Dubai, Qatar, Terra

When Liam and his friends logged into Terra, they found themselves standing at the foot of the Burj Khalifa.

Every detail was perfect. The reflection of sunlight on the skyscraper's mirrored surface, the warm wind rolling in from the Persian Gulf. It was Dubai, down to the last grain of sand, but more quieter, stiller, almost dreamlike.

Kristopher turned in a slow circle and asked, eyes wide in surprise, "Wait… why do I look like this?"

He stared at his clothes—jeans, black hoodie, sneakers—the exact outfit he was wearing before logging in.

"Same here," Alex said, patting his jacket like he couldn't believe it. "I thought we'd have avatars or something."

"Yeah, this is either the most realistic avatar customization I've ever seen… or we just got cloned," Harper said, raising his hand and observing himself.

Matt stepped closer to Liam. "Alright, boss, explain. What's going on?"

Though they have watched livestreams and videos of the tech reviewers and the streamers playing Lucid, but he still asked as he wants to understand how the game does it.

Liam smiled at their reaction and started explaining, "The in-game avatar for Terra is synced with your Lucid profile. It uses full body mapping—so whatever you look like in real life is how you appear here."

"So… there's no character creation screen?" Kristopher frowned.

Liam shook his head. "Nope. Terra isn't about fantasy—it's an Earth simulator. Everything starts with who you are."

The group exchanged amazed glances. Elise looked down at her own hands and whispered, "It's kind of eerie though… it feels real."

"It is real. Or at least, close enough that your brain can't tell the difference," Liam said quietly.

They fell silent, staring up at the tower. The streets around them were spotless and empty. There wasn't a single person or even vehicle in sight.

"This place feels haunted," Alex said, as he rubbed the back of his neck uneasily.

"It's supposed to. Terra doesn't use NPCs, except for policing. The cities are built to mirror the real world. Until players fill them, they stay mostly empty," Liam said.

"So it's basically Earth without people," Harper whistled softly.

"Exactly," Liam replied.

"Creepy concept for a game," Kristy said, as she hugged herself, glancing at the lifeless skyscrapers.

"It's meant to evolve. Terra starts as a blank world. What players build inside it will define it," Liam said.

"That's… actually brilliant," Stacy admitted, though she looked around nervously. "But still gives me apocalypse vibes."

Liam chuckled. "Come on. Let's get something to eat before you start imagining ghosts."

He led them across the plaza toward a nearby café—one they'd all visited countless times in real life. The difference was eerie, as there was no staff, customers or any sound except for the sound of the door when Liam opened it.

They took seats by the window.

Elise frowned. "Okay, I'm just going to say it—if an empty chair starts moving on its own, I'm logging out."

"Relax. This isn't a horror game," Liam laughed quietly.

He gestured toward the sleek digital menu embedded in the table. "Go on, order whatever you want."

"Wait, we can eat here?" Matt blinked in surprise.

"Yeah," Liam said casually, like it was obvious. "You can eat in Terra, Frontline: Starfall Dominion, and Eternal Realms. Check your interface."

They exchanged skeptical looks but obeyed. One by one, they brought up their menus—and froze when their status screens appeared.

Kristopher read his aloud:

Name: Kristopher Moore

Age: 24

Physical Attributes: STR: 1 | AGI: 1 | STA: 1 | VIT: 1

Skills: None

Influence: 0

Assets: None

Cars: None

Status: Currently in a state of intense surprise

***

"Bro, even the game's roasting you," Matt let out a low whistle.

"Says the guy probably with one in everything too," Kristopher glared.

Their laughter broke the tension instantly.

Elise was next, reading hers with mock horror. "No skills? None? I'm offended."

Liam gave a small smile and said, "Don't worry. Terra doesn't hand you anything. You earn it. Everything in this world ties to action, not levels. Think of it like starting life over—but smarter."

"Alright, spill it, genius. What else are you hiding?" Matt smirked.

Liam raised an eyebrow. "I said I'd let you figure it out yourselves."

"That's not fair," Kristy protested. "You built this game! You have all the answers!"

Liam chuckled. "Exactly. And what fun would it be if I gave them to you?"

They all groaned.

Finally, Elise crossed her arms and pouted. "You're impossible."

Liam laughed. "Fine. One question each."

The mood immediately shifted as everyone perked up. Matt leaned forward like a child at a candy store. "Alright, my question. Is there combat in this game?"

"Yes," Liam said simply.

Matt blinked in confusion. "That's it? That's the answer?"

Liam grinned. "You only asked if it exists. You didn't ask where, when, or how."

The group groaned again, but laughter filled the room.

Kristopher spoke next. "My turn. Can we own property here?"

Liam nodded. "Yes. You can buy, build, or create anything you can afford."

"Even skyscrapers?"

"Even cities," Liam said.

The silence that followed was filled with awe.

Harper leaned back, whistling. "So basically, it's an alternate Earth with no limits."

"Exactly."

They nodded and began placing their orders through the tabletop screen. Moments later, the plates appeared before them, steaming, fragrant, real.

Pancakes, coffee, croissants, and fresh fruit materialized as though delivered by invisible hands.

"No way…" Kristy's jaw dropped.

Elise reached for her latte, admiring the swirl of heart-shaped foam. She hesitated, sniffed, then took a careful sip. Her eyes widened.

"It tastes—perfect."

"Let me try!" Matt grabbed a muffin, bit in, and froze. "Holy—" he swallowed. "That's real!"

"Virtual sensory mapping," Liam explained, watching their reactions with satisfaction. "It stimulates your taste buds and memory simultaneously. Your brain can't tell the difference between this and the real thing."

"So we can eat as much as we want and not gain weight?" Kristopher asked.

"Exactly," Liam said. "You can eat all day, and your real body won't gain a gram."

"So it's heaven for foodies," Harper smirked.

"Pretty much," Liam said, amused.

They ate happily, laughter returning to the table as they compared tastes and textures.

When they finished, Harper leaned back with a sigh. "Okay, this game officially wins. I don't even care if it has monsters or not."

Lana looked around thoughtfully. "So what do we do now?"

"The world's open," Liam said. "Go explore. That's what Terra is for."

The girls exchanged glances.

"Are the malls open?" Stacy asked hopefully.

Liam smiled. "Of course. You'll find everything from boutiques to custom design studios. No real-world brands, though."

Lana nodded. "Makes sense."

"Then we're going shopping," Kristy said, standing. "You boys can do your boy stuff."

Matt feigned a wounded look. "That sounded like an insult."

"Only because it was," Elise teased.

They all laughed.

Lana turned back to Liam. "How do we get there?"

"There's a ride-share app on your in-game phones," Liam said. "Just order a lift like you would in real life. The car will find you."

"Seriously?" Stacy said. "You even added Uber?"

"Not exactly. You will understand when you get into one."

As the girls opened their phones, Liam leaned back and added casually, "You might want to think about where you'll keep your shopping bags when you're done."

"Where else? The penthouse." Kristy smiled and pointed toward the Burj Khalifa with a grin.

"Of course." Liam shook his head, chuckling.

Within minutes, a sleek, silver sedan pulled up outside the café. The girls waved cheerfully as they climbed in, the car's door closed and it glided away down the empty boulevard.

When the vehicle disappeared around the corner, Liam turned back to the boys.

Matt, Alex, Harper, and Kristopher were already staring at him expectantly.

"Alright, boys. Let's go have some fun. Let's go street racing,"Liam smiled.

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