My Virtual Escape 2

(Chapter 3 Cover drawn by @Novazaru on Twitter)

It was only a couple of hours prior that she had traveled between worlds. One moment she was alone, finding her way through the woods, and the next, she’s tied up in an interrogation room with her brother. What a night it’s been. Eve's eyes begin to flutter awake, she can barely make out the shape of the woman in front of her, an arm extending before Eve's eyes begin to close once again. Samantha brings her hand thundering down as she swiftly smacks Eve, with Isaac immediately screaming out "Don't you fucking touch her!"

Samantha grasps her own hand, attempting to soothe the stinging sensation, looking towards Isaac with amusement as he struggles to break free. Her guards raise their weapons towards Isaac but Samantha signals for them to stand down, her expression once again souring as Eve lets out a strained gasp. "Good, that ought to wake you up." Samantha says, "It's time we have a little chat."

The disgruntled woman rips the light from its position, pointing it at Eve. Even still, the blinding light is a comfort compared to the daggers in Samantha's eyes piercing Eve's very core. "What's your angle? Thinking you can waltz on in here, gain my trust and break me down?" Samantha shouted.  Eve stammered, her heart pounding. "No I-" Samantha’s hand slams down onto the arm of the chair. "What? Do you think you’re invincible? Well you're not..." She glared at her, the hint of compassion in her eyes long gone and replaced by a strained anger. She quickly directs her eyesight to Isaac, and her frown almost turns to a grimace. She scoffs. "You're a traitor, no better than HE is."

Isaac rolls his eyes, “Oh come on that’s bullshit and you know it.” Eve quickly interjects to try and salvage the situation, "L-listen! everything we talked about upstairs? everything I told you? it was the truth! you gotta believe me.. please!". Eve's words pass through Samantha, ignoring her platitudes, which is noticed by Isaac. "I received a ping that there was illegal activity involving the use of XP,  and that ping happened to bring me here. nothing more, nothing less.".

Staring Isaac down, Samantha lets go of the light and walks over to him, kneeling to his level, gives him a slight chuckle before her face falls once again and sternly says, "You really expect me to believe that, huh?" Samantha then grabs Isaac's face with one hand, hatred in her eyes as she begins to yell out. "Raids happening constantly, and as soon as another one begins, you and your bitch of a sister show up at my doorstep?" She pauses before shaking his face. "Got an answer for that!" Both stare quietly at each other, Isaac only registering her insult towards Eve before speaking in a quiet rage. "Shut the fuck up.", Isaac's retort only further frustrates Samantha.

A guard taps her shoulder, "Our informant has pressing news." Getting up Samantha motions for the guards to follow, one of them protests. "But what about-" She coldly interrupts as she makes her way out the door, "Leave the disaster twins." Staring Isaac down she continues. "They won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

Eve swats her head to the side. "Ugh! The nerve on that girl.. am I right Isaa-" Isaac angrily interjects. "What the fuck did I tell you, Eve?" Eve's eyes look away from Isaac as she smiles nervously, she mutters, "I-uh... haha.. I can assure you, Isaac, there's a very good explanation for all of this!" Isaac closes his eyes in frustration. "We don't got time for this shit!" Snarling back at Eve. "Listen, I need you to grab the knife I stashed in my back pocket.” "A-Alright..." She reaches for Isaac's knife from the gap between the chair rest and the seat. Isaac continues “Since that fuckin' genius put our chairs together, you can reach the rope." Eve’s held back by her ties, straining as she reaches. Eventually she is able to wrestle the knife out of his pocket and cuts both of them loose. Relieved, Isaac whispers to Eve. "Make sure not to call any attention, you hear me Eve? Just follow my lead." She gives her brother a smile, wink and a thumbs up, free at last.

