When Kai opened his eyes, his room was dark. His laptop was dead. But on his palm, faintly glowing, was a single word:

And somewhere, deep in the static of the world, the descent was still falling—unblocked, and waiting.

Now it was gone.

Levels blurred. 10, 30, 60. The colors bled into grayscale. Then, at Layer 89, the whispers started—not from the game, but from his own headphones.

He fell.