Chapter Five

Kouvr

A few days later

I was unable to sleep last night, excitement radiating in my chest. Today was the day that I was scheduled to play ParaDise with the game developers of Rusty Gamings.

Excitement had me in a chokehold, and I couldn’t contain myself. My mom was already tired of hearing me talk about it, yet that didn’t stop me at each chance I got.

This was a dream of mine: to be a beta tester for a gaming company. Over the last two years of being a gaming YouTuber, many of my dreams came true. Free games and devices from different companies, meeting fans that weren’t crazy, and overall just waking up and doing what I loved every day.

Even though I hadn’t been doing that for the last few months.

I danced my way into the office, moving to the Simu Machine. When I lifted it, dust poured from the pod’s lid.

“Oops.”

It had been a while since I’d been in this, though I was grateful for being given this machine. When Rusty Gaming gifted it, it already came with a lot of games already programmed on it.

I started up the pod, seeing it whirl to life and glow white. I pressed a few buttons on the pink PC controlling it, making sure that when I was inside, the game would be in my library.

After a breath, I sat inside the pod and put on the little tabs that connected my head to the game. Once all the nerves were connected, I felt a slight adrenaline rush in my brain. The Simu machine—from what I heard—was in the making for a while. No other game system could take someone’s consciousness and put it inside of a game.

By far my favorite game system ever.

I lay inside the pod before pulling the lid down over me. For a second, it reminded me of a tanning machine, though I’d only been inside of one once. My friends at the time convinced me it would be fun, and I ended up red instead of tan.

My eyes grew heavy before closing.

After a few whirling sounds, my eyes opened, and I wasn’t inside the bright pod anymore. I was standing before a video game loading screen.

The word ParaDise lit up the screen, glowing a deep purple. Behind it was a purple palm tree. It looked like something lab created, though I’ve never even seen a tree in real life before.

I clicked to join the beta match key that I was given. Excitement rushed through me, and I grabbed drones from my game inventory. They appeared from almost thin air, and when I turned them on, they glowed red as they began to record.

“Hi, guys! It’s Kovy Gaming, joining the most anticipated game of the year, ParaDise,” I said to the floating cameras, basically jumping with joy. Not only was I getting to play one of the best games of the year, but I could record a video and post it so I could get back on people’s radar.

The developers said I could play the game over a few days, giving me time to do multiple videos.

“I feel so excited that I want to pee on myself,” I said to the camera. “I just don’t know if it would be in real life inside my Simu pod or not.”

ParaDise was marketed as an affordable escape from the dreaded real world. I knew the best way to play this game was in a Simu game system, but it was marketed as compatible with multiple platforms and other virtual reality systems.

Suddenly, the loading screen dissolved around me and the world around me loaded up. First as wall blueprints of a huge lobby room until all the little details started to load in. I looked down at the tablet connected to my arm, making sure the drones were capturing the world building itself around me.

The game’s lobby was a massive room that looked like an old movie theater lobby. I’d never seen one in real life, only seen pictures from the old world. Theaters weren’t a thing anymore; everyone was at home watching something instead of sitting around strangers.

Dead in front of me was a large, long counter with a case of randomized snacks. I smiled at it, wondering if I could eat them. Off to the left side was an area of seats, merging with a bunch of rectangular games. They were huge, with a screen and only a joystick to control them.

“Very retro,” I muttered.

Off to the right side of the counter was a hall leading to one door with a huge glowing sign, “Now Entering ParaDise.”

My heart raced with joy. Right before the door were movie-like posters showing off games that were released before by Rusty Gamings.

I moved to them, seeing Bio Alliances. The tower, which was significant in the game, stood front and center. It was a soldier game, but the soldiers were all living dead. The other side was human, raging a steampunk war.

Before I could look at the next game poster, I heard a throat clear behind me.

I twirled around.

Four jaw-dropping gorgeous men stood there before me. My throat ran dry, and I instantly reached up to fix my blonde hair. These were the developers? They weren’t some nerdy-looking guys like I’d thought they’d be. No, these men looked like they belonged on a magazine cover as models.