Free from the chairs that is, they still have a whole base to escape from. The siblings make a break for the door, only stopping because they notice guards littering the hallway. Eve looks up at her brother concerned, “What are we gonna do Isaac?” She whispers. He scans around the rooms and notices an Armory, signaling Eve, they sneak across the hall into the room. A guard turns to his friend, “Hey you ever wonder why we’re here?” The second guard replies, “One of life’s biggest mysteries.” A confused look dawns on the other’s face, “What?”.

Eve and Isaac crept quietly into the Armory, “Grab a gun.” he sternly said, already loading a pistol. Eve looks at her selection carefully, before laying her eyes on a jet black handgun with white flower engravings across the barrel. “I found mine!” Eve excitedly remarks, Isaac yells out in a loud whisper “Shhh, just don’t trip over those gun mags!”. Like clockwork Eve trips, she looks down at her foot to see a sports magazine amongst the littered bullets, she stares up at her brother, “It wasn’t from a gun.” Suddenly yells of “This way, They’re over here!” Eve gives Isaac a nervous smirk while he just sighs and shoots a man in the head. “Come on” he says as she grabs the gun and sprints out the room, Isaac continues to make his shots while Eve shoots blindly, “Eve.” Isaac puts his hand on her shoulder, “You have to actually aim.” he states as he casually shoots someone behind him without looking. The two reach the door when a Big Guy blocks the door, Eve attempts to aim but the shot ricochets Eve into multiple walls, the floor, the ceiling, everywhere.

Both Isaac and the massive guard witness this with their eyes practically bulging out of their sockets, Eve then gets slammed into Big Guy with reckless abandon, launching him outside. “We gotta get the fuck out of here!” Isaac lifts Eve up who is in a daze, “Let’s go Eve.” He carries her through the woods, hiding from a search party, “C’mon… c’mon… leave, stop searching these fuckass woods.” Isaac whispers to himself, one of the search team wanders into the area right next to them. Being through enough, Isaac knows that shooting the man would alert the rest of them, slowly putting his gun down he draws out his knife. Sweating, he sneaks behind his oblivious foe, “Solo Team B, Nothing at my location, over.” That’s all Isaac needs to hear from the man before grabbing the collar of his shirt and gutting his throat, Eve begins to wake up. “Isaac?” She stammers but he hushes her, while looking to see the search party leaving the area, they both collapse and catch their breath, looking towards Eve and processing tonight’s events, Isaac can only say one thing, “Eve, What the fuck.”

(Chapter 2 cover drawn by @_ruigami_ on Twitter)

She felt a tingle in her mouth. It was a curious taste, leaving much to be desired; she looked to this day with hopeful anticipation, only to be met with confusion. The taste in her mouth sat in an unpleasant goldilocks zone; on one hand her expectations and excitement would contribute to a more pleasant flavor, however on the other, her brother’s disapproval would turn the taste bitter. All of this is to say that witnessing this side of her brother left a bad taste in her mouth. This wasn’t the Isaac she had grown to know. She knew her brother’s intentions were pure, but she felt alienated as a result; she had seen a glimpse into this forbidden world and was tantalized by the uncertainties it possessed. Tapping into her rebellious side, she disregarded her brother’s warning: 

“Sorry big brother,” she thought to herself, “but I’ll believe it when I see it.”

She felt her eyelids gently drifting from one another as she woke. The transition between worlds wasn’t as harsh as she initially suspected. In fact, had there not been such a climactic buildup to her arrival, she would most likely assume nothing of this reality and merely accept it as her ordinary life. There were no blatant outliers, visually or otherwise, that would indicate towards this being a virtual reality. This perception would be reinforced upon a passing glance at her surroundings; familiar horizontal beams of white-painted softwood crowned with their asphalt shingles grounded Eve in reality. “You’re telling me,” she thought to herself once more, “that when given the chance to create an escape from reality,” she continued, rising to her feet: “Dad just made an exact replica of it.” 

