Prologue
(Tori)
I must have lost my mind. What was I doing? Was my mind that twisted? So screwed up that I would jump in the car, drive for hours... and do what I was thinking? Could I really? Would I go through with it?
The lights of the city were blinding. Some flickered, some blinked, some chased. To my right, a trio of intoxicated women in elegant evening gowns giggled as they clung to one man. To my left, a valet accepted keys from a guy in a three-piece suit.
What was I thinking? Demora? Of all the places in Jenithiyah I could have gone, I chose the one that mimicked a city of sin. The perfect backdrop for a place that never saw sunlight, I guess.
People only came to Demora for uninhibited fun, or to find trouble. I was definitely there for trouble. It was possibly the craziest thing I had ever done in my life. Sure, I had taken chances before, but this was a different kind of gamble. I had traveled to meet someone – a man I had met online – in an alternate universe game.
I gazed at a building that looked much different from the surrounding casinos. It was three levels of blonde brick, stuck between glass skyscrapers. Barely noticeable, unless you were looking for it. Its simple style better suited for a small town mini-mall than a casino block.
Beep! Beep!
I held up my phone and read a notification from a game.
Notification from Venom: Are you here?
‘This is insane!’ I had never considered myself normal, but come on! I wasn’t a freakin’ lunatic! I tucked the phone into my pocket and turned away, taking steps toward the parking garage.
And I didn’t trust men! I had learned my lesson about them a long time ago, but this particular male had gotten under my skin. I enjoyed talking to him. I could tell him anything ... but he wasn’t real, and if I stepped inside that building, all of that could easily change.
I halted my steps and blew out a deep breath. ‘It’s a public place. What could possibly happen?’
Besides what I had come there to do. And we had decided so quickly. Just hours before.
I chewed on my fingernail and stared at my destination. Did I really want this? Was this how I wanted to get it?
I headed back. The illuminated name ‘Torel’ stood on top of the building, lit up in neon red. Posters in the windows depicted anonymous players wearing full game attire with captions that promised to bring the game to life.
‘Turn your fantasy into reality!’
Oh geeze! I wasn’t sure if I could handle that. Still, I put one foot in front of the other. My nerves a tangled mess of fear and curiosity by the time I entered the revolving doors.
I was going to do it. Ignoring anxiety better than I thought I could ever muster, but I couldn’t ignore the wild fluttering butterflies in my stomach, twisting and turning my insides, making my pulse quicken, and my hands shake.
As if I had stepped through a threshold, I left the real world behind with the whoosh of spinning glass and metal. I squinted my eyes to adjust to the unexpected brightness of the room. Everything was white. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, even the row of clean-lined booths.
I wasn’t sure what to do. Where to go next. I stood alone in the lobby. There was no one to greet. No one to direct. It felt like purgatory on Earth. A cold, empty, echoing space.
A stocky man entered behind me. Anyone could be the man I had come to meet. I didn’t know what he looked like. I didn’t even know his proper name!
I watched the gentleman. He glanced at me briefly, but not in a way that suggested curiosity, then walked up to a booth. A panel shot up into the ceiling, then closed down again after he stepped inside.
‘Ah-ha! Now, I know what to do!’ Geeze, they needed to post directions somewhere! Were we just supposed to know? Like futuristic mind readers? Perhaps I should have taken a minute to read the website.
I walked up to the same spot. I couldn’t tell where the panel was. It blended into the wall and I didn’t see a button or sensor ... whoosh!
The panel opened. I stepped inside a tiny room and gasped as the panel closed and clicked, locking me inside.
There were no buttons to push. No computer monitor. Only wall-to-wall reflective metal and that made me nervous. Was there another secret panel?
Where was it?
Was I trapped because I didn’t know?
Geeze – would I end up stuck there all day?
“Welcome to Torel!” A robotic female voice startled. Before me, a screen folded out of shiny silver. “Please enter your account number.”
A breath of relief fell from my mouth. I giggled at my panic, shook my head, pulled a piece of paper from my back pocket, and typed in the information.
Because it was my first time visiting the live game forum, it took forever to complete their forms. Or it felt like it did. They wanted to know everything. My full name. My address. Next of kin – medical details! Damn! Was I going to play a game or get a physical?
Finally, the last page. Payment information. I pulled out my credit card.
The screen blinked. A medium-sized blue circle rotated in the center.
‘Great. It’s frozen.’ I groaned, hoping I wouldn’t have to fill out all the forms again.
“A prepaid gift card has been applied,” the robotic voice informed. “The remaining balance for today’s admission is … zero.”
‘What?’ I was shocked. My game buddy must have paid and it made me feel a bit dirty considering the nature of our meeting.
“Enjoy your experience.” Then the screen folded up and the panel swooshed into the ceiling again. But the room outside was different. How? I hadn’t felt a jolt or the drop in my stomach that I felt each time I rode in an elevator, and that caused me to feel a bit disoriented.
“Hi.” A young woman wearing all black approached me with a smile. “First time?”
