STAR BOY ONLINE | PHAN

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DAN'S P O V

"Today's the big day, huh Big Brother?" Adrian's big, brown eyes looked up at me in awe.

"It sure is," I smiled back at him from across the table.

"You're gonna win aren't you?" the younger boys asked hopefully.

"Well, I'm sure gonna try," I laughed.

"I bet you will," Adrian cried, excitement building in his voice, "You got the farthest of anyone in the beta test."

"True," I said, blushing a little in spite of myself, "though I try not to get too cocky. The best way to beat a game is to stay humble."

"Humble," Adrian took a mental note, "Right. Hey, Big Brother?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I could play SAO sometime?" he asked, staring at his hands.

"Yeah, I think you're old enough," I smiled, "I think you'd be a really good player. Maybe tomorrow we can get you your own NerveGear and then we can play together sometime."

"Wow, really?" His eyes grew wide.

"Yeah, we could partner up! Maybe even join a guild together!"

"Wow that'd be so cool!" he said, bouncing up and down.

"It's almost time," I said, pointing to the digital clock sitting on my bedside table. "Two minutes." I flicked on my computer's monitor and was greeted with a bright flash of blue light. WELCOME TO SWORD ART ONLINE. YOU MAY BEGIN PLAYING SHORTLY. Beneath the letters was a countdown, slowly lowering.

1:34

1:33

1:32

"You'll be able to watch me on the monitor," I reminded Adrian, who sat in my desk chair, ready to watch the game unfold. I smiled at him and plugged in my NerveGear, placing the helmet on my head. I lied in my usual place on the bed, listening to the countdown in my ears.

1:29

1:28

1:27

PHIL'S P O V

1:26

1:25

1:24

Excitement pulsed through me as the numbers rang in my ears. I hadn't been selected to be one of the Beta testers, but my dad had worked alongside Kayabe Akihiko as one of Sword Art Online's lead developers, so I had heard a lot about it. I'd spent the past six months eagerly awaiting the official launch so that I could finally delve into the world my father had helped to create.

1:05

1:04

1:03

I remembered the words Dad had told me last night at the dinner table. "Remember, Son, Sword Art Online is only a game. It can be easy to get lost in a virtual reality, but we have to remember who we really are. We have to remember where we came from. We have to remember the real world. No matter what."

For a NerveGear game developer, Dad was really wary of video games. He'd always been that way for some reason: scared I would get too addicted or something.

WELCOME TO SWORD ART ONLINE. GAME LAUNCHING IN :10.

"Dad! Game's starting! Are you watching?" I called.

"Of course I am!" My dad chuckled, poking his head though my bedroom door and sitting in front of the computer. "I wouldn't miss this launch for anything."

"Wish me luck!"

"Good luck, Son," he smiled at me.

:05

:04

:03

:02

"And remember what I told you!" Dad's voice was getting farther and farther away as the countdown became louder and louder around me.

:01

"Remember what's real."

WELCOME TO SWORD ART ONLINE.