Scene 26

November 6th, 2022. That's the day I logged into Sword Art Online...

The world's first full-dive MMORPG. Just put on the headgear, and you were transported to a virtual world.

The stage for this new adventure was a giant floating castle called Aincrad.

I couldn't believe it. I'd finally arrived in the world I'd always, always dreamed of.

My life had never allowed me to be myself. I lived behind forced smiles—a state that made it hard to breathe.

But in this world, Aincrad, things were different. Nobody knew who I was. For the first time in my life, I was free.

At least, that's what I thought.

"This may be a game, but it's not one you play." Those were Kayaba's words.

If you die here, you die for good. The pain, the fear—it's all real, and you can't escape it.

And while I'd been in the Beta, I never imagined Kayaba would go so far as to do this.

It's terrible being alone...but I need companions I can trust.

It's okay. I'm sure I'll find them. Even here, in a virtual world, people's warmth—their heart—still shines through.

For now, all I can do is move forward.