Yuno:

For the last two weeks I didn't communicate with Aia. In moments when the Elysium is very addictive, I try to abstract from communication with the users. This is necessary, given the scheme according to which I'm staying in the metaverse. In order to regularly create high-quality locations, I'm strictly forbidden to lose touch with reality, otherwise inspiration disappears. It is amazing that I create on the principle of escapism. Having seen reality, the need for creativity increases significantly. But if I get stuck in a fantasy virtual world, then I drown in it, as in a sweet swamp of procrastination, forgetting that I'm still a human being.

When I decide to take a break from the metaverse, oddly enough, I don't receive a single notification from Aia. She doesn't write messages to me, doesn't invite me to locations or events, as if she doesn't care whether I am here or not. And I wouldn't care, but I spent so much time in Elysium, and she was always there. Constantly with me. I've got an impression that she doesn't play with others at all. That she comes into Elysium only to play with me. Stupid thoughts, too arrogant even for me, but I cannot find another explanation of this oddity.

Days go by, and besides mailings from admins, I don't get anything else. A pair of requests for the creation of locations for the event live, nothing more. Reality presses me. It becomes unbearably difficult to even wake up. I can't stand it.

Today is a dreary long day. There is such a feeling when you wake up on time, and nothing bad happened (and it will not happen, most likely), but at the same time you feel lost. I cleaned up my apartments, ordered food delivery, and worked for about six hours. I look aimlessly out the window, and at the news feed... and often I look at the clock, and until the evening it is still like an eternity.
I go out to smoke on the roof, then I come back. I read something. I force myself to draw sketch for locations. And on the clock meanwhile, 8 pm. The most lousy time. Going to bed is still early. Then comes midnight. You try to fall asleep, turn in bed, everything is annoying. Light from the window, silence is too loud, my own heartbeat's irritating... And the strangest thing is getting tired of everything. It feels like the whole Earth was poisoned at once. Apathy, physical weakness, each active action is an integrity. Nights full of panic attacks, endless anxiety. When you suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and suffocate from fear for your own life.
And the feeling that it will never end.

In one of these nights, I decide not to try to fall asleep again, but to read Elysium notifications in order to distract myself from destructive thoughts. To my surprise, I find an invitation to one of the most visited events, which is a competition called "Virtual Gods".

The virtual gods in the world of Elysium are considered users with the most vivid and beautiful avatars in the opinion of most. They basically have the largest number of subscribers. Literally everything is worshiped by them. There is a certain cult of virtual gods. Mostly these are girls - goddesses. Girls of certain hypertrophied beauty standards. Most often, similar to each other, they are difficult to distinguish: clear parameters, the same tattoos (usually these are any patterns for all thigh). Wide shoulders, big breasts, thin waist, huge hips. Their faces look heavy - sharp cheekbones, huge lips, small foreheads, narrow brown eyes. The only clothing they use is lingerie and jewelry, the rest of the body is covered with tattoo so hard that they don't even have to dress. There are practically no guys among them, everyone has the right to participate, but only girls usually go to the final level of this competition.

The main meaning of participation is the opportunity to live better in reality. And this is not about monetary reward. Usually winning girls are selected by rich people who invite beauties to live with them on certain conditions. Something like an escort, but lifelong. What happens to them further - for many it's a mystery, but there are many rumors. From the most primitive like "they are just sex toys", to frankly strange, saying that these girls are "furniture" for rich people. By the way, I believe in the latter even more.

One of my friends once told me that in the real world he had a girlfriend who had "goddess" account with verification. Thousands of users wanted to spend time with her, and she decided to participate in the competition, sincerely believing that real life could and should be much more interesting than the simulation. She won. She said goodbye to her ex-boyfriend, wishing him good luck, she said goodbye to all of her friends. And then she disappeared. The account retired immediately on her victory day in the event live.

About a year no one knew about her life, but once she showed up in the house of my friend. She looked better than ever. Well-groomed, expensive, with gold bracelets on ankles, but her gaze was like a zombie. He let her in, tried to talk to her, but she behaved as strange as possible. At first, she talked about how her everything was wonderful, with a laugh talked about how she played the role of the table on which the candles put on - hot wax spread on her bare back. She laughed out loud, but periodically switched to a whisper, as if she was afraid that someone was eavesdropping. And then she began to say that she urgently needed to return to Elysium. She said that she didn't need any "real well-being" at all, and that there is nothing better than the metaverse life. In Elysium, although you are as dependent as possible, but at the same time as free as possible. Such a paradox.

