[ WP ] In the near future , games are fully immersive and almost indistinguishable from real life . Every year the top ranked player in each game is chosen for a `` Wonderful '' unknown prize . This year you are chosen .

I do n't know how many thousands of hours it took to get to that spot. I do n't know how many thousands more it took to maintain it. Eyes glued to the clock, finally my phone buzzed. 
 
 At first, my friends all told me that I was addicted. That these games were consuming me. Funny how they all shut up so quickly once they tried it for themselves. See, it's not an addiction. People do n't get addicted to these games. Well, not me at least. The way I see it, in a game that feels identical to life, but with so fewer limitations, are n't we missing out on life's possibilities if we choose not to experience what these games offer? Once we're free from the limitations of reality it would be a waste, a damn shame even, to squander that opportunity. 
 
 
 It's the first time that they're running this event. `` The # 1 spot on the leaderboard will receive a special prize from the devs at the turn of the year''. Not that people really needed another incentive to play more. With the release of'Dream World', I took it upon myself to see this as a challenge. Something that I, and I alone, could experience above everyone else. 
 
 
 The game was like Sim City plus Minecraft on steroids. You get to carve and build your world from every known material, and immerse yourself in a fantasy world of your own. The limitations are only set by your imagination. I was n't particularly interested in the logistics of it all, though. What this represented was n't a new pastime, but an opportunity to set foot on ground zero of this game and get a jump start ahead of everyone else. To be the first in history to feel something new. 
 
 
 My empire put the Romans to shame. The cities I built, the mountains I raised, the forests I crew, the rivers I dug, and all the people I spawned. I'm sure taking the time to experience all that I had created would be amazing in itself, but there was n't any time to throw away doing all that. I could do that anytime. My home setup would be envied by the most die-hard of Korean eSports players. Automated food deliveries, efficient waste disposal. Everything I need to maximize my hours. I even trained my sleep schedule to be able to maintain smaller doses of rest each day. I knew it would all be worth it. 
 
 
 I was proud of the world I had created. On December 31st, I knew I had secured my place at the top. It had been months since I hit # 1 on the leaderboard, and the gap between the next down and I was far too large to close in one day. Between the number of living things it housed, the quantity of materials used, and the stability of each system it encompassed, my world was unbeatable. 
 
 At 11:45 PM I removed my headset. I should n't have been so tense! Why would I ever be worried? My victory was already guaranteed. Maybe I was afraid that this `` wonderful gift'' would underwhelm me? But even so, I would still be the first. All those thousands of hours of labor brought me to that moment. The clock turned. My phone vibrated with one new message. 
 
 
 `` Dear player; from the developers of'Dream World', 
 
 Congratulations! Your account has been confirmed as the number one spot on the overall leaderboard at end of the year! You have been chosen to receive a special prize at...........'' 
 
 I did n't read the rest. I knew what it would say. All I saw was a green button that said `` click to receive''. I never clicked so hard in my life. The minute that the'processing' screen hung on my email felt like it dragged on for eternity. Then at last, the final message appeared on my screen. 
 
 `` Your gift has been sent and should arrive in the next few minutes. Thank you for playing!'' 
 
 
 
 Darkness. 
 
 
 
 No phone reception, no internet, no lights working, nothing. What a hilarious time for a blackout. Everything was dead. I just had to sit and hope that the lights would come back on soon and I could get my reward. If not, what did I work all that time for? What did I build such a deep and complex world for? 
 
 I could hear the fireworks coming from down the street. The green and blue bounced off my walls and off the my computer screen. As I waited for hours, I fell asleep on my computer chair. 
 
 
 Waking up a few hours later, I hit the power button immediately. Still nothing. I swear I would've punched through my screen in my rage if I was n't so desperate for this reward. My desk has got a hefty dent on it now and my neighbors probably like me a little less. Now since my phone was n't working, I had to go outside, catch a bus downtown and get the mechanic yo my house in person. *This* is not how I imagined spending my New Year's Day. 
 
 
 Still dark outside, I made my way onto the front porch. Hoping that maybe a letter or parcel would be lay there in wait. But to my discontent, there was nothing. I made my way out of my apartment and up to the top of the hill toward my bus stop. And there, on the peak of that summit, ever piece fell into place. I finally understood. 
 
 
 And never since that day have I seen a brighter sunrise.
