The clearing had been unnaturally quiet since Father's extended absence. Even Remi's growing sensitivity to earth-vibrations could not trace his movements beyond their usual territory. The mother dragon's restlessness manifested in constant, agitated movements—her massive tail carving fresh furrows into the ground as she maintained her vigilant watch over the clutch.

A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

Double length chapter this time the story is around 70% posted the next chapters things are going to get interesting.

Chapter 34

I quickly count the pile of coins on the ground, my fingers brushing over the cool metal as I try to keep my focus. “One hundred thirty-eight,” I say finally, leaning back slightly.

The pre-dawn light hung like a thin gray veil over Alex's property. Alex and Hazel moved through the covered walkway connecting the house to the equipment garage with practiced synchronicity. Each step was measured, deliberate - a habit born from years of survival in a world where the slightest miscalculation could mean death.

Everything seemed to be going well, and then my whole plan got run over by a truck. Literally; an accident on a nearby highway sent a truck similar to a semi off the road, and it ultimately stopped after crashing through some fences and the back of my family’s house.

The gravel crunched softly beneath their feet, a sound both familiar and strange to Hazel. She'd heard countless stories about this place from the group during their time away, but this was her first time seeing it in person. Alex moved with practiced caution, his gait carefully modulated to appear normal despite the enhanced musculature beneath his clothing.

A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.
-

Chapter 31 recap

“The nightmare…” I mutter under my breath, glancing at the others as we walk. “I need to tell them.”

“No,” Shade says firmly, his voice cutting through my thoughts like a blade.

Ethertravel report #1902, received June 1, 2534.

I was Lisa Carter, a successful programmer years ago, but at the age of 112, I had run out of my retirement funds, and chose to continue my life as an ethertraveler. As you will read, I was definitely not typical on this world, and I ended up changing the world in a way, but don’t worry; I didn’t tell them about ethertraveling.

Sunlight filtered through the ancient pines surrounding their clearing, casting dappled shadows across Remi's unclothed skin as she crouched behind a weathered boulder. In the weeks since emerging from the egg, her body had matured to that of a twelve-year-old, though such human concerns as clothing had long since ceased to matter in her day-to-day life with her dragon siblings. Her toughened skin had adapted to the elements, comfortable against both rough stone and mountain air.

f people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

Chapter 28 recap

“Oh, Kaida, here’s your… sash,” I say awkwardly, holding out the torn fabric to her.

Kaida blinks, taking it gingerly. Her eyes dart between the sash and me, her brow furrowed in confusion. “What happened to it?”

I glance away, rubbing the back of my neck. “He, uh… he tied me up with it. And then… well, he cut it off.”

“Are you ready for this?” I asked Linda.

“I’m ready,” were the last words she ever said with her body’s mouth.

“Ready,” some of Linda’s family members said.

Linda’s torso was perched on top of a small table with a pillow on it, with her rear legs on the floor and her front legs stuck to the sides of her head in preparation for the pairing.

Chapter 09

Warmth.

That was the first sensation—a gentle, encompassing warmth that seemed to cradle consciousness itself. There was no body to feel it with, no skin to register temperature, just the pure essence of warmth wrapping around awareness like a mother's embrace.

Forewarning:
This chapter is a bit darker than the last few. It deals with even more bullying and with death.
Please read at your own discression.

A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

Alone.

Chapter 26 recap

Panic grips me, sharper than the cold ever was. My heart races as I snap my head around, searching the shadows.

And then I see him.

Standing over me.

His massive sword is in his hand, its edge glinting faintly in the firelight.

The nameplate on Ms. Thurnglad's door gleamed in the fluorescent hallway lights: "Student Guidance Counselor." Remi stood before it, his hand hovering over the handle as the morning bell rang in the distance. Through the frosted glass window, he could make out a vague shape moving within—probably Ms. Thurnglad arranging her ever-present collection of motivational posters and self-help books into their precise positions.

A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

“I should’ve gone back home when I had the chance.”

Chapter 25 recap

Suddenly, a tendril shoots out faster than I can react, wrapping around my waist and yanking me off the sled. The ground slams into me hard, knocking the wind out of my lungs as the world spins violently.

The shuttle glided swiftly back to my parents' house, but my mind drifted between two contrasting worlds. The palace, with its opulent halls and graceful arches, felt like home—a sanctuary where I truly belonged. Yet as I stepped onto the rich, loamy soil of Earth and inhaled the crisp, familiar air, a different kind of warmth enveloped me, one that spoke of childhood memories and unspoken dreams.

rld and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

The truth is revealed?

Chapter 23 recap

I glance at Lorien again, his steady breathing filling the quiet room, and I feel a pang of guilt. He deserves to know. About Shade. About everything.

First thing in the morning, I tell myself firmly. I’ll tell him everything. I’ll tell him I want to be with him… and I’ll tell him about Shade.

A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

It’s time for some answers.

Chapter 22 recap.

She’s had enough rest, I think, watching Lorien’s confused but slowly softening expression. The tension in his body has eased, and his mind is clear again. Time to let her deal with this.

Once the party was over, it was time for me to plan starting college. I accepted one of several pre-made class listings for first years. Making living arrangements was often even tougher than picking classes in college on Earth, but here it was pretty easy. There were dorms, and there was a single room for each person, with doors that would allow them to pair up couples in adjoining rooms.

I was determined to study the capabilities of this world’s technology and take advantage of as much of it as I could in this endeavor to report back to Earth.

A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

The group reaches the fortress and boundaries are crossed.

Sorry for the lack of posts been busy but I’m back and the full story is written! Just editing and cleaning it up now!

I’ll also be fixing some previous chapters issues and cleaning some stuff up to make it more cohesive over all.