She cast her gaze elsewhere, noticing a brief clearing in an otherwise dense forest. She opted to venture inside, as it provided some level of security over the vast streets. A deafening silence slithered amidst the trees, with the only sound of note being the subdued crunching of fallen leaves beneath her sneakers. Occasionally, her vacant ears would be filled with the idle chirping of crickets. If she listened past them, she could expose her ears to the faint whisper of the night, and the muted droning of machinery that it carried. This sound piqued her interest; it was unlike anything she had ever heard before. It was as if the air was whispering, a faint tone amidst the sky gradually trickling down. Layered beneath that sound was a familiar electrical humming, reminiscent of the buzzing sound typically associated with fluorescent lights. The shift in the air drew her eye to a gap in the trees, an enticing blue glow emanating from beyond them. She cautiously proceeded towards it.

When she emerged from the woods, Eve was met with buildings that would tower from each side of the streets, and neon lights illuminating the city before her. Her surroundings piqued her curiosity, yet they also gave her a cold and bleak feeling. It felt.. dystopian, totalitarian even. 

“Helloooooo? Anyone here?” Eve shouted as she began to make her way down the street. As she moved along she saw traces of discarded weapons, loot, broken shards of glass. Yet despite all of this, there was seemingly no trace of life anywhere.

“This place is like a ghost town. Where did everybody run off to?” Eve pondered to herself, feeling unnerved by the situation. She heard the sound of mumbles and footsteps approaching, prompting her to swiftly find cover behind a fallen garbage disposal. 

When she took a peek, she saw two men in all black formal attire in the midst of a conversation. “We should probably clean all of this up- leave no evidence”. Upon hearing this, Eve realized she was in a place she shouldn’t be and tried to flee- tripping on her loose shoetie, calling attention to her. “They didn’t hear that.. right?” the girl cringed. 

Suddenly, she felt a tight grip around her shoulders, Before being hoisted around to face a large hulking figure. “What’s a girl doing out here all by herself? Who the fuck are you!”, the man shouted. The nervous girl quickly replied, “I-I was just exploring! Please don’t hurt me..” 

The man took a pause and began to analyze Eve, noticing something particularly “off” about her- “Where’s your clan tag?” - a moment of silence filled the air before he brought out his walkie talkie and relayed a message to his boss, “We found a stray.” 

“clan tag? stray?” Eve said curiously.

The man turned his back to face her. “This game is dangerous. No one should be doing this shit alone, especially a little girl like you.” 

“Excuse me? Ugh.. Whatever, who are you guys anyway?” 

A smirk began to emerge on the man’s face. “We’re a part of a group known as the Brotherhood! We take care of business around here and rebel against anyone who dares get in our way.. Especially those corrupt moderators.” he says as he raises his hand up to his chest.

“OHHHH!- so that explains the mafia getup. Gotcha.” Eve spoke with snark. 

The man once again spoke into his walkie talkie, “ay, what do we do with the girl?” 

The sound of crickets could be heard throughout the night, but the silence didn’t last for long. 

He puts the walkie talkie back in his pocket and turns to face Eve. “Okay little lady here’s the deal, you’re following us back to our base.” 

“O-okay..” Eve said, filled to the brim with nervousness as her heart pounds.. 

Eve, accompanied by the two brotherhood members, make their way back to the base. As they navigate through the secluded streets of New E.V.E., their footsteps muffled by the damp earth beneath them, Eve notices graffiti writings on some of the buildings. “This place must have quite the history behind it..” she thought to herself. 

Eve and the brotherhood members exit the secluded heart of the city and enter the impoverished area of the "slums". In stark contrast to it’s luxurious cyberpunk counterpart, this area lacks any of its qualities. It’s home to those who challenge the prevailing ideologies of the game. 

Eve and the two brotherhood members arrive at the base, the appearance of it paints confusion across the girl’s face. “This place sure looks normal compared to all of the other places I’ve seen.. It looks like a house I’d see in real life!” 

