_____Trista looked around her. So this was Mac Anu, the Delta Server's root town. It was beautiful. She looked down at herself. Of only she was this attractive in real life, and was actually allowed to dress this way. Her black hair fell to her shoulders and was actually straight. Her silver mini-skirt and black bikini top actually fit her right, and she was actually proportioned to what she wished she were. She looked at the two daggers in her hands. This was the most awesome thing she had ever seen! Even her surroundings were almost realistic. The people walking by, the stores lining the streets, even the streets themselves were perfect. Excitedly, she looked over the bridge. The water flowing below was so realistic; she could have sworn she could see her reflection. Her brother HAD to see this. Where was he?
_____"He's late, as usual," she sighed.
_____This was only their first session ever. Despite the newbie-slamming they would possibly receive, you would think he would be too excited to be late. Lo and behold, there he finally was. He walked over, dragging an ornate staff behind him with a red orb at the top. He was wearing a green robe with a matching hat covering his blonde hair. He was obviously a wavemaster. He finally reached her, looked her up-and-down with widened eyes, and opened his mouth to say something.
_____"Hello, Chris." She said before he could squeak a word out. "You're late! Did it take you that long to log in?"
_____"Yes," he said defensively, then shrugged. "Anyways, what do you want to do now?"
_____"I want to adventure!" She exclaimed dreamily. "I want to experience this game first-hand, and I want you to do it with me."
_____"Passionate, aren't we?" he sniggered. She elbowed him. The two of them headed toward the spinning chaos gate at the beginning of town when they were stopped.
_____"Hey, you!" A female heavyblade called to them. They turned around for a better look. Her hair was pink and flipped outward, and her outfit was even more revealing than Trista's. She marched over to them, a boy following closely behind her and shaking his head. "Want to form a party with us?" She directly asked Trista and Chris.
_____Chris smiled. "Sure! We would love to!"
_____"Great!" said the heavyblade. "By the way, my name is Blackrose. This is my brother, Kazu." She motioned to the boy behind her. "We're going to the keywords 'Delta: Hidden, Forbidden, Holy Ground'."

_____The four of them appeared on a stone path before a brilliant temple. Trista, Chris, and even Kazu looked around in awe, but Blackrose immediately began marching toward the doors.
_____"You three make it so plain that you're newbies, you know that?" She said, trying her hardest to sound annoyed. Chris and Trista looked at one another, then followed her to the dungeon. Kazu followed behind them.
_____The inside of the temple was beautiful, yet sad. Trista looked around her, and the only though that crossed her mind was what could possibly be lurking around in a place like this. Her eyes fell on a statue in the back of the area; a young girl wrapped in chains. She gasped and shuddered.
_____"I don't like the looks of this place." She squeaked. "Are you sure this is a beginner's area?"
_____"Of course it is," Kazu reassured her. "We saw it on the message board. And if you open your menu, it says under area information that it's only a level one area..."
_____Trista smiled. She wished all the other players were like Kazu; he was nice, considerate, and patient with newbies like her. The group approached a swirling yellow portal.
_____"That's a portal?" Blackrose asked herself, then she cleared her throat. "I mean, yes, THAT is a portal. You approach it, then a battle will begin. That, or you may find a treasure chest." She nodded intelligently, then dashed straight at it.
_____"Blackrose..." Sighed Kazu as he followed. Chris and Trista readied themselves, then followed.
_____The portal swirled, then disappeared as a large dragon appeared.

------------------------------------------
FLAMEDR$%//\^9
LEVEL: ^^^^9
HP: #%$$#\\
------------------------------------------

_____The dragon had a deep green glow surrounding it, and its stats were unreadable.
_____"What?!" Blackrose exclaimed as she used skill after skill against it. "This is a beginner's area! This dragon shouldn't be here!"
_____"My spells are doing nothing!" screamed Chris, as he tried another.
_____"Neither are my attacks!" squeaked Blackrose.
_____"We can't just give up though," Kazu stated matter-of-factually and began casting spells as rapidly as the game would let him. Trista, scared, hung in the background, hoping the three of them could handle the situation. She didn't exactly need these particular experience points...

------------------------------------------
SYSTEM ERR:
DATA BREAK
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_____The screen turned pitch black and fuzzed with static before flashing a fluorescent green. When the flashes subsided, the dragon was gone, but in its place stood an almost-human figure with a red cross. Their surroundings were different, too. They were no longer in the church...
_____The field was desolate, and the graphics were broken. It was a small, confined plane, almost like a battlefield. Trista looked around her to find the other three a few feet away. She dashed behind them, gazing in fear at the monster.
_____"I don't like the looks of this!" She exclaimed. "Are all the in-game events this scary and elaborate?"
_____"I... I don't know..." Stuttered Blackrose nervously. She took a step backward. "Is this even an event?"
_____"I'm not letting it stop us!" Kazu said. "That thing looks fun to fight! The whole reason I joined this game was to have fun!" He smiled, then held his staff high in the air. He unleashed spell after spell, and they all hit their target! Things were looking up; the four of them had a chance after all!
_____The monster didn't flinch. It lifted its hand, and Kazu's character suddenly froze. The monster threw his red cross at him, and a few seconds later, it looked as though Kazu was hung upon it. He writhed and twisted, trying to fight his way off, but he was stuck. Blackrose was screaming.
_____The monster pointed at Kazu, an elaborate pattern forming around its wrist. In another break of static, streams of data shot at Kazu. He screamed loudly and painfully, then his character shattered into a million pieces before fading away.
_____"KAZU!!" Blackrose screamed at the top of her lungs, obviously choked with tears in the real world. She then gated out.
_____"Chris...?" Trista said softly. "Do you think we should get out of here?"
_____"Yes," he said through gritted teeth. The two of them attempted to gate out...
_____Nothing happened.
_____The monster shifted its gaze to Chris, then pointed to him with its cross.
_____"NO!!" Trista shrieked. "CHRIS, RUN AWAY!!"
_____"I can't move!!" Chris screamed. "My character won't move! It's frozen in place!!"
_____"I could be paralysis, but..." Trista trailed off gazing at the two of them in horror.
_____The cross was placed behind Chris. The monster pointed at him, the elaborate pattern once again forming around its wrist. Streams of data shot straight at him. Chris's eyes widened with terror and he drew in a deep breath. They hit him, wrapped around him, and shattered his character with the sound of breaking glass...

_____Trista threw the virtual reality helmet off of her head, breathing very heavily. She looked to the seat next to her only to find her brother, motionless.
_____Too motionless.
_____She pulled the helmet off his head. His eyes were staring blankly ahead, beyond anything physical.
_____"Chris?" She squeaked. He didn't move. "This isn't funny." Her voice was shaking. Still, he made no sound or movement. Lightly, she tapped him on the shoulder, then shoved him a bit. He fell from his chair limply to the floor. Trista screamed.