Page 39 of Immersed
“We’re heading to the hospital,” Tyler announced as everyone climbed back into the van. “Four votes to two. Drosselmeyer County Sanitarium, it is.”
Levi hesitated at the door, studying the seating arrangement. In his panic, he’d been sitting beside Asher—apparently by choice, based on everyone’s casual reactions. Now he faced a decision: maintain the facade of normalcy or risk drawing attention by changing his behavior.
If this is a different character, I’m being paranoid. If it’s the same one, avoiding him might trigger his hunting behavior.
With deliberate casualness, he slid back into his original seat beside Asher. The killer—or whoever this was—didn’t react with triumph or satisfaction. He simply adjusted his position to give Levi more space,then returned his attention to a tablet displaying what looked like building schematics.
“I pulled the original blueprints,” Asher said, holding the tablet so Levi could see. “The hospital’s got a really interesting layout. Three floors, plus a basement level that was supposedly used for storage but...” He paused, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Well, the documentation gets weird around the basement.”
As Tyler pulled back onto the road, Levi found himself in the surreal position of sitting calmly beside his potential tormentor, watching him explain hospital architecture with enthusiasm for the technical aspects of their investigation.
Either this was the most sophisticated psychological manipulation he’d ever encountered, or the game had truly created a different character who just happened to share the killer’s face.
13
Skip Tutorial? (Again)
Thevanpulledintoa gravel parking lot as the sun hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the facade of Drosselmeyer County Sanitarium. Levi pressed his face to the window, studying the three-story brick building with a mixture of relief and apprehension.
In Ethan’s horror games, the really dangerous places always looked too normal on the outside. The sanitarium maintained an eerie structural integrity rather than the crumbling ruins Levi had expected. The red brick walls showed weathering but no major decay. Symmetrical wings stretched from a central entrance, creating a balanced architectural nightmare.
The maintained grounds made Levi’s skin crawl. Someone had been caring for this place.
“My uncle owns the land,” Elliot explained as Tyler cut the engine. “The groundskeeper comes twice a year for property values.” His grin turned sharp. “But inside? That’s all authentic decay.
The afternoon light slanted across the building’s facade, creating harsh angles and deep shadows that made the structure seem alive, watching. Levi’s fingers drummed nervously against his thigh as hestudied each window, each doorway, scanning for exits the way Ethan always said to do—“find your way out before you need it.”
At least it’s still daylight. We have time to set up, get oriented.
“Alright, people,” Tyler announced. “Let’s get this gear unloaded before we lose the light.”
Levi slid out of the van, positioning himself to keep Asher in his peripheral vision while maintaining distance. His muscles tensed every time Asher moved, every casual gesture triggering memories of hands around his throat, lips pressed against his in mockery of intimacy.
“Camera one, camera two,” Owen counted off as boxes emerged from the van’s cargo area. “EMF detectors, digital recorders, infrared thermometer...”
Zoe stretched as she climbed out behind Owen, joints popping audibly. “God, I hate long drives. My back feels like someone beat it with a cricket bat.”
“Worth it though,” Elliot said, hefting his laptop bag. “This place has serious potential. My research turned up patient records dating back to the 1940s. Electroshock therapy, insulin comas, experimental lobotomies.”
Levi’s attention drifted to Asher, who was testing a handheld microphone.
“You okay?” Jasper asked, noticing Levi’s stillness. “You’ve been quiet since the van.”
“Just processing,” Levi replied, forcing his voice to remain steady. “It’s bigger than I expected.”
“That’s what she said,” Tyler called out, earning a collective groan from the group.
As they organized their gear, Levi noticed subtle differences in his companions’ behavior from previous loops. Owen wore a different superhero t-shirt—Doctor Strange instead of Star Wars. Maddie’sphone case was blue rather than pink. Tyler’s watch displayed a different brand logo.
“First priority is getting the base camp set up,” Owen announced, consulting a tablet. “We need a staging area for equipment and a safe zone to retreat to if things get... intense.”
Asher hefted a canvas bag filled with audio equipment. “I’ll need about thirty minutes to run sound tests throughout the building. Check for interference, dead zones, optimal microphone placement.”
The casual professionalism in his voice sent chills down Levi’s spine. This wasn’t the creature who had pinned him to the floor, who had whispered threats against his ear. This was a colleague, a trusted team member, someone the others relied on.
“Levi and I can handle the visual survey,” Elliot suggested. “Map out the floor plan, identify key filming locations.”
“Actually,” Levi said quickly, “I should stick with the group. Safety in numbers, right?”
