Liora washed her face with the flowing water from the faucet. As she stared into the mirror, the reflection staring back at her was one of emptiness, with vacant eyes that resembled a lifeless doll. The face—her own face—was devoid of expression.

  She wasn’t always like this. Her childhood had been filled with joy and laughter. But not a single trace of those happy times remained in the Liora who stood before the mirror now. Those who had once known her would always wonder about the profound change she underwent.

  It all began nine years ago, a terrifying tragedy that changed the lives of many. The 'Virtual Death Game.'

  A tragedy in which five hundred thousand people were trapped inside a full-dive VR game. Death in the game meant death in real life, forcibly waking the players. What awaited them wasn’t freedom, but death.

  The only way to escape was to finish the game. But even with such a clear goal, rather than cooperating, people drowned in their own desires.

  Ego and self-interest blinded every player, and as a result, one-third of the five hundred thousand perished. Those who survived were no better off.

  They became outcasts. A small fraction of the two-thirds who survived decided to end their suffering, while others went insane, unable to distinguish dreams from reality.

  A tiny percentage, no more than 1%, managed to reintegrate into society. Unfortunately, Liora was not part of that 1%. But she was still sane enough to try to live, even though all she felt was a deep sense of dissonance.

  After surviving the 'Virtual Death Game,' Liora couldn’t look at the world with the same bright eyes she once had. The pure heart of the little girl who had once been a dreamer was now too tainted by the harshness of reality.

  The only reason Liora was able to keep going, despite all the complex emotions inside her, was because of one question. Why?

  Her heart wasn’t empty—rather, it was burning with a desire for truth, a fire that could never be extinguished. Until the fog of lies was cleared, this fire would keep raging on.

  A ringtone suddenly broke her from her thoughts. She reached for her phone, which was tucked into the pocket of her skirt. Seeing the name of her younger sister on the caller ID, she hesitated for a moment.

  Without a second thought, Liora turned off her phone and slipped it back into her pocket. Grabbing the towel hanging nearby, she dried her face and stepped out of the bathroom. There was still work to be done today.

  ***

  “Sorry, the number you’ve dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”

  Hearing the automated message from the operator, a sense of unease filled Amaya Vernhart’s heart. She stood still, staring at the screen of her phone, the familiar feeling of concern creeping over her.

  Amaya was Liora’s younger sister. To her, Liora had always been a light in her life—a presence that was always by her side, someone irreplaceable.

  But everything had changed after Liora was freed from the horrifying game that had trapped her for three long years. Since that day, her older sister wasn’t the same anymore. Her eyes were empty, her face expressionless. It was as if she had become a completely different person.

  Amaya longed to see her sister smile again. She missed the carefree laughter that once filled the air whenever Liora was around.

  “Miss Amelia!” A voice called from behind the door, pulling Amaya from her thoughts.

  “The recording for the music video will start soon.”

  “I’ll be there in a minute!” Amaya replied, her voice bright and full of energy, without the slightest trace of gloom. Amelia was the stage name Amaya used as an idol.

  In her desperate quest to bring her sister back, to make Liora smile again, Amaya had decided to become an idol. To her, idols were stars that brought hope to many.

  If she could touch the hearts of many with her performances and songs, perhaps one day, she could reach the heart of her sister—locked away so tightly. Even though there hadn’t been any clear results yet, she hadn’t given up hope.

  She turned her gaze to the mirror, checking her makeup. Everything was perfect. A quick inspection of her attire showed that her elegant pink dress, adorned with intricate lace, still looked just as cute as when she had first seen the design on paper.

  Amaya then picked up the star-shaped hairpin on her vanity, a birthday gift from Liora. It wasn’t an expensive item—just something from a trinket shop—but to Amaya, it was priceless.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Once more, she gazed into the mirror, closed her eyes, and a smile spread across her face. When she opened her eyes, they sparkled, as if adorned with stars. The soft aura she once had was now replaced by the confident charisma of an idol, ready to bring joy to the world.

  Amaya turned the doorknob and stepped out, walking toward the stage where she would once again strive to bring smiles to the hearts of her fans—and hopefully, someday, to her sister’s as well.

  ***

  After finishing her night shift, Liora changed out of her café uniform into her casual clothes—simple black pants and a plain white T-shirt. She pulled her urban jacket from the locker and zipped it up tightly.

  Click.

  After locking the door to her locker, she slipped on her sneakers and headed out through the café’s back door. The exit opened into a narrow, deserted alley—a perfect path for someone like Liora, who hated crowds.

  Her steps were neither hurried nor slow as she walked steadily, eyes fixed forward, paying no mind to her surroundings.

  When she reached the edge of a crosswalk, Liora stopped. Tilting her head up slightly, she checked the pedestrian light. Just as she looked, the green signal turned red, and cars began to glide past in front of her, one after another.

