The Nihilos: Trash Player Who Rewrote Reality

One Last Sync

The stasis pod hissed open.

Ava's body slowly descended as the containment fluid drained. The soft hum of backup power and failing machines echoed like a forgotten heartbeat.

Raven didn't breathe.

He stood there — shaking, worn, still bleeding inside from everything he had become and lost. His fingers hovered over the panel, watching as her eyes fluttered open for the first time in years.

> "...Yuto?"

Her voice was small. Pure. It struck like a knife through all the static in his head.

But the light in her eyes dimmed the next moment. She frowned, confused.

> "Who… are you?"

His heart sank. The joy cracked, fell apart like dried paint. Her data had been fractured. She was alive — but clean. The system had rewritten her memory matrix to avoid "emotional instability triggers."

> "You're safe," he whispered.

She blinked at him. "Are you… sad?"

He nodded. And smiled.

---

A New Life

Two years passed.

Raven never used the name "Yuto" again. It belonged to a boy trapped in a game. A boy who wanted to save his sister and got caught in a storm bigger than anyone understood.

Now he was just Raven — a name left behind in virtual warzones, revived only in whispers across darknet forums. Some believed he was a myth. A system bug. Others said he had died with the last Server Collapse.

Only a few knew he walked among them now — delivering packages in the quieter parts of Tokyo, helping a 14-year-old girl adjust to a world she didn't remember.

He took up odd jobs. Courier runs. Repairs. A shop here, a warehouse there. Always moving. Never reconnecting to the network.

Ava would sometimes ask strange things.

> "Why do I know how to code even though I never learned?"

> "Why do I dream of stars I've never seen?"

He always told her: "That was another you. And she was brave."

She smiled every time.

---

Warning Signs

The first sign was small.

A neighbor's cat flickered — literally glitched — for two frames when Raven touched it.

The second sign was a news story: a brief report of a man who survived a building collapse with no injuries. Surveillance footage showed him glowing faintly right before it happened.

The third sign couldn't be ignored.

Monday Morning, 7:42 a.m.

He stood in line at a vending café, sipping instant coffee while a news broadcast looped on the mounted television.

> "BREAKING: Monster appearance reported near Osaka. Authorities confirm it resembles a creature from EvoCore's popular MMO archives."

> "EvoCore Inc. has released an official statement: This is part of Project Convergence."

> "We are proud to announce that players will soon be able to gain skills and classes in real life, as virtual dungeons open worldwide."

> "The economy will be rebuilt on merit and leveling systems. Register with EvoCore's new capsule today and begin your journey."

Raven's cup dropped.

The world… was choosing the cage this time.

---

Something Moves

As he walked out into the sunlight, the voices of excited teens echoed around him:

> "Dude, I got a Common Class in the beta rollout!"

> "I'm gonna be a Blacksmith! No more college!"

> "My dad's signing up to become a Dungeon Ranger!"

The sky shimmered faintly.

A little boy ran past with glowing tattoos forming on his arms — residual effects from touching a capsule port.

Raven stared at his hands. For two years, he had been silent. Ordinary.

But under the surface… Nihilos never slept.

He felt it stir now — a cold pulse in his spine. A twitch in his breath. His HUD blinked once, even though he hadn't worn gear in years.

> [NIHILOS SYNC – PASSIVE TRACE: 30.01%]

> [WARNING: WORLD RULES ARE CHANGING.]

> ["You can't run forever."]

He looked toward the sky.

And whispered, "Then maybe it's time I stop running."

---

Somewhere Else

Inside a clean white EvoCore skyscraper, behind glass walls and executives with AI-driven smiles, a boardroom darkened.

A terminal beeped.

> "We have a match," said a voice. "Residual Nihilos signature detected. West Tokyo."

> "It's him," replied another.

> "Deploy a mimic trial. Let's see if the old god still bleeds."