RLRD Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Entering Shira

To enter the world of Shira through the game, one needed a VR pod. Luckily, with the game’s massive popularity, the cost of these pods had started to drop. There were even newer models boasting improved latency, making the link between players and the world of Shira feel almost instant.

Still, even the cheapest pods were around $5,000—a fortune that Kyro knew he'd never have. As a teenager, how could he ever get his hands on that kind of cash? Unless he somehow convinced his parents to fork it over, or, worse, did something shady to get the money.

But asking his parents was off the table. Kyro had promised himself he’d never ask them for anything again.

So, when he saw the VR Club, it felt like a dream come true. A way to dive into Shira without spending a single dollar—and it was all legit, just part of the club’s activities. Kyro was ecstatic. He’d found a way in, and for once, everything felt like it was falling into place.

"Don’t get too excited," Slith murmured. "Can’t you feel that coming off her? The girl giving you the tour—she’s frozen, petrified, like she’s just seen a monster."

Kyro took a moment to focus, tuning into her energy. There it was—a strange chill coming from her, though his skin didn’t feel any colder. As he looked closer, he noticed the goosebumps prickling her hands.

"Is everything okay?" Kyro asked.

Scarlett spun around, forcing a smile onto her face. "It’s fine, I’m fine... it’s just that the VR club isn’t exactly a good place. I know you were excited the second you saw it. Most kids are—everyone’s obsessed with that game. But trust me, if you join the club, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life."

Her voice softened as she added, "You won’t enjoy school, you won’t be able to live a normal life... just like Alex." The last words were barely a whisper, but Kyro’s sharp ears managed to catch them.

Scarlett kept walking after that, not explaining any further. It was clear her mood had soured, but she continued with the tour.

"Man, I really wanted to join the VR Club," Kyro muttered, scratching his head. "But I could tell she was dead serious. I haven’t even had a real school experience yet! I don’t want it to end before it starts… Guess I might have to skip this one," he sighed, catching up to Scarlett.

---

Northbridge High School was a fairly average-sized school, with around a thousand students. It was a regular public school, nothing particularly remarkable about it. Some students excelled in academics, others in sports, while plenty were just fine coasting through.

And, like every school, Northbridge had its share of troublemakers. Morning classes were still in session, with most students in their first period. Only a few students were in the halls, like Kyro and Scarlett.

However, the school’s troublemakers weren’t in class. Instead, they had gathered on the east side of Northbridge, near the storage rooms filled with gym equipment.

Three boys leaned against the school wall in the shade. Two of them were standing—one tall and lanky, known as Fries, and the other short, wearing a beanie pulled low over his head, called Chips.

In the center stood the largest of the three, the heavyset student with a belly that looked like an oil barrel and a bald head. He fancied himself the leader of the group and went by Mac.

Mac easily could have been mistaken for an adult if it weren’t for his school uniform.

These three were infamous around the school—the kind of guys everyone knew to avoid.

"Man, where is he? I’m really starting to get hungry," Mac grumbled, resting a hand on his growling stomach.

"Calm down," Fries replied. "It’s not like you’re gonna starve. You’ve got plenty of fat to keep you going."

Chip burst into a fit of laughter, but when Mac, who was crouched down, shot him a glare, he quickly stopped. Fries got the same look, and both of them immediately fell silent, swallowing nervously.

"Your food is here!" a voice called out. A younger boy came running over, dressed in the same school uniform—a white shirt with a dark blue blazer. He clutched a brown paper bag in his hands, the bottom stained with grease.

The boy, Alex, was small and skinny, with messy brown hair and glasses. He was an easy target for guys like Mac and his crew.

He held out the bag to Mac, though Mac snatched it from his hands before he could even offer it. Mac practically tore it open, rummaging through to get his hands on the burgers and whatever else was inside.

"Sorry for the wait," Alex stammered. "There was a big line this morning. I thought the breakfast rush would be over by now."

"What the heck is this!" Fries shouted, pulling a small red packet from the bag. "There are three meals, but only one packet of ketchup! Are we supposed to ration it between the three of us?"

As Fries held it up, Mac snatched the packet from his hand, already tearing it open for his own food.

"I’m sorry!" Alex stammered, taking a step back. "They started charging for ketchup, and I only had enough to cover your meals... I didn’t even get anything for myself."

But Fries was already furious, his face turning red as he glared at his ruined meal. Without warning, he swung his fist, hitting Alex hard across the face.

The blow knocked Alex's glasses off, sending him sprawling to the ground. Dazed, Alex touched his bruised cheek, but before he could even get up, Fries stepped forward and kicked him squarely in the stomach.

As the kick landed, all the air left Alex’s body, leaving him gasping for breath, unable to move.

"Hey, look at what you did!" Mac yelled.

The shout was enough to stop Fries in his tracks, cutting off his fury.

"You dropped all your fries on the ground! Wasting good food like that," Mac scolded. "We can’t waste food."

Mac bent down, picking up the fries scattered on the dirt-covered ground. He glanced over at Alex, a twisted grin forming on his face.

"My family always told me it’s wrong to waste food. Yours is the same, right, Alex?" Mac said, holding up the dirt-streaked fries. With one hand, he gripped Alex’s jaw, prying his mouth open.

He forced the filthy fries into Alex’s mouth, pressing both hands to make him chew.

"And swallow," Mac ordered.

In the background, Chip and Fries burst into laughter as Alex choked, struggling to keep the food down, his coughs turning to gasps.

Mac stretched, a satisfied look on his face. "Ah, it’s a good day. I’m in a great mood. Maybe we should even go to class for a change."

The three nodded in agreement, ready to head off.

"Wait!" Alex called out, his voice trembling. "Our promise... You said I could have today free, right? That I could play today?"

