Page 29 of Immersed
“No—”
The stranger moved with frightening speed, hands gripping Levi’s shoulders. One powerful shove sent him backward into the frigid current. Water closed over Levi’s head, shocking his system with its icy grip. He thrashed, fighting to surface, but the stranger was already there, hands pressing down on his shoulders, keeping him submerged.
Levi’s good foot kicked uselessly against the riverbed. His fingers clawed at the stranger’s wrists. Through the rippling water, he could see the stranger’s face—serene, almost tender as he watched Levi struggle.
One of the stranger’s hands moved from Levi’s shoulder to his back, rubbing gentle circles between his shoulder blades. The gesture was horrifyingly tender, like comforting a child, soothing them through a difficult moment.
Levi’s lungs burned. His vision darkened at the edges. The stranger’s hand continued its gentle motion on his back, even as his other hand maintained its deadly pressure.
He’s comforting me while he kills me.
The juxtaposition was more terrifying than any violence. This wasn’t rage or bloodlust—this was affection. Twisted, perverse affection.
As consciousness began to slip away, a terrible clarity broke through Levi’s panic. Each death brought the stranger closer. Each loop madetheir encounters more intimate. First the chase, then the conversation, then the touch, now the kiss.
What comes next? What happens when he gets bored with just killing me?
The implications crashed through his drowning mind with horrifying clarity. The stranger wasn’t just learning how to catch him—he was learning how to possess him. Each loop brought new violations, new intimacies.
Next time will be worse. So much worse.
Water filled Levi’s lungs as his body finally surrendered. The last thing he felt was the stranger’s hand, still rubbing gentle circles on his back as darkness claimed him, accompanied by a sound that chilled him more than the river—the stranger humming softly to him as he died.
10
Open World
Leviexplodedfromthemeadow in a dead sprint, lungs already burning as he pushed through the tall grass. He ignored the startled calls behind him—Jasper’s confused “Dude, where are you going?” and Owen’s alarmed “Levi, wait!”—focusing instead on the thundering of his own heartbeat and the steady rhythm of his feet pounding against the earth.
Riverbend. Riverbend. Riverbend.
The name pulsed through his mind with each footfall. He died three times now, and each death taught him something. This time would be different. This time, he wouldn’t wait around for the stranger to find him. This time, he’d reach the abandoned mining town before nightfall and find whatever answers it held.
His mind calculated distances and times as he ran, ignoring the branches that whipped his face and the roots that threatened to trip him. If the river was a two-hour walk from camp, he could reach it in forty minutes at a run. Another twenty to Riverbend if he maintained this pace.
Sunset in approximately four hours. I can make it.
“Levi! Come back!” Tyler’s voice echoed through the trees, growing fainter as Levi increased his distance from the campsite.
He didn’t slow down. Every second counted. Every moment spent with those NPCs was a moment wasted—a moment closer to the stranger finding him again. His hand brushed against the pocket of his jeans, confirming the notepad and compass were still there. In his other pocket, the flashlight from the mine shaft bounced against his thigh with each stride.
Items transfer between loops. Knowledge transfers between loops. I’m getting stronger.
The forest blurred around him as he ran, focusing only on maintaining his eastern bearing. The ground gradually sloped downward, exactly as he remembered.
Left foot, right foot. Breathe in, breathe out.
His legs began to protest after twenty minutes of hard running. Muscles burning, lungs straining, heart hammering against his ribcage. But he pushed through the pain, refusing to slow down. Physical discomfort was nothing compared to the memory of drowning, of being shot, of being strangled.
Better tired than dead.
The terrain grew steeper, forcing Levi to slow his pace to navigate the increasingly rocky ground. His shoes slipped on loose scree again, sending small avalanches of pebbles cascading downhill. The sound seemed deafening in the otherwise quiet forest, announcing his presence to anything—or anyone—listening.
Too loud. I’m being too loud.
He forced himself to move more carefully, testing each step before committing his weight. The extra caution cost him precious minutes, but a twisted ankle would cost him hours—maybe hislife.
After what felt like an eternity, the unmistakable sound of running water reached his ears. The river. Relief flooded through him as he pushed through the final stretch of underbrush, emerging onto the rocky shore where he died just hours ago in another life.