“Yeah, well it’s hard to find places to live in times like these. Wait here.”

The man made his way up the stairs and onto the porch, knocking on the door. 

“What’s the password?”

“Dude, you know my voice, you know who I am!” 

“It’s protocol, man.”

The brotherhood member walks through the door and signals Eve behind him. “C’mon kid, this way.” 

“Yeah yeah I hear ya!” Eve began to pout, crossing her arms. 

When she stepped through the door, Eve and the brotherhood member made a right through the living room which made way to the boss’s office. The walls were beige painted and had paintings hung up. As she walked by she noticed a television and a fireplace, alongside a red rocking chair. Before long, they reached the office. 

“So this is the girl huh?” 

“Yes ma’am. We found her scurrying around town.” 

“I see.” 

The figure in the chair turned around to face Eve with her hands together on the desk.  The woman had dirty blonde hair, caucasian skin, and emerald green eyes. She wore a black vest with a white dress shirt. Her most notable feature was the glaring red scar visible across her neck. 

“Why don’t you take a seat right there dear?” The woman looked Eve in the eyes, showing a hint of compassion accompanied with a smirk.

“O-okay.” 

“I’ll take it from here, go keep an eye outside.”

“You got it boss.” 

“You seem nervous. this your first time?”

“I-I’m not nervous! I’m just confused, that’s all."

The woman smirked. “Understood. Tell me a little bit about yourself? Name? How old are you?”

“My name is Eve, I only turned 18 today.”

“what were you doing out on your own?” 

“I’ve never played before! I-I don’t know anything about this damn game. I know nothing! I’m just tryna get by.” 

“Ahhh I see! So we got a newbie on our hands?”

“HEY you don’t have to put it THAT way!”- the girl snapped her head to the side, showing visible frustration. 

“L-listen.. I’m just trying to prove myself, okay?” Eve began. “I’m 18 now, but no one treats me like I am. They underestimate me like I'm still some helpless child, and don’t even get me started on my brother..” - her head lowered, facing the hardwood floor.

Samantha sat up from her chair and faced the window behind her, arms behind her back.  

“You know, I was like you once.. There was a point in time where I was also a girl who felt lost and aimless in this world. My home life wasn’t exactly a pleasant environment for a little girl to be in, so I viewed this game as an escape from all of my problems- at the same time however, I felt like there was a lot I needed to prove.” Samantha continued. “I wanted to prove that I didn’t need to be ordered around and told what to do, I wanted to show that I could handle myself.” 

Eve looked up and the two girls shared a faint smile. 

“It looks like that’s all taken-” 

“BOSS!” 

“What’s the issue?”

“A moderator has been spotted in the vicinity, ma’am.” 

“understood.”

“I think I’m just gonna make my way out if that’s okay?” 

Samantha gets up from her chair and reaches under her desk, retrieving a firearm pistol, sliding it to Eve. “I want you to prove yourself and handle what’s going on downstairs. If you succeed to my standards I’ll reward you with a position in the brotherhood. I’ll follow your lead in the chance something goes wrong- got it?” 

“What have I gotten myself into..?” Eve thinks to herself, trembling with anxiety. 

Eve, with Samantha following from behind, make their way through the office entrance and venture into the downstairs basement, where they’re met with a figure being held by the arms by two brotherhood members. 

“Stay back! It’s dangerous.. This is one of the bad guys.” Samantha says as she walks forward. The moderator lifts his head up and begins to make eye contact with the woman- the two feeling a sense of familiarity. 

Eve glances over at the figure, coming to a realization. “That’s not a bad guy, that’s my brother! let him fucking go!”  

“W-what!?” her head jolts back to the moderator and the dots connect. “...Isaac?”, the woman shouted, feeling an array of various emotions. 

“Wait a fucking minute- Solomon?” 

“YOU!” 

Samantha snaps her head to Eve.

“AND YOU.. YOU BACKSTABBING BITCH!” 

