Stuck in the Virtual World

Atlas is sitting on a bleacher, half asleep. The room is dark except for the stage lights illuminating the man in the middle of the gym. Then everything fades away as a black abyss opens up, swallowing Atlas as he reaches out with his hand. Now, lying down in field, a shadow crosses over him and Jedidiah appears, smiling, offering a hand. The moment distorts, shifts, and now they are charging a tall, reptilian creature. The image rotates and a glowing man is handing Atlas a large book. As he opens the book, there’s a flash of light revealing an old mansion in the middle of a field . . .

Atlas and his friends are at a table. Colton and Sam are heatedly bickering, only to stop when Allison laughs, falling out of her chair. Elijah antagonizes Chelsea and, as she is about to throw a fork at him, there’s a knock on the door, grabbing everyone’s attention. The door cracks, then explodes open as a very shy boy is pushed in by a very energetic girl. Three steps behind is another boy, and a girl holding tightly to his arm. Following behind them are more people. As they all take their seats, Atlas reflects on past moments:

An encounter with cloaked people, a battle with a giant, a destroyed town, a shy little girl with white hair, and then hundreds of people dressed in white red-trimmed uniforms. His attention snaps back to the present when there is a loud knock . . .