Elysium turned out to be much more valuable than the reality. And what is the "reality"? This word has long lost its relevance. She somehow was able to call some hacker. He helped her register new profile, but nothing came out of it. Golden bracelets on her ankles were for a reason. Her geolocation was determined by the person who "bought" her, so he came to take his "property" back. And under the contract that the so-called "gods" receive, they literally become the property of other people. One way or another, many were still aware of this, or at least guessed, but in the end they took such a step, believing that everything would be better than the existence in a dysfunctional, lower reality. Remembering this story, I delete an invitation. There is nothing to look there. The same girls, with the same faces, fight for the equally wretched fate, without realizing it. People like to go crazy in various ways.

But if I delete one notification, the new one comes to replace it. Invitations from unfamiliar users have always caused me only a desire to limit the circle of people who can send them to me, but tonight I got involved in some strange dialogue.

"There is an interesting offer. I pay with crypto, not minutes. Set the price yourself."

When there is a request to create some rooms or details, I accept only money, refusing minutes, but often most user can only offer me minutes. For this reason, it would be stupid to refuse, and I accept the invitation to the location, activating the metaverse chocker in advance.

After the transition to virtual reality, I find myself in a cramped, dark room resembling a basement equipped with a bar or night club. In Elysium, the majority of such rooms. An unknown girl sits in front of me.

"What do you mean by an 'interesting offer'?" I ask, sitting down on the opposite. Before answering, she silently looks at me for a while with an icy, repulsive look.

"Didn't they teach you how to say 'hello'?" she asks indignantly.

I look at her in dismay, surprised by such a strange reaction.

"We are in Elysium, what are we talking about?"

"So what? Does this fact cancels the elementary rules of decency?" she says atypically for the inhabitant of the virtual world. In Elysium no one even thinks about the "rules of decency" or something like that. Users rarely say hello, almost never say goodbye.

"Okay. Good afternoon. Or evening. It's hard to figure out what it is here," I say dryly, looking around at the windowless walls.

She sighs and looks at me.

"In general, I wanted to ask if it is possible to make a location according to my clear description?"

"All of the orders I make is always follow the description," I shrug my shoulders.

"No, you didn't quite understand me. I will not throw off the reference pictures or something like that. More precisely, I will throw it off, but this is not enough. I worked out the plan down to the smallest details. I don't need improvisation, I don't need an approximate version. The closer to my description the better. It is important for me and I need to supervise the creation process personally, you know?" she says, looking at me expectantly.

"And? If details are so important to you, and your plan is well thought out, maybe you yourself will make this location? What's the point of my help?" genuinely perplexed, I ask.

"If I could I wouldn't sit there talking to you. I tried. But it is more difficult than it seems at first glance."

"At least someone understands..."

"Of course, I understand. It seems that there is a clear picture, but it comes out blurry or with pixels. It takes time, more practice. But I need a location as soon as possible. In the near future. I really need it," her tone takes on a pleading note, but she speaks quietly, as if someone might be listening in on us.

"Okay, you really got me interested. Why such urgency?"

"That's my business," she snaps sharply. Her way of moving from one mood to another is starting to annoy me.

"What type of location?" I ask, ignoring her aggressive vibe.

"Chatroom. Private."

"Private? In this case, there will be a markup."

"I don't care. It's not a problem for me."

"Okay," I say, puzzled, "Interior?"

"Not really. I need an interior that blends into the exterior."

"More."

The girl sighs, as if collecting her thoughts and restoring the picture in her memory.

"A large room. Guest room. There is a lift to the second floor, but it is not required. More important here is a balcony with a transition to the garden of blooming roses and hydrangeas. And raining weather. No... I need summer thunderstorm."

"Sounds expensive."

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"How much are you willing to pay for this location?"

She is silent, considering my question.

"I don't quite understand... I told you, I can pay whatever price you'll say," the girl replies.

"But are you going to pay with crypto? Or have I misunderstood something?"

"Everything is correct. Money, not minutes."

"I mean, it is more difficult to create an exterior than an interior. It's physically difficult. I lose a lot of energy. To create nature stuff like sky, trees, grass, rivers, and so on is painful for my body. You want thunderstorm in your location - it takes too much energy and strong emotions to create all that pouring rain, wind, lightning... So I'm not sure I'm interested that much. But it still depends on how much you pay. Prices for this are not small. I just don't get it, how much do you expect?"

"I say it again, absolutely any amount is affordable for me," she says in all seriousness.

"If so, I'll send you the invoice in private messages. Decide for yourself and take your time."

"Deal."

Again forgetting about the mentioned rules of decency, I leave the server without even saying goodbye to her.

Later, I determine the amount for a similar order and write message to her. To my surprise, she quickly transfers the money, without even specifying the deadlines. Obviously, she is not an ordinary girl. Without knowing her background, it is difficult to imagine where she got such money from and what it cost her to find it. And was it even worth it?