Samantha regained his composure and turned around, heading back to her office.

“Send these two to the interrogation chamber IMMEDIATELY.” 

“Yes ma’am.” 

Isaac and Eve make eye contact from opposite sides of the room, the former stricken with anger. 

“Eve?! What did I fucking tell yo-” 

My Virtual Escape 2 - Chapter 1

My name is Eve! Eve Kalder, and today is my 18th birthday. So.. you would think at an age like this, one known for its supposed sense of “freedom”, that I’d be able to do something as simple as playing a video game, right? Well, you’re wrong. At least, that’s what my father, Joseph Kalder, tells me. He contributed greatly to the development of some virtual reality game, alongside a long time friend of our family, Abraham. This thing has been dangled before me time and time again throughout my life, only to be snatched away just as it comes within arms reach; they even named it after me! “E.V.E.”, or in other words, “Everyone’s Virtual Escape.” Why else would they do this if not to spite me? 

The reality is, they claim it’s dangerous for someone like me. Ha! What do they know? It can’t be that bad, right? I tried convincing my brother, Isaac, to let me try his headset, even just for a brief glimpse into the forbidden world of E.V.E. But just like my father and Abraham, he shot the idea down in flames, hardly even considering a second thought. He and I are close, practically inseparable, so I naturally assumed he’d be on board with my plan. I guess it seems I misjudged him. Whatever, It’s not like they can control me anymore. 

Eve proceeds to close her journal as she lets out a sigh. “Because today’s my big day! I hope this is the year.” the girl snickers to herself, feeling a wave of confidence.

Eve cleans herself up and makes her way through the hallway into the kitchen. “Good morning, dear! I made you some breakfast,”  said Joseph. “Eggs and toast with a side of bacon and homefries. Your favorite. Happy birthday!”

“Aw.. thank you dad!” Eve says as she reaches for a hug. “You know me too well.” 

"Of course. Anything for my little girl. In a while, your brother and Rebekah will be coming by to say hi.”  

“Ooo. I hope they bring Jenny with them!” the birthday girl shouted with glee.

“Alright, you eat your breakfast. Afterwards I’ll let you open one of your gifts. I’m going to give your brother a call to see when he’ll show up.“ Joseph chuckled. As Eve eats her food in peace, she notices the family butler, Adam, preparing the living room for the eventual guests. “Good morning, Adam!” she said cheerfully. “Good morning to you too, Eve, and happy birthday!” the butler said with a smile on his face.

“Thanks!” Eve said. Joseph returns from his bedroom putting his cellphone in his pocket, “Alrighty now, the two should be here any second. House looks nice, Adam. good job.”

“Don’t mention it, Mr. Kalder! It’s what I’m here for.” He chuckles. 

A creaking sound was heard from the backdoor. “Hey everyone, hope we’re not late!” 

“Isaac! Rebekah! How’ve you been, kids?” Joseph asked, his face lit by a smile. “Could be better, but you know me,” Isaac remarks, a playful smirk plastered on his face. “I’ve been well! We’ve had our hands tied with the dog and moderating the game. Thanks for asking, Mr. Kalder,” said Rebekah.

“Adam.”

“Isaac.”

They reach for a firm handshake, one backed by many years of friendship.

“You’re looking nice today man. Love the tux.” 

Could say the same to you, my friend. The new jacket and turtleneck looks sick nasty!” the friendly butler jokingly proclaimed.

Isaac chuckles. “Wanted to try a new style. ”He looks behind him.

“Hey kid! Heard it’s your birthday today. That’s some good shit.”

“Isaac!” Eve says as she goes in for a hug. “18 now, huh?” Isaac says. “Time really does fly fast, yeesh.” “You betcha! and you’re all old and probably have knee problems, hehe” she looks at her brother with a smug face. “I’m only thirty one! thirty one!” Isaac shouted. She smiled, “yeah! That’s old in my book. You’re like dad over there.” “Keep pushin’ your luck, kid.” he smiled back at her. “If you keep it up, you won’t get this cool present I gotcha!”, Isaac says as he proceeds to wave a decently sized box around. "okayyyy" Eve says with a slight smirk.