I nodded.
“This is the preparation room. One of six. You can change in here.” She waved toward a room to her right. “And when you’re done, you can store your things in one of the lockers. Don’t worry. We only allow one player in here at a time to protect your identity.” She smiled. “It’s a little confusing at first, right?”
“Yeah.”
“It won’t feel that way for long.” She continued in her peppy tone. “I like to recommend the practice room to all new players. When you get inside the booth and after you initiate the game, just say ‘practice’ and it will take you there. You can take as much time as you want to figure out how the controls work. When you’re ready to go to a realm, just go back to the booth and tell it where you want to go.”
“And when I want to leave?”
“Just say ‘Prep Room B.’ It will bring you back here...oh, and this is yours.” She handed me a neatly folded pile of clothing wrapped in plastic. “It was sent to you as a gift, so it won’t be added to today’s charge.”
I closed myself in the dressing room. I sat down on a long bench and studied the package in my hands. A typed note sat on top.
‘Each day my heart anxiously waits for its angel to return. Please accept this gift, so that you may visit this place often.’
My friend had bought me gifts before in our virtual world, but holding something in my hands felt much different. I didn’t expect him to put so much thought into it. He seemed so eager to meet me in that semi-real environment that I suddenly felt insecure. Would I disappoint him? Would he still like me? Would things be different the next time we logged in from home?
I closed my eyes. The very thought saddened me. I didn’t want anything to change. He had been a big part of the game for me for a long time. If I lost him, it would be like a fatal game crash. Worse than the blue screen of death on my laptop screen. There was too much at stake, but standing him up could cause just as much damage.
I closed my eyes and summoned strength and courage. How many times had I wished I could live as my character? This was that wish. Wasn’t it?
I pulled away the plastic and held up the clothing. A one-piece suit and it was made of lightweight, metallic material. The light reflected off it, revealing tiny sensors. Thousands of them. Red, blue, and white. Twinkling like jewels.
I removed all my clothes and slipped into it. It clung to every inch of flesh. From my neck to my toes. It attached to my hands with a string that I slipped over my middle finger, the bottom of the feet had soft souls, and the inside felt shockingly soft against my skin. Just like a pair of comfortable pajamas.
I stepped out of the changing room.
The attendant handed me a mask made of the same material. “Do you want to cover your hair?”
I shook my head.
“This might take a few minutes.” She giggled. “You have a lot of hair...Please. Sit.” I sat in a padded chair, in front of a long mirror with a narrow stainless steel table beneath it. The attendant placed a box on top of it and opened it to reveal tiny, diamond-like objects. She placed them carefully in my ebony hair, every two inches until she had covered it all. Then, she helped me fasten a mask made of the same material as the suit.
I gazed at the mirror in front of me and giggled. I looked strange in that silver jumpsuit with jewels in my hair and only my lips and eyes exposed.
“This is the most important piece of equipment you will wear.” The attendant clasped a thin device to my arm, covering my wrist to just below my elbow. Then she touched a button. The lid popped open to expose an electronic display. “This controls your game. This is your inventory...your buddy list,” she pointed out everything I would need. There weren’t too many controls, and it seemed less complicated than the game on my laptop. “And this is the distress button. Only use it if there is a real emergency.”
“Emergency?” I asked, confused. It was supposed to be a fun experience. “People actually get hurt in there?”
“Well,” she cleared her throat. “This is mostly for unexpected health situations, but unfortunately there are always a few participants who ruin the game experience for others. You can use this button here to report anyone you suspect is up to foul play. Just hold it and point. The sensor will pick up their account number…Are you ready?”
“I think so.”
“Okay,” the woman said in her peppy tone.
She pressed a thin wand-like stick into a tiny hole in the gaming device. It hummed a bit, but I kept looking at myself in the mirror. I didn’t know if I could meet him looking like that.
The woman ushered me into another room with reflective walls. “This elevator will take you into the forum. Just push that button when you’re ready and enjoy your day!”
In front of me, a large green button displayed the word ‘play’. I hesitated a moment, unsure whether I should go through with it. It was a silly agreement. I had other options...screw it! I jabbed the button. I wanted this.
My suit immediately shimmered and flickered like static on a television screen. I gasped at the change in reflection. The avatar I knew well stared back at me with her pale gray – nearly white – eyes and long ebony hair.
I smoothed my hand over the suit, feeling its metal, but in my reflection, it was a slinky black dress with slashed sleeves and a slit that reached mid-thigh.
Seeing myself as the character I portrayed online bewildered me more than the inertia of the downward jolt the elevator suddenly made.
‘Wait ... I didn’t say where I wanted to go!’
When the door whooshed open, I stepped out into a world I had only gazed at on a fifteen-inch screen. The trees swayed in a light breeze. I could hear waves crashing against the rocks nearby, and birds chirping as they flew overhead.
I knelt, touched a hand to the sand. It was warm, gritty, and seeped through my fingers like the real thing. I had thought the vision of Tiara Shores was a hologram! The realism was baffling.