“Kouvr,” the one in the front said. “I’m Cyrus.” He approached me, and I let him. My feet felt glued to the blue rug below us. His short hair was a snow-white color, and his skin was pale. His eyes stood out, a bright, striking blue that devoured me whole. His jaw was sharp and squared, and he had high cheekbones. He stuck out his hand, and I quickly took it.

“Kouvr,” I repeated as if he didn’t just say my name. I glanced down at his hand as we shook it and saw dark ink on the back of his right hand. The cold rings on his fingers sent a shiver down my spine. My eyes moved back to his, catching a glimpse of tattoos leaving his jacket around his neckline. “Duh. Obviously.”

He smiled warmly at me, and I just melted into a puddle right on the rug.

Great, the game will go live with a Kouvr popsicle melted on the lobby rug.

“This is my team. Theon,” he started, pointing to a long, black-haired beautiful man beside him. Some of his hair was pushed behind his ears, showing off his stretched ears and piercings. His eyes were a dark, deep pool of black, lips curled into a smirk. He wore a tank top, doing nothing to hide all the various tattoos and ridges of muscles in his biceps. “Pleasure.”

Was I drooling yet?

“Same,” I said, swallowing and shaking his hand.

“And we have Kyree,” Cyrus continued, and Theon moved to be replaced by an equally tall and built hot guy. His hair was a short chestnut brown, brushed back wildly. He was a pretty boy with softer features, but nothing about him looked soft or innocent. He had a nose ring and a slender face with sharp features. He held out his hand, and I took it. They were softer and warmer compared to Theon’s. He didn’t let me shake his hand. Instead, he brought my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of my hand.

I couldn’t hold back my smile.

His dark brown eyes devoured me, dropping down my whole body and back up.

“Hello, beautiful,” he said heavily.

My throat felt too dry even to speak, so I was left speechless and just smiling like an idiot.

“Okay, okay,” the last guy said, pushing Kyree’s head away, and his body followed.

I let out a laugh as a taller and broader man filled in his spot. He was taller than Theon and Kyree and almost as tall as Cyrus. Or maybe they were right around the same height and same broadness.

If I wasn’t drooling, I was now.

The last man was Asian, with tattoos climbing up his neck and stopping sharply at his jaw. His hair was short, jet black, and styled back, showing off the piercing in his ear. He wore a black short sleeve, showing off mainly black tattoos.

I craved to touch each of their tattoos, but his… I wanted to lick.

He held out his hand. “Zelos.” His deep voice shivered through me, and I tried to play it cool, grabbing his hand.

My eyes took in his before dropping to his hand. Something… about his warmth was familiar and comforting. But I would know if I knew a man like this. I wouldn’t forget a man like this. “It’s, um…” I swallowed, looking back up at him. “Nice to meet you. All of you.”

I didn’t know much about the developers, and no matter how much research I did, I couldn’t figure out who was behind Rusty Gamings. Apparently, they were all really hot.

I could imagine all the girls in my comments going wild over these men. They tend to, even over game characters.

Me too.

Part of me didn’t know if anyone would watch this vlog, but I didn’t care. I was going to enjoy this one, playing and rewatching it.

One of my drones flew around them, having a mind of its own. That was when I realized I still had Zelos’s hand in mine. I let it drop, feeling my cheeks burn a bit. “Uh, you guys are okay with drones, right?”

“Of course,” Cyrus said.

Theon threw up a peace sign when the drone flew past him.

“Perfect,” I muttered, looking down at the tablet on my arm to make sure the drones were clear and recording. I saw a small version of Theon on the screen, making me smile slightly. “Okay, I really appreciate being able to play ParaDise before release. I’m sure I will have a million and one questions, so bear with me.”

“Feel free to ask anything,” Kyree said, leaning against the snack counter. His voice deepened when he said anything.

Was he flirting? Of course, he was. I wasn’t an ugly woman. I was very beautiful, but among these men, I didn’t feel like a model like them.

“First question,” I started, moving to the counter and pointing at the candy and snacks. “Edible?”

