𝕊𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕 𝔸𝕣𝕥 𝕆𝕟𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖: 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝔾𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤 (𝔸𝕤𝕦𝕟𝕒 𝕩 𝕆ℂ)

Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Nightmare

This story is inspired by @Guardian_Angel-21

November 6th, 2022

The sun gleamed from the morning sky into the bedroom of a young woman, still sound asleep. The bright light caused her to open her eyes from her nights slumber, slowly moving her body to sit up on her bed. She stretched, bringing her arms up to the air while making a "mmmm" sound to signify her muscles becoming loose. The girl started her morning routine, like how every person would do in the morning. She looked in the mirror with her uniform on making herself look presentable for the day ahead. This girls name was

Yuuki Asuna

Asuna went out to her living room to see her mother sipping coffee and reading the newspaper.

Asuna: Morning Mum

Kyouko: Morning...

Her mother greeted with no emotion behind it, not even taking a single glance away from her newspaper. Asuna went on to mention her school grades only to get a negative response.

Kyouko: why would you care so much about a mock exam what you should be doing is studying for the college entry exams because of how Important it is.

Asuna: yes mother....

This was a regular occurrence... Asuna got use to this but it still pulled some strings in her heart. She only wanted to make her mother proud just like her brother. Asuna would follow all her mother wishes but would still earn the same result... a response that felt like her mother didn't even wanted to care. That her mother just wanted a high reputation for the family.

Asuna: Ikadakimasu...

Asuna started to eat her breakfast, not saying a single word to her mother, once she finished Asuna began walking to the front door. she said her goodbyes only to earn a emotionless response back.

(Time skip)

The young girl arrived at her school, walking through the front gate while greeting her friends. Miko, a young girl also the same age as Asuna at the age of 15. Miko started telling her about the new VRMMORPG game that was going to release on this very day.

Miko: HEY, HEY Asuna have you heard of the game that's coming out tonight?

Asuna: no I haven't

Miko: awww surely you have, don't tell me your living under a rock.

Asuna: I've been studying all week Miko so I haven't heard of this "game" your talking about.

Miko: it's this game called Sword Art Online. It's the first of its kind and a huge step in gaming tech, oooh I can't wait to try it tomorrow night!!!

Asuna smiled seeing her friend geek out on this new game. If she were to recall her brother wanted to play the same game mentioned a game of similar description. She wanted to give it a try herself but her studies were making it seem impossible to even give the game a glance. Maybe it won't hurt to give it a try, her brother had bought a nerve gear and pre-ordered a copy of the game.

(Time skip)

Asuna was now at home, sitting on her bed, nerve gear in hand.

Asuna: An hour of playing wouldn't hurt

Little did she know this hour she would spend would be one she might regret. Laying down on her bed after placing the nerve gear on her head like a knight placing their helmet on their head, taking a deep breath before voicing the words "Link Start" as she began to see colourful light pass by her. She was in awe of how this technology could create such a real feeling.

She loaded into the land of Aincrad to lay her eyes on the beautiful landscape being only the floor. She fell in awe, she never thought she would see such a beautiful place in a game before. But suddenly Asuna was teleported... but it wasn't on her command it was forced in a way, she turned to the left seeing a huge number of players just was confused as her, she then turned right as if looking both left and right for cars at a crossroad crossing. She earned the same result...

Asuna: what's going on?...

Her question was soon answered by a huge cloaked figure soaring over her. Her heart rate started to rise at a rapid pace, this was something you would see if you gained sleep paralysis. The cloaked figure started to speak, the faceless vigilante have not only her but all of the players that surrounded her have shivers down their spines.

???: to all players... I am Kayaba Ahibiko the creator of Sword Art Online. You are all here as a lab rat in my world. As you may have noticed, the log out button in your menu has been removed.

As the figure now revealed as Kayaba announced these words, players left and right who didn't notice the removal of the log out option. Opened to find that what Kayaba was saying was true, the log out button was not there. Players were confused, shocked, not knowing the reason for these current of events.

Kayaba: the reason behind this is because I have made this single rule... if you die in this game... you die in the real world. If you die the nerve gear will send a electromagnetic pulse through your brain thus causing your brain to shut down. Most of you would find this ridiculous but over 200 players have already lost their life as their family members have tried to forcefully remove the nerve gear.

Asuna didn't even know what she was listening to. A game of death, she didn't want it. What will her mother think? She might be seen as a disgrace to her mother, she didn't want it. Then screens appeared in the sky next to Kayaba, left and right, showing reports of already confirmed casualties of the unfortunate victims.

Asuna: no....

Kayaba: the only way to escape is to clear the game... there are 100 floors to clear in the world of Aincrad. Once you beat the 100th floor you will have the ability to log out of this game. Until then... it's life or death.

And with that the cloaked figure started to dissolve. Disappearing from the evening sky, once he was fully gone panic started to commence. Players not knowing what to do, some slouched down unable to move from the accused information that they have just consumed. Asuna was one of them, she began to run... running as far as possible away from the crowd. Eventually she came to a halt , at a bench that she had to sit on. Borrowing her face into her knees as she was overwhelmed by the words Kayaba had shared. Tears threatened to escape her eyes as she started overthinking of what her mother would say

Kyouko: YOU DECIDED TO LOSE YOUR GRADES OVER A DAMN VIDEO GAME!!!

Asuna: no please...

Kyouko: YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE FAMILY NAME!!!!

Asuna: no!!!

Kyouko: I WONT EVEN CONSIDER YOU AS MY DAUGHTER ANYMORE!!!

Asuna: I WANT TO GO HOME!!!!

She screamed, gripping her chest as her heart ached. Fearing the absolute worst, she started weeping as the tears finally escaped their prison. She arrived at a inn with a half dead walk, booking out a room she dropped onto the bed balling herself as she just... grieved, crying, she didn't know what to do. She felt her entire world just crumble in less than an hour.

She fell asleep with tears in her eyes hoping that it was a dream and that when she awakes she will be back home again in her room.

But obviously it will be the complete opposite when she awakes.