  It seemed she would be stuck waiting here for a little while longer.

  “…Hey.”

  A voice suddenly called out from beside her.

  Since she didn’t recognize it, Liora chose to ignore it without so much as a glance.

  “Hey! Liora Vernhart!”

  This time, the unknown voice called her name directly, and instinctively, Liora turned toward it.

  Standing there was a girl wearing a sailor-style school uniform.

  Before Liora could even open her mouth to ask who she was, the girl spoke first.

  “If you could have any wish granted—no matter how impossible it might be,” the girl said, her eyes locking onto Liora’s with an intense, unwavering gaze, “what would you wish for?”

  For some reason, Liora felt compelled to answer the girl’s question.

  Normally, she hated interacting with others.

  In her eyes, everyone around her was nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing—waiting for the perfect moment to pounce once she let her guard down.

  If it were any other time, she would have immediately snapped and harshly driven away anyone who dared approach her.

  But now… that thought never even crossed her mind.

  “…Truth,” Liora answered curtly, not intending to explain any further.

  It didn’t matter if the girl found her answer confusing.

  However, instead of being confused, the girl in the sailor uniform simply smiled faintly.

  She then extended her right hand, revealing a card she held tightly.

  As if something unseen pushed her forward, Liora instinctively reached out and accepted the card.

  The back of the card bore a familiar emblem—a crest she recognized instantly.

  It was unmistakably a card from the popular game Guide Rise.

  As if satisfied with her task, the girl took a single step back, gave Liora a polite curtsy, and turned away, stepping into the road.

  Alarm surged through Liora as she noticed a truck speeding toward the girl.

  She moved to call out—but before she could even open her mouth, the girl vanished.

  Without a sound, without a trace.

  No collision, no scream.

  Just… gone.

  Liora stood frozen, trying to comprehend the surreal scene she had just witnessed.

  Before her imagination could spiral out of control, she forcibly shut down her thoughts.

  Instead, she shifted her focus back to the card in her hand.

  On the front of the card was a beautifully detailed illustration—a white-haired woman dressed in a sorceress’s robes, holding an ancient tome, with countless towering bookshelves behind her.

  A library, perhaps.

  "Truth Scholar, Dorothy," the name was elegantly inscribed at the bottom.

  With a heavy sigh, Liora slipped the card into her jacket pocket.

  Not once did the idea of throwing it away cross her mind.

  Crossing the street, she pulled out her phone.

  After pressing the power button for a few moments, the screen flickered to life.

  Notifications immediately flooded the screen.

  Fifty missed calls.

  All from her younger sister.

  Sighing again, Liora thought about calling her back, wanting to tell her to stop blowing up her phone.

  But just as she was about to dial, another incoming call flashed on the screen.

  Without thinking, Liora accepted it.

  “…What is it?” she asked flatly, her voice utterly devoid of warmth.

  ***

  Amaya clutched her phone tightly, silently praying for her sister to pick up.

  Her heart weighed heavy with worry, yet she continued to hope.

  “…What is it?”

  Finally, the voice she had longed to hear echoed from the phone’s speaker.

  Amaya didn’t mind how cold it sounded.

  The only thing that mattered was that her sister had answered.

  And that alone was enough to fill her heart with joy.

  "Good evening, sis!"

  Amaya’s voice practically sparkled with happiness, unable to hide her delight.

  "There’s nothing wrong," she said, her words slightly childish, her tone more playful and needy than usual.

  "Amaya just… missed you a little."

  "I see…"

  On the other end of the line, Liora fought to suppress the irritation bubbling inside her.

  But she made no attempt to hide the annoyance from her voice.

  "Don’t call me unless it’s important."

  "I’m sorry, sis…"

  Hearing her sister’s sharp reply, Amaya lowered her head, guilt tightening in her chest.

  "Bye."

  With that, Liora abruptly ended the call.

  Amaya sighed softly.

  Once again, their conversation had amounted to little more than empty words.

  Her sister continued to keep the door to her heart tightly locked, not allowing Amaya even the smallest glimpse inside.

  At this rate, no matter how many times she knocked, that door would never open.

  "...Hey,"

  Amaya spoke up, her voice shifting into a serious tone—completely different from the sweet, childish one she had used moments earlier.

  "If I win… any wish I make will really be granted, right?"

  "Of course,"

  the figure floating behind her replied.

  It was none other than a small, levitating polar bear plush.

  "Any wish at all will be granted to the victor."

  "I see…"

  Amaya stretched her arms high above her head, as if shaking off her doubts.

  "In that case... I'll join this 'Desire Battle' tournament."

  "Thank you for accepting the invitation, Amaya Vernhart."

  On Amaya’s vanity table, a card bearing the familiar Guide Rise emblem lay face-down, waiting.