Dubai, Qatar, Terra.

The moment the light turned green, the five cars exploded forward like bullets from a railgun.

The sounds of engine roaring and tire screeching transformed the quiet streets of Dubai into a thunderous racetrack of flashing chrome and fire.

Liam's black hypercar surged ahead instantly, the twin turbines on its rear flaring white-hot as it ripped through the boulevard.

Behind him, Matt's scarlet car snarled as he shifted up, the engine howling in defiance.

"Not this time, boss!" he yelled, gripping the steering wheel as if his life depended on it.

"Keep talking, Matt," Harper's voice came through the comms, calm but playful. "We'll see how long that lasts."

He swerved his sleek silver roadster between Kristopher's armored SUV and Alex's blue coupe, cutting a perfect drift through the next intersection. Sparks trailed from his tires as he regained traction, acceleration throwing him back against his seat.

The road ahead split into three lanes lined with glowing street lamps, each flickering in rhythm with the roaring engines.

"Shortcut to the left," Liam's voice came through the comm line, casual as ever.

"Thanks for the tip," Alex grinned. "I'll take it."

He yanked the steering wheel hard and drifted left, skimming past a corner. The shortcut sliced through a narrow side street that cut a few hundred meters off the main road.

"Smart," Harper muttered, narrowing his eyes as he followed the move. "But predictable."

He toggled a switch on his dashboard, activating his roadster's magnetic suspension. The car lifted just a few centimeters higher, allowing him to take the curve tighter, almost brushing against the wall before bursting back onto the main boulevard beside Alex.

Boys, you're too focused on showing off. Keep your eyes on the road." Kristopher's voice came over the line, deep and steady. "

From behind, his SUV thundered down the street like a tank in motion. Its frame was heavier, but its acceleration was monstrous. Each shift of gear sounded like a growl. When he slammed the throttle, the vehicle surged forward, raw power compensating for its bulk.

"You call that a car? It's a damn building on wheels!" Matt's laughter echoed through the comm.

"Let's see your toy survive this!" Kristopher replied, grinning as he pressed another button. His SUV's front grill shifted, aerodynamic vents opening as the AI-assisted boosters kicked in.

The SUV rocketed forward, closing the gap between them in seconds.

"Holy hell!" Matt yelled, jerking his car out of the way as Kristopher's behemoth blasted past him, shaking the road.

Liam watched the chaos unfold in his rear mirror, a small smirk forming on his face. "Not bad."

But his friends weren't holding back.

They were getting better, faster and more daring

Good.

He pressed down harder on the accelerator. His car responded like a living thing, the digital roar deepening as the buildings blurred around him. The desert wind swept through the open lanes, carrying specks of golden sand that shimmered under the fading sun.

The Marina Bridge lay ahead—two kilometers of smooth steel stretching over glittering blue water, its guardrails glowing with faint luminescence.

That was the finish line.

The game's AI has realised that a street race was ongoing and it has transferred them into another simulation where the whole of the game world is a racetrack, with obstacles. But Liam's friends had no idea.

"First to cross takes bragging rights for a week," Matt shouted.

"Make that a month," Harper replied.

"You're both assuming you'll finish second," Liam said.

The comms erupted with laughter, then silence as everyone started pushing their focus to the limit.

The road ahead narrowed. The AI traffic system suddenly came online, spawning digital vehicles that moved through the roads in preprogrammed patterns to simulate realism.

"What the—?" Alex yelled as a convoy of trucks materialized in front of them.

"Traffic!" Harper barked.

"Then make a lane," Liam said coolly.

He downshifted, jerked the wheel, and slipped between two speeding cars with surgical precision. The hypercar's back end swayed but recovered instantly. Sparks flew as his tires grazed the concrete divider, but he didn't slow.

Matt wasn't so lucky.

"Move, move, move—!" he shouted as his scarlet car spun sideways between two vehicles. He corrected just in time, sliding through with inches to spare.

"Show-off," Harper muttered, then pulled his own insane maneuver. He ramped off a small incline near the sidewalk, vaulting over a passing taxi before landing with a clean thud beside Liam.

"Now that's how you do it," Harper grinned.

"Stylish," Liam said with a nod, "but you're still behind."

"Not for long!"

The road curved left, following the coastline. The ocean reflected the neon lights of the city, waves shimmering like liquid glass. They sped through the open stretch, skyscrapers fading into the background.

Kristopher's SUV was gaining again, raw torque keeping him in the race. Alex's blue coupe stayed in his slipstream, drafting to build speed.

"Alex, I'm passing you," Kristopher warned.

"Over my dead—hey!" Alex's protest was cut off as the SUV surged ahead, brushing his fender.

"You were saying?" Kristopher laughed.

"Cheater!"

