Page 14 of Zen's Crash

WiseInvestor: So, you’re some kind of old hag who likes to teach other people life lessons and this is your way of punishing me for not running a tight security game with my crypto, right?

Me: See, you’re learning already. I’m off to play World of Wonders. When you forward me verification that you’ve completed a course in digital security, I’ll help you find your crypto.

I’m amused by how WiseInvestor picked up on my handle of ChaosCrone and thought that means I’m an old woman. From the veiled insult, I’m guessing the not-so-wise investor is male. The reason I chose that handle was because once guys find out you’re a young woman in the gaming world, good gaming partners often turn into sleaze machines, throwing out one-liners at the speed of light. It can get annoying fast. Being ChaosCrone enables me to have a feminine persona online without men hitting on me constantly.

I log into World of Wonders and ignore the whining newbie. All he needs to do is take the digital security training. If he can’tbe bothered to do that, I’ll still give him his money back in a week or so.

When I go into the lobby of World of Wonders and begin looking through rooms to visit, a screenname I recognize pops up.

Me: Hello, Architect. How are you tonight?

Architect: I’m well, ChaosCrone. What room are you thinking of entering tonight?

Me: The Winter Palace looks interesting.

Architect: I’ve been in there before. It’s a challenging scenario to beat.

Me: I had a friend mention that to me a couple of weeks ago. He was cryptic but said things aren’t what they seem and that everything represents something else. What do you think that means?

There’s an extra-long, dramatic pause on his end before he responds.

Architect: That’s an accurate description of the dangers you will be facing. Goodnight, ChaosCrone, and good luck mastering the Winter Palace.

Before I can respond, his name disappears from the game. I spend hours wandering around the Winter Palace, getting killed in the game a bunch of times, but eventually using logic to make my way through the scenario. By the time I’m finished, I’m exhausted. I crawl onto the pull-out bed in the safe room and pull my favorite plush blanket up around me.

I fall asleep to images of Zen and the Architect duking it out in World of Wonders. Truth be told, they’re about equal in intelligence and proficiency at playing the game. If they went up against each other I could make a fortune selling tickets to the event.

Until I met Zen, the Architect and I were part of a small team of about twenty elite gamers who dominated World of Wonders. I yawn and decide that if I ever see Zen again, I’m gonna ask what his screen name in the game is. The thought of matching wits with the handsome, tattooed biker is exhilarating.

Zen isn’t my usual type, but there’s something strangely appealing about him that has nothing to do with looks. Maybe it has to do with his laid-back demeanor. He has a nice way about him. I find being with him both relaxing and exciting. Who knew hot bikers could be my thing?

Chapter 6

Zen

Ican’t believe I found a lead on who stole my sister’s money so easily. It was as easy as dangling some crypto in front of the group she most frequently visited. Some old lady swiped it right out of the wallet and didn’t put up much of a fight when I confronted her. It turned out to be the last person I expected. ChaosCrone has been running in the same circles as me for years. I never once took her or her gambling buddies for thieves.

But now I’m rethinking everything I thought I knew about her and her friends. I’m almost certain they’re operating as a crew, because LawlessHate popped into the room, clearly saw the bait I was dangling, and contacted the Crone. It didn’t take her more than a few seconds to empty the wallet.

My head begins to fill with a hundred questions. Were they actively seeking out opportunities to steal or did they just have a habit of taking advantage of opportunities that presented themselves? Were the other members of her inner circle involved in thieving or was it just the two of them? Did they live together? Were they siblings, lovers, or simply partners in crime? Could I get one to turn on the other? Would it be possible to find other victims who had been fleeced by this pair?

Crone is skilled at both coding and hacking. I’d even done a hacking challenge with her a year or so ago. I busted my ass to win that challenge. She certainly didn’t make it easy. Out of everyone I’ve met online, she’s the closest to my skill leveland there aren’t many who could beat either of us in an open challenge.

Of course I have no idea who she is in the real world. Her identity is a total mystery to me because I’ve never tried to find it out. Doxing people is a seriously shitty thing to do. Unfortunately, it looks like that might now be necessary because of her criminal activity.

I start with her IP address. It shows her as being in Iceland. I remember looking at her IP address once before, and she was based in the UK. She’s obviously using a VPN to obscure her whereabouts.

However, I remember a chat we had a year ago when I was offline due to a power outage. She mentioned that the storms in California were nothing compared to when she used to live in Florida. Unless she’s moved, that means we’re in the same state. Based on her username I’m assuming she’s older, but online, people can be whoever they want.

I wander through to the kitchen, make myself a cup of strong coffee, and head back to my office.

Determined to find out who ChaosCrone is, I search for that handle on social media. I get several hits, and one even has an image of a beautiful woman with dark bronze skin and the most beautiful afro I’ve ever seen. It literally looks like a halo ringing her head. I can’t help but smile as I gaze at the image.

I quickly do a reverse image search, which leads me to a stock image site. Figures she’s not using her own photograph. This older woman is clearly security-conscious and careful about sharing her identity online.

I go back to her social media account and begin scrolling through to see if there’s anything in her feed that might give a hint about her identity or current location. It looks like something happened ten months ago and she stopped posting for three months. There were no likes or comments on her friends’ posts. Nothing. It’s like she dropped off the face of the earth for weeks and then slowly started coming back to her preferred social media platforms.

No matter how far back I go, there’s nothing linking her to the real world. There are no pet pictures, links to a workplace, hobbies, or anything to suggest that the person behind the profile does much in her local community. It’s just all nondescript girly bullshit and memes.

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