A spacious room with large bookshelves mostly filled with fictional novels and comics.
A man in his youth stood tall at the kitchen stove cooking what seems to be instant noodles.
He had a fit build and a rather handsome appearance—one that could easily belong on the cover of a magazine. Yet in stark contrast, dark bags hung under his eyes, and his expression was blank, indifferent. Some might call it a wasted look, as if it were more suited to smiling.
The young man, as if living itself was a burden, thought to himself:
'It's tiring... Still, what can I say? It's not like I can just keep whining over something so pathetic.'
He mused at the self-deprecating thought, a faint, bitter smirk forming as his gaze blankly observed the boiling noodles.
After some time, he carried the bowl to the table. Then, he placed a large tablet in front of him and tapped on a streaming app.
His eyes scanned through the live thumbnails until he clicked on a particular stream titled:
[Let’s Play! Echoes of the Fallen Sun]
“Hello guys ~ we are yet again playing Echoes of the Fallen Sun for today’s stream! We’re still trying to fulfill the requirements for the hidden heroine ~ since we’ve already done all the routes for the other girls except that one!”
An exasperated sigh came from the streamer.
“Is she even possible to unlock?"
More sighs followed.
“Still, it’s not that bad. At least I’ve got something to do... But really?”
He laughed lightly.
“The things I do for content for you guys.”
Echoes of the Fallen Sun is a highly acclaimed small-world turn-based RPG. Known for its high-quality CGs, unparalleled freedom of choice, and deep story, its greatest feature is the advanced AI that allows scenarios to branch far beyond standard routes. Every decision creates consequences—risks and rewards that make for an immersive gameplay experience.
It’s a great game to stream. Even the indifferent young man found himself interested, rare as that was.
Just as the streamer was booting up the game, a notification popped up on the man’s phone. He frowned. It was unusual. Most people who had his contact were already blocked or muted. But this one came through Gmail.
Curious, he opened it.
The man’s brows furrowed.
'What? I haven’t played the game at all?'
He thought in puzzlement. After all, he’d only ever watched the game through streams. He never actually played it himself.
“I only watched streams in the first place just…”
His baffled expression slowly reverted to its usual indifferent look. But this time, there was something different in his eyes. Faint traces of emotion flickered in those once-lifeless pupils as he whispered:
“…to have even just a little bit… of noise… in here.”
'And really… even if I wanted to play this game, I couldn’t bring myself to.'
Shaking his head, he dismissed the thoughts and tried to refocus.
Still, curiosity lingered at him.
“…Solarion Dev Team. That’s the actual developer account.”
Solarion. The place where the game Echoes of the Fallen Sun mostly takes place.
'So… it shouldn’t hurt to check it. If it’s a real reward, I’ll just clarify and refuse it.'
And as if driven by some unknown force...
He clicked the link.
Suddenly—
A bright golden light engulfed the entire room.
And the man felt his entire being sucked away by something beyond comprehension.
Some time passed.
He slowly came back to his senses.
Only to realize he was in a peculiar place.
The young man voiced his thoughts.
“…What?”
And the voice that escaped his lips—
Feminine.
Soft.
Gentle.
Clearly, not his own.
| Prologue - End