The rain had stopped.
Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the room in a warm golden glow.
Elena noticed the distant look in his eyes.
"You were thinking about Grandpa again."
He nodded.
"He said... one day a door would appear."
She smiled gently.
"He always spoke in riddles."
Yevhen chuckled.
"Yeah..."
Silence settled between them.
Then Elena stood and picked up her bag.
"I should let you get some rest."
"So soon?"
"I have another shift tomorrow morning."
She brushed a few strands of hair away from his forehead, just as she had done since they were children.
"I'll come back after work."
Yevhen looked at the sleek black headset resting on the bedside table.
"The game is called..."
"Divine Nexus," Elena replied with a grin. "Everyone's talking about it. They say it's the first virtual world that feels completely alive."
She placed the headset gently beside him.
"You don't have to play today."
"No one is forcing you."
"But..."
She glanced toward the sunlit window.
"...I hope you give yourself the chance to see a world beyond these walls."
Yevhen smiled faintly.
"I'll think about it."
She leaned forward and hugged him carefully, mindful of the tubes attached to his arm.
"I love you, little brother."
"I love you too."
With one last smile, Elena walked toward the door.
She paused for a brief moment.
"Promise me something."
"What is it?"
"No matter what happens inside that world..."
"...don't forget who you are."
"I promise."
The door clicked shut.
Silence returned.
Only the steady rhythm of the heart monitor remained.
Yevhen stared at the ceiling for several minutes.
The room suddenly felt much larger.
Much quieter.
He turned his head toward the window.
Outside, children laughed as they chased one another through the hospital garden.
For a moment, envy crept into his heart.
He imagined what it would feel like to run.
To breathe without pain.
To live without counting the days between treatments.
His fingers tightened around the old necklace.
The crystal felt unusually warm.
Then...
A faint pulse.
Once.
Twice.
The runes shimmered with a pale silver glow before disappearing as though nothing had happened.
Yevhen slowly sat up.
His body protested, but he ignored it.
He reached for the headset.
"This is my door..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"...isn't it, Grandpa?"
He slipped the headset over his head.
Darkness swallowed his vision.
A soft chime echoed through the void.
Neural synchronization initiated...
User authentication complete.
Connecting to Divine Nexus...
Yevhen took one slow, steady breath.
Then another.
As the loading sequence began, the pendant resting against his chest grew warmer.
Hidden beneath the fabric of his hospital gown, the ancient runes awakened once more—this time, not with a faint shimmer, but with a radiant glow unseen by anyone in the room.
Far beyond human sight, something old stirred.
As if it had been waiting for this exact moment.
The journey had begun.
A brilliant white light enveloped Yevhen as his consciousness awakened within Divine Nexus.
A calm voice echoed through the endless void.
**Welcome, Traveler.**
**Initializing Character Creation...**
Panels of shimmering light appeared before him.
Race: Human
Appearance Customization: Available
Yevhen stared at the countless options—different hairstyles, eye colors, facial features, even body proportions. Some players would spend hours creating a perfect avatar.
He simply smiled.
"I've spent my whole life wishing I could be myself... only healthy."
With a wave of his hand, he selected Default Appearance.
The figure before him became an ordinary young man with short black hair, dark eyes, and an average build. Nothing made him stand out.
It looked exactly like him—only free from illness.
The system continued.
**Talent Assessment Beginning...**
Golden symbols circled around his body before dissolving into countless streams of light.
A moment later...
**Talent Grade: Common**
**Affinity:** None
**Unique Trait:** None
**Recommended Starting Class:** Novice
Yevhen let out a quiet laugh.
"So... even in another world, I'm ordinary."
He wasn't disappointed.
After all, he had never expected miracles.
An ordinary beginning was still a beginning.
He reached toward the glowing **Confirm Character** button.
The moment his finger touched it—
Thump.
A heartbeat echoed through the empty space.
Yevhen froze.
The old necklace hanging beneath his shirt suddenly grew warm.
Thump.
The silver pendant pulsed with an ancient light that pierced through the virtual world itself.
Cracks spread across the system interface.
The calm voice faltered.
**...Unknown Artifact Detected...**
**...Authority Override...**
**...Accessing Hidden Protocol...**
Ancient runes erupted from the necklace, replacing the game's golden interface with symbols that no player should have been able to see.
A deep voice, older than time itself, resounded through the void.
**Legacy recognized.**
**Heir confirmed.**
**Initializing...**
**PRIMAL CODEX SYSTEM.**
The world went silent.