The controller buzzed, clicked and flashed as it guided it’s character through the game. Max had become one of the best at the game by now, racking up kills and winning almost every game she played. Lately she’d been on her longest winning streak and if she won this game, would have won 100 games in a row. The last person was an easy kill due to her talent and the usual winner screen she had become so accustomed to appeared. Except it wasn’t the usual winner screen.

In the centre was the text “Ultimate Champion: do you accept your prize?” And below that a red button saying ‘No’ and a green button saying ‘Yes’. Max didn’t even hesitate and clicked the green button.

For a second nothing happened, then Max blinked and opened her eyes to a war scene. She didn’t even need to look twice to know that she was in her game, and exactly where she was. She was in the lobby she slowly turned and sure enough exactly where it normally was was the countdown. That was when she started panicking. She looked down at herself and saw she was now dressed in the armour and clothing of the game and was surrounded by all the characters she knew so well. They were now all out to kill her. She looked around for an exit or a ‘No’ button and finding none tried pinching herself as hard as she could, in case she’d managed to fall asleep, or fainted in excitement. That didn’t work.

She calmed her breathing, she was going to beat this game as she’d done hundreds of times before. Her win streak would continue to 101, ‘If you don’t die!’ a tiny voice in the back of her head whispered, but she pushed it away.

‘Five, four, three, two, one.’