"This is heavier than I expected," Luke said, holding the headset with both hands.

"There’s a warning about that in the instructions." Lauren picked up the booklet and scanned the first page. "It says the system must only be used while lying down or reclining somewhere secure."

"That makes sense. I don’t think I could walk around with this thing on my head."

"You aren’t supposed to move your real body while connected. The headset reads signals from your brain and translates them into movement inside the game."

Turning the device over, Luke examined every seam and button.

The technology seemed almost impossible. He had watched reports about immersive systems and occasionally seen advertisements on public screens, but those products had always belonged to a world far beyond him.

People with warm homes and extra money bought virtual reality systems. Luke had spent his time worrying about food, rent, and whether his shoes would survive another winter.

Yet he was holding one now.

Seeing the wonder on his face made Lauren feel better about buying it.

"It’s incredible," she said. "Inside the game, we’ll be able to experience what it feels like to possess abilities of our own. We could wield magic, fight monsters, or become almost anything we want."

Her excitement grew as she spoke.

For years, Lauren had watched her daughters develop powers she could barely comprehend. She had supported them through training, injuries, agency interviews, and the endless pressure that came with trying to become heroes.

She was proud of them, but pride did little to ease the helplessness she felt whenever they entered the field. Inside Powerforge Online, she would finally have the chance to experience power for herself instead of always remaining behind.

Even if it was only a game, she wanted to know what it felt like to protect someone with her own abilities.

Of course, that was not the only reason she had bought the systems.

Powerforge promised complete freedom. Players could become whoever they wanted and pursue desires they would never admit to in the real world.

Lauren adjusted her grip on the headset. "Are you excited, Luke?"

"I am," he said. "I’m still worried I might break it."

"You won’t."

"I’ve never used anything this expensive."

"Then you’ll be careful."

He cradled the device with the care he might have given a priceless treasure, and Lauren found the sight unexpectedly sweet.

"You should try it tonight," she said. "Tomorrow is Saturday, so we’ll open later than usual. You can stay up and enjoy yourself."

Luke looked at her in surprise. "You don’t want to play with me?"

The question caught Lauren off guard.

For a moment, she considered abandoning her plan and admitting that she intended to join him. But sitting beside Luke and discussing their characters would ruin what she had in mind.

She wanted him to meet Yvonne without knowing who she really was, at least at first.

Lowering her eyes to the instruction booklet, Lauren said, "I still have some paperwork to finish. Quarterly taxes, supplier receipts, payroll records... Owning a café isn’t as exciting as it looks."

"Ah. Taxes."

The disappointment in his voice was subtle, but she heard it.

"We can play together another time," Lauren said. "You should learn the basics first."

"That’s probably a good idea."

Hearing the word taxes made Luke miss the few advantages that came with being eighteen. He had spent most of his life wishing he could grow up faster, but adulthood seemed to involve an alarming amount of paperwork.

Once the boxes were unpacked, Lauren showed him how to connect the headset to its charging station. A small indicator turned green, confirming that the system had arrived fully charged.

"The instructions recommend bathing before extended use," she said. "Something about body temperature and skin sensors."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that isn’t your way of telling me I smell?"

"You worked all day and carried half the storage room upstairs."

"So that’s a yes."

Lauren laughed and gave him a light push toward the hallway.

"Go take a shower. Bring the headset into your bedroom afterward and make yourself comfortable."

He obeyed without much resistance.

While Luke showered, Lauren opened her laptop at the dining table and pulled up an old spreadsheet. Rows of café expenses filled the screen, but she barely looked at them. Most of her attention remained on the bathroom door.

The partner package had linked the two systems during their initial activation. According to the instructions, linked users could enter their first dungeon together without exchanging character names or sending invitations.

Luke had not noticed that part because Lauren had kept the instruction booklet in her hands the entire time.

When the shower stopped, she quickly lowered her gaze to the laptop and clicked a random cell.

A few minutes later, Luke emerged with damp hair and clean clothes. He carried the headset against his chest with both arms.

"Do you need help with anything before I start?" he asked.

Guilt tugged at her when he offered to wait, but she had already gone too far to abandon the plan now.

"No, I’ll be fine. Go have fun."

"I can wait until you finish."

"That could take hours."

One look at the columns of numbers was enough to change his mind.

"All right. Call me if you need anything."

"I will."

Lauren waited until he entered his bedroom and closed the door. She intended to count to ten before moving, but by six, her patience had already disappeared.

After snapping the laptop shut, she hurried into her bedroom and closed the door behind her.

Why do I feel like a high school girl sneaking out after curfew?

She practically threw herself onto the bed. The mattress bounced beneath her weight, and her skirt rode several inches up her thick thighs.

Lauren looked down, suddenly aware of how flushed and restless she felt. She ran both hands over her thighs, smoothing the fabric back into place, but the slow motion only made her more conscious of her own body.

Her pulse raced even though she was only about to play a game.

"Get a hold of yourself," she whispered.

The words did little to help.

Luke was only a few rooms away, preparing to enter the same world. Soon, he might be looking at her without knowing who she was, free to stare without the awkwardness that always existed between them in real life.

That thought made her squeeze her thighs together before she caught herself.

"This is ridiculous."

Lauren sat up and checked her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing was slightly uneven, and the excitement in her eyes was impossible to miss.

She was a grown woman who owned a business, had raised two daughters, and regularly dealt with broken appliances and unpleasant customers without panicking. Somehow, the thought of meeting Luke inside a fantasy world still left her restless and nervous.

Climbing back onto the bed, Lauren arranged the pillows behind her and lowered herself onto the mattress. After one final hesitation, she fitted the headset over her head.

The padding settled comfortably around her face, and the straps locked into place with a soft click.

Lauren found the power button and pressed it.

The weight of the headset vanished almost immediately, followed by the rest of her bedroom.

Darkness swallowed her vision as a strange sensation of movement passed through her body. Her stomach lifted while she rose through an empty space she could neither see nor understand.

Then light rushed toward her.

Lauren opened her eyes inside a vast white chamber with no visible walls or ceiling. The smooth floor reflected her figure, and countless translucent windows hovered in the air around her.

[Welcome to Powerforge Online.]

[Beginning neural calibration.]

The system instructed her to move her arms, turn her head, and walk several steps. Every motion felt completely natural. She could feel the smooth floor beneath her bare feet and the faint movement of air against her skin.

When Lauren touched her cheek, the pressure of her fingertips felt perfectly real.

"This is incredible."

[Calibration complete.]

[Please create your character.]