Page 25 of Immersed
The stranger paused, studying Levi’s expression with genuine fascination. Something shifted in his gaze, like a decision being made, possibilities being weighed.
“Beautiful things never last,” he said softly, raising the revolver. “They wither. They decay. They disappoint you when you get to know them too well.” He pressed the barrel against Levi’s chest,directly over his heart. “Better to preserve the moment, don’t you think?”
Levi stared into the stranger’s eyes, searching for mercy and finding none. Yet there was something else there; a profound sadness, as if the stranger truly regretted what he was about to do.
The stranger’s free hand brushed a strand of hair from Levi’s forehead, the touch incongruously tender. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, and for one bewildering moment, Levi believed the sincerity in his voice.
The gunshot echoed across the abandoned mine. Pain flared briefly in Levi’s chest—sharp, then surprisingly distant as shock set in. A strange numbness spread outward from the wound. His vision tunneled, darkness creeping in from the edges. The stars above blurred and multiplied.
The stranger gathered Levi into his arms, cradling him. Blood bubbled from Levi’s lips as he struggled for breath that wouldn’t come. Through dimming vision, he saw the stranger’s face hovering above him, beautiful and terrible.
This isn’t right. He’s holding me like...
The realization struck with horrifying clarity—the stranger’s expression wasn’t triumph or satisfaction, but something closer to regret. Almost like he was memorizing Levi’s features, preserving this moment of intimacy between them.
He’s not just killing me. He’s...
9
Achievement Unlocked: Running Water
Levigaspedawakeinthe meadow, his chest heaving as phantom pains echoed through his body. His hands instinctively clutched at his knee, then his chest—both whole, both uninjured. The memory of the stranger’s bullet tearing through him remained vivid, a ghost sensation that refused to fade.
Breathe. Just breathe. Count backward from ten. Focus on something real.
The dew-covered grass beneath his palms. The chirping birds overhead. The scent of pine and wildflowers.
Heat flashed across his skin as anxiety surged through his system. Levi yanked off his hoodie, the fabric suddenly suffocating. He tied it around his waist with trembling fingers, his t-shirt already damp with sweat.
Something heavy thumped against his thigh. A small object tumbled from the hoodie’s pocket, landing in the grass beside him. Levi stared at it, uncomprehending for a moment.
A compass. The same metal compass he found in Elliot’s backpack during the previous loop.
I died with this.
Levi snatched it up, turning the cool metal over in his palm. The needle swung freely, pointing steadily north. His mind raced, processing the implications.
Items I die with transfer between loops.
A hysterical laugh bubbled up from his chest. It wasn’t much, but it was a tiny scrap of control in this nightmare. A rule he could exploit.
I can prepare for the next loop.
Levi pushed himself to his feet, scanning the meadow with new purpose. If the game allowed him to keep items, there might be other mechanics he could leverage. Other rules he could bend.
He moved around the clearing, searching behind rocks and beneath bushes. Near the edge of the tree line, partially hidden by ferns, he spotted something white. A small notepad, blank and pristine, with a stubby pencil tucked into the spiral binding.
A convenient notebook just lying around. Ethan would have called this lazy game design.
Levi dropped to the ground, flipping open the notepad. The pencil felt strange in his hand, almost too real. He pressed the tip against the paper and began writing frantically:
LOOP #4
Killer: mismatched eyes (brown/green), perfect face, sadistic
Watches before attacking - learns from each encounter
NPCs: Jasper (gun in backpack), Owen, Maddie, Zoe (bear spray), Tyler, Elliot (satellite phone)
