/spawn_item dragon_egg_golden 99 /set_level 999 /god_mode true

“You wanted to be a god,” the screen read. “But a god’s place isn't in the game. It’s in the machine.”

The last thing Max saw before his vision turned into a sea of binary was the console’s final log entry:

But then, Max saw a command he didn't recognize at the bottom of the list: /open_the_fourth_wall . Curiosity outstripped caution. He typed it in.

“Why are you breaking my world, Max?” the console asked.

Max froze. He tried to Alt-Tab, to pull the plug, to do anything, but the computer stayed powered, humming a low, dissonant chord.