnel towards nothing, this is terrifying and I think I'm screaming but I can not hear anything coming out of my mouth.

Then from the emptiness I am falling into, a great white light comes out that blinds me easily and deafening sounds fill my ears, for a moment, I truly believe that I am about to die in a kind of cosmic explosion caused by playing Dragon Age.

Mum was right ...

When the light blinds me completely and my senses are completely stunned by everything that is happening to me, I lose consciousness and my world fills with shadows in what I believe is my call at the great gates of death.

And for a long time everything is silence ... Until the sound of some birds wakes me up.

I do not know where it is up or down, or where my legs start and my butt ends, but after a lot of fighting with the earth I have on top of it, I manage to lift my face from the undergrowth and see where I am.

I think my eyes deceive me (and it is possible that they do it after everything I've been through), but I think I've fallen into a thick and beautiful forest worthy of a fairy tale ...

It hurts me ... everything ... the truth, as if the circulation of my blood had stopped for a while and they were hitting me as it passed. I could not move without it hurting ...

After many attempts and no less than 3 falls on my butt, I manage to stand up and try to take off the broken leaves that stick to my clothes ... I do not know how I get here, or where I am, but I know that I'm not supposed to be here ...

- "Fuck... I'm not going to get to wash my clothes tomorrow, right?" - I say knowing the answer already.

/ END OF PROLOGUE /

End of chapter notes:

* - Mole with rice: a typical dish from Mexico, it is white rice with a special enzyme sauce, with spices, chocolate and butter flavour. A kind of curry sauce, with a slight hint of chocolate.

**Oaxaca region/state - State of southern Mexico, with huge traditions and culture, its food is internationally famous for how delicious and original it turns out.