“Tarnished one,” it read in a font that looked like dried blood. “You sought a path without sacrifice. But in this realm, everything has a price.”

The computer's fan began to scream, spinning at impossible speeds. The room grew darker, the walls seeming to stretch and warp. Liam reached for the power button, but his hand froze mid-air. He couldn't move.

The flickering neon light of Liam's bedroom cast long, jagged shadows against the wall as he stared at the search result:

When he looked back at the screen, a text box had replaced the video feed.

His heart hammered against his ribs. Elden Ring . The game everyone was talking about, the one he couldn’t afford on his meager student budget. The website looked legitimate enough—clean layout, glowing user reviews that seemed just a bit too enthusiastic. "Just one click," he whispered to the empty room. He clicked.

The monitors went black. In the silence that followed, Liam heard the unmistakable clank of metal boots on his hardwood floor. He didn't dare turn around. He realized then that he hadn't downloaded a game; he had opened a gate. And something from the Lands Between was finally home.