The sky overhead looked almost too perfect—deep blue, scattered with soft, slow-moving clouds. The grass felt oddly real beneath Ren's hands, warm from the sun, even though he knew this place had to be digital.
"Aiko? Yumi? Sora?" Ren's voice cracked slightly.
Aiko stood a few feet away, brushing dirt off her glowing white armor. Yumi was already on her feet, bow slung over her shoulder, scanning the horizon. Sora, in a mage's robe, had summoned a floating screen in midair that was scrolling through lines of glowing code.
"This isn't a dream, right?" Ren asked.
Yumi rolled her eyes. "If it is, it's the most immersive one I've ever had. Look at this!" She kicked a nearby rock. It bounced once, then shattered into pixel dust.
"We're in the game," Sora confirmed. "EverWorld Zero. But this isn't normal gameplay—this is some kind of override system. The game has absorbed our consciousness."
"Wait… like a Sword Art Online situation?" Yumi asked, visibly tensing.
"No," Sora said, tapping through the air. "More like we've been rewritten as actual data. We're not just stuck playing—we're part of the code now."
"That doesn't make me feel better," Ren muttered.
"Where's the logout button?" Aiko asked sharply, her face unreadable.
"There isn't one," Sora said flatly. "Not yet."
A moment of silence fell between them. Then a soft chime rang out.
[Welcome, Players.]
A translucent panel appeared before their eyes, like a heads-up display.
You have entered EverWorld: HeartCore Mode.
Objective: Discover True Connection. Escape Conditions: ???
NPC Guide assigned. Quest begins in: 00:59... 00:58...
"What the hell is HeartCore Mode?" Ren asked, standing up.
"I think…" Sora hesitated. "It's a hidden dating sub-mode. One that was buried in the game's files. I read about it on a developer leak forum. But it was never meant to activate."
"Wait, you're telling me we're trapped in a dating game?" Yumi's voice cracked with disbelief.
A shimmering light appeared in front of them, slowly forming into a humanoid figure—a young girl with bright pink hair and glitching pixel wings.
"Hiya!" she chirped. "I'm your guide, Patchy! Welcome to EverWorld: HeartCore! Here, the power of love isn't just emotional—it changes the world itself!"
Patchy grinned like an idol on stage. "Your hearts determine your quests! Your bonds shape your strength! So, team up, pair up, or break up—just don't lose your connection!"
"I hate her already," Yumi muttered.
Ren looked around at the others. This was insane—surreal—but somehow, strangely beautiful. He had no idea what was ahead. But one thing was certain:
This wasn't just a game. And the real challenge wouldn't be survival…
It would be understanding what love truly meant.