"Strategist," Kristopher corrected, turning smoothly into the next lane.

Matt caught up behind them, determination written all over his face.

"Alright, no more playing nice."

He slammed a button on his dashboard. His hypercar's engine flared bright red, twin exhausts glowing like molten metal. The acceleration nearly ripped him out of his seat as he blasted forward, passing both Alex and Kristopher in a blur of light.

"Eat my dust!" he shouted.

Harper laughed. "Dust? More like ego."

They hit the bridge entrance at nearly 400 kilometers per hour. The curved glass railings gleamed as they shot across. The cars' engines screaming as the reflections of the sunset chasing them across the water.

A sharp gust hit, carrying with it sand particles from the desert that swirled in the air, scattering across the bridge like fireflies.

Matt pulled ahead for a brief moment, his scarlet streak cutting through the gold haze. Harper trailed just behind him, weaving side to side to catch his draft.

Then Alex appeared again, cutting close from the right lane, his blue coupe brushing against Harper's car and sparks flew.

"Careful, Alex!" Harper barked.

"Not my fault you're slow!"

"You two crash, I'll take second," Kristopher said from behind, grinning.

"Dream on, big guy," Harper shot back.

Then, everything happened at once, as a massive freight truck spawned on the far side of the bridge.

"Obstacle ahead!" Liam warned instantly.

The others reacted on instinct.

Matt swerved left, tires screeching. Harper cut right, narrowly missing him. Alex's car fishtailed, slamming into the guardrail before recovering, but it cost him speed.

Kristopher couldn't dodge in time, as his SUV clipped the truck's rear bumper. The impact launched him sideways, skidding violently.

"Shit—!" he yelled as his vehicle spun, metal scraping the road in a shower of sparks.

"Hold it!" Liam barked.

"I got it—!" Kristopher fought the steering, regained control, and slammed back into the lane, laughing breathlessly. "Still alive!"

"Nice recovery," Harper said.

"Never doubted myself."

Liam smiled. They were getting better and more confident. He pushed his car harder.

The turbines screamed as he activated the overdrive. The world around him blurred into streaks of gold and blue as the hypercar surged ahead, passing Harper and Matt like they were standing still.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Matt's jaw dropped.

You challenged the wrong man, Matt." Liam's voice came over the comms, calm, almost teasing. "

"Maybe but I'm not done yet!"

Matt slammed his accelerator and activated his car's nitro boost. The scarlet streak flared bright as fire as he shot forward again.

They were side by side now—two streaks of red and black tearing across the bridge.

Harper was right behind them, looking for an opening. The finish line was ahead, with a glowing white arc hovering above the end of the bridge.

"Last stretch!" Kristopher yelled from behind.

Liam glanced at Matt's car. The kid was giving everything he had, pushing beyond what the car was designed for. The engine whined, with heat rippling from its vents.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Matt gritted his teeth.

Liam smiled. Then, almost casually, he shifted gears one last time.

His car surged forward, the overdrive rumbling like thunder.

Matt's eyes widened as the black hypercar pulled away, slicing through the golden light like a shadow cutting across the sun.

Liam crossed the finish line first.

The system flared white, announcing the result across their displays:

1st Place — Liam Scott.

2nd — Matt Curtis.

3rd — Harper Conley.

4th — Kristopher Moore.

5th — Alex Newman.

The cars slowed automatically as they crossed into the cool-down zone and the roar of engines faded.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Matt's voice broke through the comm, half-laughing, half-exasperated.

"I hate you."

Liam laughed softly. "You love me."

"I do," Matt said, groaning. "But I still hate you."

Harper's laughter followed. "That was insane! The whole thing was just too real!"

Kristopher chuckled. "It was real. I could feel my steering fighting back."

Alex sighed. "Next time, no trucks."

"Next time, no mercy," Matt said.

They all laughed again, the adrenaline still rushing through their voices.

Liam parked by the bridge's edge and stepped out. The others followed, their avatars leaning against the cars, looking out at the ocean.

The sun dipped lower, scattering orange and red across the waves.

It was quiet again—but this time, it wasn't eerie. It was peaceful.

Kristopher crossed his arms. "You know, for a fake world, this feels more alive than the real one sometimes."

" I guess that's the whole point of the game," Liam smiled.

The others nodded quietly, watching the sun fade over the digital horizon.

For a moment, none of them spoke.

Then Harper broke the silence with a smirk. "So… round two?"

Matt groaned. "You serious?"

Harper grinned wider. "Loser buys pizza."

Liam laughed. "Deal."

A moment later, five engines roared again, echoing across the sea as they lined up for another race. Each of them were determined to win, but none really cared who did.

***

Meanwhile, while Liam was in the game, having fun with his friends, his name was making waves in the alternate Earth.

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