“Yes,” Cyrus said, going behind the counter. “There are a million and one things you could eat here. Want to try one?”

“Fuck, yeah,” I muttered, bending to look at the options. Some of them I’d never even heard of, and the options were a bit overwhelming. It was smart to have something like this. Food was expensive in the real world, climbing in prices each day, and most of the snacks and candies couldn’t be enjoyed by people. “What are Skittles?”

“My favorite,” Cyrus said. “Rainbow, chewy candies.” He grabbed the box, and another reappeared in its place like magic. It would never run out.

“Amazing,” I muttered. An abundance of food right at this counter, though it would never fix the hunger people felt in real life. At least they could indulge in it here.

Eyes burned into me, making me glance over. Zelos’s eyes moved quickly, but I saw he was staring at my ass. I stood up straight, a smile on my lips.

Oh yeah, they were flirting with me.

I reached over the counter and grabbed the red box. “How much do I owe you?”

“On the house,” Cyrus said, moving the tablet on the counter to me. “Food doesn’t have a price here.”

I opened the box, looking at their food options, when he flipped the tablet to me. They had anything from theater food to actual meals. Drinks were a long list too. I popped some of the small candies in my mouth, and for a moment, I was overwhelmed by the fruity taste. “Mmm,” I moaned. The colors were different flavors, and I could really taste them all. “Might be my new favorite, too. Question. Did you guys create ParaDise in mind with a safe haven for those who don’t have the greatest life?”

He nodded, leaning on his elbows on the counter. “Everyone deserves a paradise, though very little can get some sort of release or relaxation. Everyone is just trying to survive, and games are a paradise on their own.”

I nodded, popping more candy into my mouth. Putting them close to my nose, I noticed that I could smell their sweetness. I pressed the nose to my opening and inhaled. “Mhm. You added scent to the Simu Machine.”

Cyrus nodded, a proud smile on his lips. “Zelos finally got that figured out for us.”

“Amazing.” I glanced at Zelos, who had a proud smile on his lips. Now the Simu machine hit every one of the senses, making it more realistic.

“Are you ready for the first game?” Cyrus asked, standing up straight.

Excitement rushed through me. I was so intrigued by the candy, that I almost forgot about the game. Shoving the box into my back pocket, I nodded.

“Which first? ParaDise has over eighty games and worlds to explore.”

My eyes widened at the number. They never revealed how many games were in the game, only hinting that it was a lot. “Uh, how about you guys show me one of your favorites?”

He paused before nodding. “Perfect.” He moved to the right side of the counter, and I followed as he moved to the door with the sign, “Now Entering ParaDise.” My eyes dropped to Cyrus’s ass, unable to stop myself. It looked firm enough to grab. Is this what Zelos’s thought about mine?

Cyrus opened the door, stepping to the side so I could enter first.

Quickly, my eyes bounced upwards before he could catch me looking.

The door opened to a huge catwalk, with many doors on each side of the room and posters next to them.

“Love the old movie theater feel,” I announced, turning to look at them.

Cyrus hadn’t held the door for any of his friends, now earning glares from Kyree. I laughed a bit at that.

“Yeah. You could access any game from the lobby and go straight to it, but this was a cool touch for those who wanted to browse. Right here,” he pointed the third door in.

My eyes moved to the movie poster. No Way Out. The poster was a sci-fi themed with a spaceship in the middle of a beautiful purple galaxy.

“Story mode?” he asked, pressing on the poster, and a list of options came up. There was story mode, multiplayer, and other options.

“Of course,” I said as he clicked on the first story mode. Excitement rushed through me. It had been a while since I played video games or felt this excitement over one. I felt grateful and extremely lucky to be experiencing this.

His tattooed hands grabbed the doorknob and pushed open the door for me. “Ladies first. The game will start instantly, so be prepared.”

Glancing inside the door, it was just a blanket of white light. I glanced back, glancing at each handsome man’s eyes. Looking back at the white light, I felt hesitant. This was a new experience, even in my Simu machine. It was nothing I’d ever played before, but I was more than excited about this. Nerves rushed through me as I finally stepped inside.

And they followed.