It started with a cough.

And then a breath.

And a twitch.

Which escalated to a pulse.

A need to move.

A need to break open.

A need to be free.

A sharp intake of breath hurt his very core as his eyes opened, water all around him. His hands moved and pushed against the glass in front of him which ultimately gave way as it moved upwards. He breathed in deep and painfully as he choked and pulled off the oxygen mask. He looked around as he fell onto the ground. Breathing in and trying to gain control of his senses again, Minhyun propped himself up against the pod he was in. Where was he? He looked around and panted softly before pushing himself up. There were similar pods all around him and each one held a person.

He gasped as he realised what this looked like...

Not good.

Or well, that show.

With the exception that he didn't have little knobs poking out of his fair skin and he definitely was wearing clothes. He looked around and started walking to what seemed like a door in this dark room. The rectangle shape opened up as he stepped out, squinting as light stabbed his eyes. He heard footsteps and took a step back, unsure if he should run and hide. He breathed in and decided to duck behind one of the pods, peeking through the glass at the person who walked inside.

The person was carrying someone or something to one of the other opened pods that Minhyun hadn't noticed earlier but he hoped whoever it was wouldn't notice him either. They placed the person inside and put on the oxygen mask before closing the pod. Water filled it and the person turned around.

"You're there, aren't you?"

Minhyun tried not to make a sound but he realised the voice was too familiar.

"Come now. Don't be shy, Minhyun."

