He knew better. Astral Chain was a high-end Switch exclusive, not something that just fell off the back of a digital truck for PC. But the craving to play as a Legatus officer, tethered to a mechanical beast, was too strong. His wallet was empty, and the "Download" button was large, green, and inviting. Click.
Leo reached out, his fingers brushing the light. A jolt of electricity surged through him, and suddenly, his vision shifted. He wasn't in his room anymore. He was seeing his room from the ceiling , through a red-tinted lens. Below him, he saw himself—or rather, his body—slumped in the gaming chair, his eyes glowing a vacant, digital blue. Astral Chain Free Download (v1.0.1)
Leo stared at the screen, his eyes burning from hours of scrolling through forums. There it was, glowing in a suspicious neon font: He knew better
The progress bar crawled across the screen like a digital centipede. 10GB... 15GB... 20GB. As the file finished, a strange prompt appeared, one Leo had never seen before: INITIALIZING SYNC... NEURAL LINK ESTABLISHED. His wallet was empty, and the "Download" button
"Neural link? It’s just a game," Leo muttered, double-clicking the .exe file.
The last thing he saw before the sync became permanent was his own hand, controlled by someone else, reaching out to click Share on the download link.