Once upon a time, there lived a young boy named Ethan. He was 13 years old but was put in Year 11 because of his outstanding knowledge. He was a gaming prodigy, a digital mastermind but with those tags came rational geek. His thick glasses perched on his nose like twin telescopes, and his fingers practically lived on the controllers, keyboards, and touchscreens he owned.
Ethan was the smartest kid in his class, but that didn't earn him any popularity points, in fact he was the target of every bully. They mocked his unruly hair, and his unwavering passion for all things virtual. But Ethan didn't mind. He was simply better than those coconut heads, they were just jealous. The real world was overrated anyway. He only had one friend called Nate, and they became friends after Nate saw Ethan reading a book about Minecraft, Nate shared the same interests as Ethan, and they instantly clicked. Nate didn't really have any other friends besides Ethan so they would always hang out at lunch. Besides Nate, he only had online friends, but Ethan always managed to enjoy himself with the friends he had; he would always go to Nate's house and Nate would go to his house to play games and he would always chat online and play games with his online friends.
Ethan's room was a gaming hub. He had a Nintendo Switch, an Xbox, a PS5, a PC, a Phone and a VR Headset. Posters of legendary games decorated the walls: Zelda, FIFA, Halo, Fortnite, Minecraft, and even an old-school Pac-Man. His bed was a nest of tangled wires, and his desk held a half-finished game design document titled "The Devil's Lair 2." The Devil's Lair 1 was very successful. He was part of a STEM community and had just received a scholarship to one of the finest schools in England. His parents loved him and his brother very much, they were very proud of Ethan and although they weren't very rich, they were one happy family. Ethan's parents made him give his younger brother, Lucas, lessons hoping he would one day be as successful as Ethan. Ethan thought Lucas was quite annoying but that didn't stop him from loving Lucas.
One night, as rain tapped against his window, Ethan sat hunched over his PC. His eyes were glued to the monitor and the glow lightened his face in the darkness. He was debugging a tricky line of code when the screen flickered, glitched, and then - whoosh! - in a matter of seconds he was sucked into the very game he'd crafted. His room dissolved, replaced by a shadowy cavern - the entrance to the Devil's Lair.
There were twisted trees, jagged cliffs, and threatening skies. The graphics were hyper-realistic, the colours more vibrant than life itself. Ethan's breath caught in his throat.
"Welcome," a voice echoed from the shadows. It was a voice that made Ethan cringe when he heard it. "You're not supposed to be here, Ethan."
Ethan turned to find a cloaked figure standing beside him. Its eyes glowed like dying embers, and its skin was etched with arcane symbols. "Who are you?" Ethan stammered.
"I am Fabian, Master of the virtual realm," the figure said. "You've breached the boundaries between worlds. The Pixel Portal chose you."
Ethan blinked. "Pixel Portal?"
Fabian pointed to a swirling vortex in the distance - a tear in reality. "The gateway between your world and mine. You were building this game, and your passion opened the way. But now you're trapped."
Ethan shrieked "That does not follow the laws of Science, how is it possible and most importantly how do I get back home?"
Fabian cackled. "You must complete the game. Reach the heart of the Devil's Lair, defeat the final boss, and unravel the code that binds you here."
"What happens if I fail to complete the game" Ethan asked in a shaky voice
"If you fail, you stay trapped here forever" replied Fabian
"I must be dreaming, so long scary guy" Ethan said.
Fabian pinched Ethan and in Ethan's disappointment and despair, he felt the pinch
Fabian's eyes softened. "You're more than you realize, Ethan. Your intelligence, your love for games - it's all part of the equation. And remember, in this world, your gaming skills are your greatest weapons, you created this game, so you are no doubt the best at it." Ethan felt his self-esteem boost up with those words that Fabian said.
So armed with his knowledge of cheat codes, the deadliest weapon and speed running techniques, Ethan embarked on the dangerous quest. He battled pixelated monsters and forged alliances with NPCs. Along the way, he remembered that if he didn't complete this game, he would never see his family and friends and would stay trapped here forever. The bullies... the mocking laughs... and the humiliation... he would not fail.
As he neared the heart of the Devil's Lair, Ethan faced a colossal creature named the Binary Behemoth made of ones and zeros. He never made that character, it was the bug in the game which meant he did not know its moves, attacks, or its special powers. After battling the monster, he discovered its attacks were algorithms, its roars echoed through the digital cosmos. Ethan managed to hit an extremely powerful shot in the monster's weak spot, shattering it into numerous numbers. Ethan celebrated with a grin on his face when he remembered there was one final antagonist to defeat, the worst of them all.
Ethan walked nervously towards the Devil's lair with his sword trembling in his hand. Suddenly, smoke appeared and out of the smoke emerged the Devil. The Devourer of Souls, Leader of Demons, Prince of Darkness, the Devil stood with -of course- his pitchfork and a fiery axe in his hand. Its eyes blazing with the fury of molten lava, its skin burning like a relentless inferno. Its teeth were as sharp as knives, its grin as wide as the abyss, and its curled horns like evil commas on top of its head. Wearing a cloak as black as midnight, its arrow-shaped tail flicked.
In a cold voice the Devil said, "Dinner is served"
Ethan froze in fear, he was paralyzed on the spot.
"I have to beat h-h-h-him" said Ethan sheepishly, trembling in fear.
The Devil strikes were like thunderbolts, crackling with malevolent energy. Ethan found himself repeatedly dodging and bolting the devil's ferocious attacks. Soon he found himself on the floor, weak and helpless. The Devil was about to finish him for good when at that moment Ethan remembered something Fabian had said: "In this world, your gaming skills are your greatest weapons."
With confidence, Ethan executed a flawless combo, dodging and countering, and with a powerful special attack he ended the devil once and for all. Fabian appeared one last time.
"You've won, Ethan. The game is complete."
"But what about me?" Ethan asked. "Will I ever see this world again?"
Fabian grinned. "Who's to say? Perhaps the Pixel Portal will open again. Until then, remember: Reality is just another game waiting to be played."
And so, with a wink and a cheeky grin, Fabian vanished, leaving Ethan with a heart full of adventure and a mind forever tuned he was better, smatter and stronger than he thought.