“Speaking of presents.” Joseph said, “why don’t we open some up?” “Sure!” Eve said excitedly. Joseph goes to grab the wrapped present that lies next to his bedroom door.

“Here you go, dear!” Joseph says with cheer. “Rip into it.” Eve begins to rip the wrapping paper to shreds, and fast. “Yes yes yes!” Eve thinks to herself. She tears through all of the wrapping paper, and the gift wasn’t what she was envisioning. “Ah! a laptop..?” Eve said carefully, but softly. “Me and your mother know your old one got busted some time ago, and with your interest in college, we thought it'd be a great idea to get you a new one so you can use it for stuff like that in the future.” Joseph said happily. Eve, while appreciative, is a bit disappointed, and she doesn’t want to appear ungrateful or upset.

“I see… Well I love it. thank you guys.” she said with a slight smile on her face.

Isaac grabs the box to the side of him. “Here’s your gift from me and Rebekah." “Isaac out of anyone knows how much I’ve wanted a helmet. This has gotta be it!” Eve thinks to herself. Once again, Eve proceeds to tear through the wrapping paper, this time like there’s no tomorrow. “Ah ha! Finally my own E.V-..wait, Roller-skates..?” Eve said, struck with confusion.

“Yeah! Roller-skates are sick. I thought you’d find em cool. “

“T-thanks Isaac..!” she says, looking notably down. Rebekah glances over at the kid. “Everything okay, Eve?” the woman says, displaying a hint of concern. “O-oh yeah! I’m just a bit tired still.” Eve chuckles. “I got to bed really late last night. I should probably fix that.” “Does the Kalder family hate sleep or something?” Rebekah grins. “Your brother never comes to bed at a decent time. He’s always working day and night.” “Hey that’s not-” Isaac stopped himself. “Never mind yeah, you’re right.” 

Hours go by, and everyone is talking amongst themselves. Eve, still underwhelmed and disappointed on the inside, keeps to herself in the living room. 

“Man”. Adam said. “Can you believe the kid is 18 now? It only feels like just yesterday I was greeting you every-time you logged into E.V.E., granted, much to your dismay.” Isaac smirked, locking eyes with Adam, who was awaiting a quip in return from the once hot-headed Isaac he knew during their time spent around one another in E.V.E. Isaac began, his words oozing with a light-hearted, venomous flare, “Yeah, I remember. You were a real pain in my ass. Never gonna forget the time you dressed up as my fucking mom.”  The room fell into silence, only to be broken by Adam’s sudden laughter. “Aw come on! It was hilarious. You gotta admit, I got you good.” Adam chuckled. He chirped between hushed gasps of laughter formed after each breath. Regaining his cool, he thought to remind Isaac of a long forgotten interaction between the two. “Never gonna forget the time I helped you that night at Solomon’s. You still owe me one man.”

The words pierced through Isaac's ears, ringing within his head. He was still, unmoving, without a single thought behind his widened eyes, which were fixated upon the dinner table. Adam looked at him with concern on his face. “you okay Isaac?” “...yeah.” Isaac said softly. “Hey man I think me and Rebekah are gonna ring it in for tonight.” he stood up from his chair. “We gotta get home and log on. Left poor Malachi all on his own to moderate for the day. God knows what Jenny is getting up to by herself too!” he lightly chuckles. “Oh. alright man.” Adam put his hand up for a fist bump. “Fun times?” Isaac looked at him with a slight smile, “fun timessss. Let my dad know me and Rebekah rang it in for the night." “Will do, Isaac. Take care.”