"Prism?"

~~~

I set him down gently on a couch in a random apartment room before touching his forehead. I felt like I was being paranoid but it looked as if he wasn't even breathing. I placed my finger under his nose and laid my head on his chest just to be sure. He was breathing but so light, I could barely feel it. Do we even need to breathe in this world? I couldn't tell. I knew I was still subconsciously doing it but it also felt like it didn't make sense. There was nothing much to do except to sit and wait. I checked on him every so often while spending my minutes away just fiddling with whatever I could even reach.

After some time, I managed to make a rope of some kind with the overgrowth. I knew this felt like a waste of time but it wasn't like I had a choice when I was cuffed to him. I laid beside him and touched his arm. It was cold but then again, he wasn't that warm to begin with. I would know after holding his hand or arm several times before. I scooted closer and hugged him, hoping that would help in some way.

Beep.

Huh?

I tilted my head to look up when I noticed some floating rectangles. I squinted and they became more obvious. I sat up and they floated in the air.

> Kiss

> Shake

What is this...?

I reached out and tried to click it but nothing happened. Frowning and tilting my head, I tried to make it go away by using my hand to swat at it but it didn't have any effect on it. I guessed I could just leave it alone since it wasn't doing me any harm...

I was about to lay down again when I heard static like noise. I turned my head to see the very fabrics of reality being ripped off in front of me.

"What the-"

The air seemed to split into nothing but white just like the incomplete bridge until it was big enough to fit someone and indeed, someone did walk out of it. But I wasn't expecting Prism to show up.

"You're fine!" I squeaked and he let out a chuckle through that prism head of his.

"I'm more than fine," he spoke and I was utterly confused as he reached up and took off the prism head. I blinked in shock when I saw Minhyun staring back at me.

"Wha- how-" I looked at the body beside me and it was indeed Minhyun but he was also right in front of me now. "Who-"

"It's me, Baekho... The very same Minhyun beside you."

"I don't... Get it."

"Neither do I but I met the real Prism. Or should I say the program Prism..." He stepped away from the white thing and someone else walked right in.

"Prism?!"

"Hey Ho! Missed me?"

"WAIT, wait. What on earth is going on here?!"

"To put it in simpler layman terms, Minhyun here accidentally 'logged out' from the data world," Prism said almost confidently as if I would understand what the hell he just said.

"Say that again in a dumb person's term instead," I said and squinted.

"Remember how we established that we are in a game? That's true! We are."

I stared at Minhyun with a dumbfounded look and he sighed.

"Okay. Basically we aren't real people or at least, that's what I think...?"

"Oh no. You're all very real," Prism said, further making my mind confused except Minhyun looked just as confused as me this time too.

"What? You mean... That room with everyone else..."

"They're data. Everyone's data. You're all basically... Oh. I can't tell you that since I've been programmed not to. Hmm.... Put simply, you are in fact, real."

"So you're still restricted from saying things even though you're the main Prism?"

"Oh... My head is spinning," I muttered and Prism laughed.

"Oh yes. I am still a program after all. In fact, I'm about the least unreal thing here. Not counting all those silly little creatures crawling around in the map."

"Wait... Just slow down a tad," I said, unable to keep up with the two. "Care to explain from the beginning? What and how this is happening?!"

Minhyun and Prism (if he had eyes) exchanged glances.

"I woke up in this weird room that had like... Pods of people everywhere. Prism came in and found me."

"Why? Because you're not supposed to exist there?"

"That's the system's interface. You shouldn't be awake there for sure," Prism chirped along and walked to the Minhyun sleeping beside me. "Hence why I brought him back. I'm guessing the logging out was caused by this."

We looked as he released the cuff on the unconscious body and we both freaked out.

"You'll kill Baekho!" Minhyun squeaked and I just froze.

"Why would it? I'm authorised to remove them. In any case, if Minhyun tries to survive in this current situation like this, chances are he won't be able to revive anymore as the current him with all his data gone," Prism said and held out the cuff to minhyun. I held his wrist and frowned.

"What did you just say?"

"Think about it this way. Minhyun here is the genuine raw data version that's been plugged in. Any information that the one currently inactive gets will be transferred to him. This is how we preserve your datas just in case anything gets corrupted or deleted."

"So you're saying if I really die now, it's game over?" Minhyun asked and Prism chuckled.

"Yes. Precisely. Though if you manage to actually find a way to completely log out, maybe... Just maybe-ah. I've said too much. That was dangerous."

"You have to give us more than that..."

"What happens if I go through there now?" I asked and pointed to the white portal thing.

"You'll be logged out from here," Prism responded curtly as if afraid he might spill more beans than he already has.

"Does that give me any benefits other than potentially actually dying?" I asked and clicked my tongue.

"Oh my. Oh my. Are you trying to see if there's a way out of the game?" he chuckled and I sighed.

"Yes. A way for us to survive."

Prism hummed and shrugged.

"Why can't you just log Minhyun back inside?"

"The system is built so that anyone who hasn't died won't be able to log out which also means they shouldn't be outside... Which means there wouldn't be any system built to log him in again."

"Minhyun..."

"It's okay, Baekho."

"Prism, can't you help us stop this game? Stop everything?"

"No way. That would make them delete or replace me as a program. Even if I may not be real and may not feel human emotions, I am still capable of fearing for my own existence. So, Baekho, what would your choice be?"

"You're letting me choose? Aren't you going to like... Stop us?"

"Hee hee~ Then what fun would the game be?"

Prism handed the cuff to me and stood by the portal. "If you can't decide, you can ask them."

"Who?"

Prism waved his hand in the air and I unconsciously looked around.

"Baekho, he means the audience... The ones who can control the Player's decision. I was the Player but since I was forcefully logged out earlier, it seems like I no longer have that role. And since we are both favored, that would mean the role is now on you."

"You're kidding me... You mean that thing from earlier about kissing or shaking you were the only routes I could take?! I don't trust that!"

"Oh, don't be mistaken. They're not the only routes you can take but they're the routes picked for you to take," Prism said as if that would make things any better.

"Minhyun, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course, Baekho."

Minhyun followed me out of the room and I hugged him immediately. He flinched but this Minhyun was warm and he also returned the hug.

"Is it really you?"

"Yep. Data and flesh and all."

"I'm so glad and relieved then," I said with a slight shaky breath. "I didn't know what to do when you passed out... Whether I'll have to carry you to keep going or what... Thank god you're fine."

Minhyun stared at me before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on my lips. I felt my cheeks burn but I couldn't help it as I could only pull him closer. It felt real even if we were just data. Amazing.

"Well... Ahem... We should really decide our next move though. Chances are if we both log out, we might be able to solve more mysteries but Prism told me earlier that if I complete the game even in this current body, I'll still be eligible for the wish which means we can just ask for the truth."

I squeezed his hands tightly. Even without the cuff tying us together, I still didn't want to leave his side.

"But if we log out now, we can prevent more of our friends from dying..."

"Baekho, you heard him. We don't actually die... As long as you're logged in. All the information is just sent back to the bodies in the pod."

I gritted my teeth slightly and shook my head. "I meant you... You'll die this time for real if we continue the game..."

"I know but... We wouldn't know what to do or where to go... We won't have any clear objective or goal on how to get out..."

"I guess Prism is right." I looked up at nothing in particular. "If you're really out there, help us. Help us get out. Please."

"Are you trying to talk to the audience?"

"It's worth a try. We won't know what will happen... And Jonghyun said... That the Players are the only ones who stand a chance to win... So if you're really listening... Help us. Please."

~~~

Hello, Player.

> Log out

> Continue the game