Jack Sparrow and the seven avatars.

The bell for the end of the school day rang, and Jack was the first to beat the rush. He needed to escape before his bullies noticed him. He detoured to his locker, picked up his skateboard, and high-tailed it into the street. His hurry to leave school was not just to escape his bullies but also for something else. He rode his skateboard through the busy street, avoiding the pedestrians, with the agility of someone who has been riding a skateboard since childhood. He slowed as he neared his destination, stopping in front of Startum Comics and Collectibles. It is a game shop that has existed since before Jack was born, and he has been coming here since he was a kid. He was here for a new game. He has become bored with the stuff he has at home and is looking for a new challenge. Startum was housed in an old building, stuck between an even older library shop and a newly opened coffee shop. The shop's walls were filled with promotional pictures of popular games, most of which Jack already had at home, like Call of Duty, Streetfighter IV, Batman, Left 4 Dead, God of War, and Spiderman. Jack pulled down his hoodie and pushed the door to enter the shop. He was hit by the usual smell he had come to associate with this place—a faint and distinct smell of electronics and cardboard. Few customers were there to check out the new releases, primarily his age and younger. He walked around the tiny aisles of the shop, looking for something that interested him. He picked and dropped the few games that caught his eyes until... There on the top shelf, slightly out of his reach, was a game he hadn't seen before. What attracted him to the game was its strange package: a red cover with two dark gates opening into a lake of fire behind. What is it? Jack's curiosity had him rising on his tip toes to get to the game. He was five feet six inches tall with both feet on the ground. Rising to his tiptoe afforded him an extra zero-point five inches, but it was still not enough to reach the shelf, which was a head taller than him. Still, he was determined to get it, so he stretched further, causing his black hoodie top to ride up his body, exposing the pale skin of his flat tummy. "Here, let me help you," a deep, cool voice said very close to his ear as he felt the presence of someone taller behind him. Whoever was behind him smelled great. It was fresh, reminding Jack of the sea. He wondered what the name of his perfume was. When the long hand above his head took down the video game that caught Jack's interest, he turned around to thank him. He slowly lifted his eyes to his face, and his breath got caught in his throat. The boy in front of him was stunning. Dark brown shaggy hair, with a few curls astray, mischievous twinkling blue eyes, high cheekbones, square jaw, broad shoulders, lean muscular frame, narrow hips, and legs that went on for days. "Are you done?" Jack looked to find those enthralling blues laughing at him. He blushed furiously. "I am sorry," he shyly apologized, wondering if he had lost his mind checking out another guy like that. But it wasn't his fault. The boy was so good-looking that he made one's mouth water, even as a boy. "Lucien," the boy stretched out a broad, slightly tanned hand in his direction, his blue eyes smiling at him. It wasn't hard to figure out that the boy was warm and friendly. He was surprised he was talking to him. His peers tend to stay away from him. One of the reasons he loves his video games. He doesn't need to reveal his social awkwardness there, and no one is judging him. "Jack," he placed his hand into his palm. The touch was electric, maybe on his part alone. There was no change at all in the boy's friendly expression. He felt cold when Lucien took his hand back, which was odd. "Well, Jack, I hope you enjoy your new game," he said as he handed him the game he had taken down from the shelf. "Adios," he flicked his two fingers in his direction, and then he disappeared like he was never there, leaving Jack wondering if the whole encounter was a figment of his imagination. He snapped out of his thoughts and went to the counter to pay for the game. "Hi Jack," Shaw, the shop owner, a middle-aged man with long grey hair tied at the back and lean facial features, greeted Jack with the familiarity of an old-time customer. "Hi, Shaw," Jack mumbled back a greeting, placing the game in his hand on the counter. Shaw picked the game and looked at it—seven gates of hell. "An odd name for a game, don't you think so?" he looked at Jack to agree with him. Jack shrugged his slender shoulders. He doesn't know much about the game, but he wants to go home after his encounter with Lucien. It left him feeling weird inside. "Five dollars." Jack looked at Shaw, surprised. It was too cheap for a new game. Shaw shrugged. "It is a new market. Maybe they are trying to draw in customers." "I will take it." Jack placed the five-dollar bill on the desk, picked up the game, and slipped it into his backpack. When he walked out of the shop, the sky was darker than when he had entered. It looked like it was going to storm, so Jack rode off, determined to beat the rain home. He just arrived at their moderate three-bedroom apartment when the storm hit. "Hi, Mum," Jack yelled to his mother, who was in the kitchen. By the time his mother's reply reached him, he was halfway up the stairs. The rain started falling hard by the time he got into his room. He took out his new game, curious to find out what it was all about. From what he could read on the package, it was an RPG game. He threw his bag to the floor and went to his computer. He slotted in the game and then leaned back in his chair to wait for the game to start. The screen displayed 'Select your avatar.' Seven game characters were shown on the right of Jack's screen. The first Avatar is KURMA, a male with deep, rich almond hair in a spiky, shaggy appearance; the downside shaved like a buzz cut; he has grey eyes, his combat uniform, a white sleeveless top, a black neck hoody, black baggy trousers with slim ankles, and leather boots. He wore iron gauntlets and blue bands around his arms. The second Avatar is a female with long midnight hair to the back held together by a purple band, sparkling violet eyes, and rims of gold. Her name is KALINE. She was attired in a glossy, tight, short purple gown, matching shorts, high purple boot covers, and matching opera hand gloves. Third Avatar: VARAH, with the appearance of a rebel, short spiky hair, amber colour, green eyes, dressed in simmering tight blue shorts, a halter blue top with cross-lacing in front, high blue-covered boots, and a matching blue band, and gauntlets. Next: Avatar NARASHI. He has a Japanese appearance and coffee-brown eyes. He wears a sleeveless red jumpsuit, a black Obi belt, high black leather boots, and a straw black hat. The fifth Avatar is ZEN, with dark, profoundly tan skin, light brown eyes, a spiked mo-hawk, looking bad in a long black sleeve undersuit, and a black tabard sown into the top, held together by a broad black belt. Avatar TOKORA is like Zen, but with a darker skin tone, black afro hair held back by a black band, a slender frame wrapped inside a white jumpsuit with a matching neck hoody, and black metal gauntlets. The last Avatar, LUR: male, with long blonde hair packed back in a ponytail, pale blue eyes in a black jumpsuit, a long black gauntlet and flat leather boots. Jack picked Kurma because of his cool outfit and hit play. Immediately, a strange light flooded his room.