As Isaac and Rebekah were preparing to walk out the door, they noticed someone behind them. “leaving?” Eve says, tired and confused.  Isaac yawns. “Yeahhh, it’s getting late.” he stretches his back. “I hope you had a good day, Eve. be good for Dad, alright?” “I knowwwwww!” Eve says as she tries to put on her smug attitude, as an attempt to mask her true feelings. “Night, Eve!” Rebekah shouts with glee. “Night, guys. Thank you for spending time with us today.”  As the couple left, Eve’s cheerful and snarky demeanor proceeded to drop. She began to make her way out of the kitchen, towards her room.

“Is everything okay, Eve?” Adam asked with concern, noting the blank expression on her face. The girl stopped in her tracks and looked back at the worried butler, she made a quick, false smile.  “Y-yeah!” Eve says. “Just tired! It’s been a long day. Girls need their beauty sleep, y’know?” “Ohhhhhhh okay. I’m glad you enjoyed your birthday, Miss Kalder. I’ll let your father know you called it early.” Adam relayed to the seemingly tired birthday girl. “Thank you.. Good night sir!” Eve says, speed walking through the kitchen. She makes her way through the hallway, into her room, where she closes her door. She takes a deep breath. "God dammit!” Eve shouts in frustration and falls back onto her bed. “I’m so sick of being treated like a kid! I’m sick of being treated like I can’t hold my own. I’ll never get that damn headset.. Because no one will ever take me seriously! What do they think I am, a joke??” 

All I want is to be treated like an adult.. Is it really so hard to ask?” Eve says as she gets under her blankets and turns off her lamp.

Hours have passed, and sleep offered no respite from her relentless thoughts. With each toss and turn, she would let out a sigh. First, a sigh of disappointment, then of anger, then of sadness. 

“Why am I the one that gets treated differently?”, she paused to think, lamenting over the situation. “Wait..” she sits up and ponders with curiosity. “I think I have an idea.. I gotta be quick though.”

She had walked this route many times before. Then, it would’ve been to raid the kitchen fridge for a late night snack. Now, it was to obtain something of far greater substance. She had memorized every possible creak in the floorboards, choosing to carefully maneuver around them with elegance akin to an acrobat. In reality, she looked more like a drunken sailor rocking back and forth on their ship during a storm. She regained her balance, outstretching her arms as if she were walking a tightrope. Before her stood her destination: Joseph’s Office.

Eve reaches for the door handle and slightly pushes it forward, cringing at the irritating creaking sound, praying to the overlord that no one heard it. She makes her way through the dark office, as quiet as a mouse, watching her steps very carefully. “Okay.. okay” she whispers to herself. “If I were the owner of a multi billion dollar tech company, where would I put my assets?” 

She began to search the desk from top to bottom, but came up with nothing. She rummaged through the drawers but alas, she still came up empty handed. Eve tippy toed her way over to the last area of the room: the closet.

Upon arriving at her destination, she was greeted by a wall of E.V.E stock units. “Haha yeah baby! I hit the jackpot!” she accidentally shouts. “Oops. gotta be quiet. I forgot.”

Eve quickly grabs a helmet of her choosing and proceeds to make her way back the same way she came, as quiet as possible. She reaches her bedroom and enters, locking her door. “Well that wasn’t so hard, now was it Miss Kalder?” she snickers to herself, ecstatic her little plan worked. She places the white box on the floor and opens it up, being met with some sort of letter.

“A manual? It’s signed by.. The Overlord?” Eve tosses the piece of paper to her side. “The helmet seems pretty self explanatory. What the hell do I need a manual for?” she shrugs. “Okay! No more playing around!” she proclaims with confidence. “Time to see what this is all about. About the helmet that’s been ripped away from me every chance I get. Here goes nothing.” She puts on the helmet, and before long finds herself within another world.. Within her own virtual escape.