“There you are,” a voice I knew well greeted me.
I strolled toward him, taking on the role of my alter ego, and accepted the flower he held out. “I thought I would arrive in Wickora. I’m guessing you had something to do with that.” I sniffed the Iris and accused in a sultry tone.
“I didn’t want to run into any conflicts that might delay our time together.” I stared up at the muscular man with a shaved head. His character was slightly shorter than he was on my computer, but he still wore all black.
“Ah, saving all your energy for me?” I reached out and touched his chest, running my fingertips over the pendant he wore. It flickered beneath my touch, exposing the silver of the suit.
He took in a slow breath and gazed with the same soft eyes. “I rented a room for us.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes.” He held out a hand.
I took it, and he led me through the park.
It was truly amazing. Every inch a true paradise. I imagined my home realm, and how cool it would be to see my magical spells brought to life, but I wasn’t there to play. I had come for one purpose only.
Large screens covered the walls. From floor to ceiling and it spanned the entire length of the room. They displayed the lavish buildings of the realm.
We walked up to the Tiara Shores hotel. A hotspot for mingling in the game. I was almost eager to see how they would portray its ballroom in real life. What I had already seen bewildered me, and my thoughts couldn’t imagine what was next when the building we stood in front of was just a video on the wall.
The man I was with touched the virtual door and a black square with a number pad appeared. He entered a series of numbers and smiled at me.
“This is pretty cool, huh?”
“There are no words for it.”
In front of us, the video of the door swung inward. A hidden door? I wondered how much of the video was fictional and how much led to something real ... part of me wanted to explore and find out ...
“Wow.” I stared at the long corridor in front of me. “It’s just like the game.” The walls were the same light grey with the same white wainscoting as the hotel I had seen on my laptop. The paintings were identical. Even the vases held the same flower arrangements.
“This is the game.” My friend chuckled.
“It’s not the same thing.” I touched his arm, feeling his true self beneath my hand.
“No. Not exactly. Some things are better...Here we are.”
Room one-thirty-two. We stepped inside. Rose petals covered the floor as well as the bed. A large rose bouquet sat on the round table, basking in the candlelight.
“You really went all out,” I stated cynically.
He leaned in and whispered, “I wanted it to be special.”
Before another thought could enter my mind, his arms were around me and I felt a rush of helplessness as his mouth touched my shaking lips. Wild tremors rushed through my entire body. His tongue slipped inside my mouth, dancing with mine as if we had kissed hundreds of times. The surging tide of warmth left me limp and clinging to the only solid thing in that swaying room – him.
His kiss was the most passionate I had ever felt. Looking up into his eyes, I knew he felt the same. But was it real or enhanced by the game? I don’t think I’ll ever know.
“Mmmm. I always knew your kiss would mesmerize me. Did you cast a spell on me?”
“Have I ever?”
“Once or twice.” He chuckled. “Are you hungry? I ordered room service.”
“Is this a game or a hotel?”
“A little of both.” He held up a pair of domestic bottles. “I know you hate champagne, so...” He poured the liquid into two tall flutes and handed me one. “To a night we’ll never forget. I am so glad you are finally here with me.”
I wouldn’t have been nervous if I was sitting in the safety of my home, hiding behind my laptop, but this wasn’t the same. I downed that beer. Then one more until my real-life past became a dull memory.
My entire body shook as he again pulled me close.
“Okay?”
I downed one more from the six-pack and nodded.
He pressed his body. His hands caressed. I had never felt a touch so gentle, nor had I ever experienced that surge of warmth that traveled from my head to my toes as it did when his lips touched my neck.
“I’ve dreamed about this,” he breathed.
He was a stranger, yet I knew him well. Falling into his arms was easier than I had imagined, and we forgot about dinner.
“Lights out,” he commanded. The room instantly grew dark. So dark, we couldn’t see each other.
I was truly my avatar then, lost in a passion only found in a fictional romance.
“I always knew you were beautiful.” He slipped my suit away like a pro. Like he had done it many times before.
“But you can’t see me.”
“I can feel you.” His hands caressed my body, viewing every inch with gentle fingertips.
“You’re...actually muscular.” I ran my hand down the middle of his abdomen, taking in every line of well-toned abs.
“Did you think I was some fat guy sitting in my parents’ basement?”
“The thought did cross my mind,” I joked. “And I know you probably thought the same about me.”
“Shhh.” He laid me down on the bed. His body, hot against mine. He took control, and much to my surprise, I gave myself to him. Allowing him to do whatever he pleased without the slightest hint of apprehension.
“What’s this?” I traced the thick band around his neck with my fingertips.
“It’s a voice changer,” his deep growl stated. “Do you want to hear my real voice?”
“No.” I stopped him from removing it. I didn’t want to cross that line. I needed him in my fantasy world...him and that moment had to stay where reality couldn’t destroy what we had.
“Did you take the pills?” He asked.
“Yeah.”
“I bought something special for tonight too. Do you want a boy or a girl?”
“You choose.”