Chip and Fries glanced at Mac, unsure of his answer. But then Mac turned around, a grin spreading across his face.

"I'm in a good mood today, and I should keep my promises," Mac said. "You can have the room for today. Do whatever you want—go wild."

Alex wiped some blood from his split lip and picked up his glasses. When he stood up, instead of looking beaten or worried about his injuries, a smile slowly crept onto his face.

—

Eventually, Kyro’s first day of school came to an end. Overall, it had gone smoothly—no major problems—except he struggled to keep up with the lessons. He hadn’t really attended school before, only learning from videos when he felt up to it.

But he didn’t let that get him down. Just being at school felt like a new adventure. The only downside was that during breaks and lunch, he didn’t have anyone to talk to. The only person he knew, Scarlett, already had her own group of friends.

A few people tried to strike up a conversation, but it quickly became clear they had nothing in common. They’d ask about his old school or what he used to do, but Kyro didn’t have much to say that they’d understand.

So, as the day ended, he was left with a quiet sense of feeling alone.

"Hey, it’s only the first day," Slith reassured him. "You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy life and find opportunities in the future."

“Don’t worry,” Kyro thought back. “Right now, my main focus should be helping my family, not making friends... the rest will come at some point, right?”

The last bell rang, signaling the end of classes. Noticing Scarlett coming his way, Kyro quickly sat up straight, trying to look attentive, and flashed a big smile.

"That’s... a little unsettling," Scarlett said, glancing at his overly enthusiastic grin. "Anyway, just a reminder—every student has to join a club. The activities are starting now, so you should go around and pick one."

She paused, her gaze serious. "And take my advice: whatever you do, don’t join the VR club."

Without another word, Scarlett turned and walked away.

"Man, I really wanted to join the VR club," Kyro muttered, slumping onto his desk. "How else am I supposed to get to Shira? That was my way to start making money..."

"And how exactly were you planning to do that? Did you think you’d become some kind of star, or maybe that you’d awaken as a Purger after that encounter?" Slith replied.

Kyro glanced down at his hand, remembering how his body had healed so quickly—it was all thanks to Slith’s power. Ever since then, he’d been hoping he’d unlock something more, but so far, there was nothing.

All he had was Slith’s power to rely on, and maybe, with it, he could actually make something of himself in the world of Shira.

"You’re right, it’s not much of a plan," Kyro admitted. "And Scarlett seems like a smart girl, so maybe I really should avoid the VR club and check out a few other options."

"Are you sure you’re doing it because you think she’s smart?" Slith teased. "Or is it because the blood’s rushing somewhere else?"

"Shut up!" Kyro snapped, standing up and heading out with a determined stride.

Kyro wandered through a few different clubs, checking out the chess club, debate club, card game rooms, and then moved on to the sports clubs. There, he spotted Scarlett again. She was clearly skilled and athletic, landing punches and kicks with impressive precision. For a moment, Kyro considered joining.

That was, until he saw Scarlett kick one of the boys in the stomach, sending him to his knees with tears in his eyes. Yeah, probably not a great idea—he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of her. Scratching that idea, he moved on.

Eventually, he found himself at the basketball club, watching a game unfold. One player stood out above the rest.

“Go, Dan, go!” the kids on the sidelines shouted.

Dan was faster and more agile than anyone else on the court, weaving past players with ease before running up and performing a smooth layup right into the net. His face was covered in sweat as he jogged back to his side, clearly focused and in the zone.

After a while, Kyro could tell Dan was exceptionally talented, but even so, he decided to keep looking and slipped out quietly.

"What was wrong with that club? I thought the idea of putting balls into baskets was a bit ridiculous, but it looked pretty fun—and you could train your body, too!" Slith remarked.

"You’re right," Kyro admitted. "But I don’t know the first thing about basketball. And did you see that guy, Dan? Even though he was scoring all the points, he didn’t look... happy. I don’t want to end up like that."

Slith didn’t reply, but he found Kyro surprisingly perceptive, maybe even more so than most people. A life with so little interaction seemed to have sharpened his ability to notice small details.

With his head down, Kyro walked through the school hallways, letting out a long sigh. When he finally lifted his gaze, he realized he’d somehow ended up in a familiar corridor. Passing by a few posters he’d seen earlier, he paused.

"Wait a second, isn’t this..."

Before Kyro could say the words, he noticed a boy with bandages covering his face unlocking the club room door with a key.

Wait, he doesn’t look so scary, Kyro thought as he walked closer, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Hey, are you a member of the VR club?" Kyro asked.

The boy turned, his eyes lighting up when he saw Kyro. "I haven’t seen you around before. Are you interested in joining the VR Club?"

"Uh, yeah, I’m new here," Kyro replied, a little surprised by the boy’s enthusiasm. "So, I guess that means you’re a member?"

Alex slid the door open, a smile spreading across his face. He was late to the club because he’d just visited the school nurse—the side of his mouth still throbbed painfully. But with someone showing interest in the club, his pain seemed to fade.

"Come on, let’s go in!" Alex said, grabbing Kyro’s hand and pulling him inside. The sight took Kyro’s breath away. He looked around the room, eyes wide with awe, unable to believe what he was seeing.

The room was a bit rough—the floor was dusty, and stray pieces of trash lay scattered around—but Kyro barely noticed. His attention was fixed on the five VR pods lined up along one side.

They were all set up, plugged in and ready to use, with cables running across to tables opposite them, where large monitors displayed what was happening inside each pod.

"Judging by that look on your face, is this your first time?" Alex asked, a grin spreading across his face.

Kyro could only nod, excitement building inside him.

"Then let’s do it," Alex said, motioning to one of the pods. "Let’s log in to Shira Online together!"