The girl was immediately met with a cool breeze, and the sound of crickets in the night sky. Her eyes once closed began to open. “W-woah.. This is trippy.” Eve proceeded to walk and explore her surroundings, noting how familiar it is. “This looks like my backyard.. like real life! It’s pretty chilly though.. They gotta fix the AC.” She quickly took note of a small bag residing next to her shoe and bent down to retrieve it. The contents inside were akin to small, colorful crystals. “Aw sweet! Few minutes in and I already found myself some loot. This is awesome!” she snickered to herself and took a step back.. *THUD!* 

She looked up and was met with Isaac’s face, irritation and nervousness visible clear as day. "I-Isaac?" Eve says, in shock. Eve looks into Isaac's eyes and sees a vast array of emotions. She can't get a read on him. "I- uh…"

"You can't be here. You need to log out right fucking now." Isaac demands, shooting a glare at the young girl's eyes.

"Can't you ju-?"

"NOW!" he screams.

Eve is taken aback. This is the first time she's seen him like this. Isaac looks away for a moment and puts his palm on his face. "Sorry." "Isaac, are you okay?" Eve asks, worried and concerned about her brother. Isaac turns back to face her, now with tears welling up in his eyes. "I'll be fine if you log out." "I'm 18 now, Isaac. I can make my own decisions." "I don't fucking care! I'm not going to just sit around while you make a stupid decision." Eve scoffs, taking offense. "Stupid decision? Really? Or are you just saying that because I finally did something on my own for once?"

Isaac grinds his teeth in anger. "Yeah, it is a stupid decision! This game is fucking serious, Eve. You could…" Tears begin to fall down Isaac's cheek, but he maintains his composure. "You could die. And if that ever happened again, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." "Again?" Eve asks with curiosity.

Isaac breaks eye contact with her. "Nothing… it doesn't matter. I just can't lose you." silence fills the air for some time, until Isaac looks back at Eve as she walks forward and gives him a hug. "Well, you don't need to worry about that." Eve says with a cheeky smile. "Because I have the best teammate in the game.

"What? Who?" Isaac asks.

Eve winks at her brother, who is confused and feeling a wide range of emotions currently. "You, obviously!" 

Isaac's eyes widen. "Eve. No."

"Isaac, you and I both know that I'm too stubborn to quit playing, so stop this concerned-brother thing and team up with me!" Eve announced, a confident grin plastered on her face as a result of her offer. Knowing Isaac, he would accept her proposal in a heartbeat if it meant protecting her. Eve was more than aware of that. However, the Isaac standing before her was one she had never before encountered:

“Don’t pull that shit with me!” Isaac exclaimed, a newfound fury tainting his words as a result of his concern. “I know what you’re going through, okay? I get it. I used to think I knew better than the people around me, but looking back, they were always right. They only wanted to help me. So why should I be seen any differently?” he asked through sharp breaths. This reaction was not what Eve had come to expect of her brother. Despite already knowing that he would do anything to protect her, she couldn’t bear seeing him like this, knowing that she had brought it on. “I understand,” she began, realizing the severity of her situation: “I gotta ask though, since this game is just so dangerous…why are you here? What’s in it for you?” she inquired.

Isaac looked down, releasing a heavy sigh. “I’m a moderator, Eve. I’m just trying to guide you… guide you out of this shit. I don’t want you seeing even half of the shit this world has to offer. So just get outta here, okay? It’s better for both of us.” Eve felt a tremble on her lips as a result of a new feeling she hadn’t felt before. Was it guilt? Was it despair? Whatever the case, she didn’t like it. If leaving this world would make her brother feel better in the meantime, then she would abide. From her trembling lips, she would let out a hushed apology: “I’m really sorry, Isaac-” she began, only to be cut off instantly: “Don’t start with that shit either, okay? Just please don’t come back here,” Isaac begged. Eve spoke not another word, turning away from her brother, before taking off her headset. Just as quickly as she had arrived, she would depart from this world, the surrounding environment dissipating from view. She crashed onto her bed, recollecting on what had just happened.