Page 2 of Immersed
He shook the memory away and returned to examining the equipment, then the brief character guide listing six incredibly generic sounding NPCs that fit horror tropes: Tyler the Jock, Jasper theStoner, Owen the Nerd, Elliot the Rich Kid, Maddie the Party Girl, and Zoe the Sensible One. The instruction manualwasthick for a gaming device, filled with technical diagrams and dense paragraphs about“neural interface technology” and“psychosynaptic feedback loops.”The language felt more suited to a medical journal than a product guide, describing how the system allegedly monitored brainwave patterns to enhance immersion through targeted stimuli.
This seems excessive for a game.
As he connected cables and installed the accompanying software, a soft chime from his streaming dashboard announced his first viewer. The notification made his pulse quicken—someonearrived twenty minutes early.
Either they’re really excited about watching me have a breakdown, or they’re as bored as I am on a Tuesday night.
BrokenArrow92: Looking forward to the stream, Levi! Brave of you to face your fears for such a good cause.
FinalGirl_Sarah: Here for you and for Ethan’s memory ??
The comments warmed something cold in his chest. Sarahhadbeen one of his earliest subscribers, someone who started watching after his emotional breakdown during a Stardew Valley stream where hebuilt a memorial garden for his brother.
MercyPlays: Thanks for coming! Not feeling very brave tbh. But it’s important.
BrokenArrow92: You got this! We’ll be here the whole time
At least someone believes in me tonight.
Levi adjusted his webcam, framing himself against the backdrop of his gaming corner where posters of fantasy RPGs and competitivestrategy games created a colorful collage—worlds of knights and spaceships that stood in stark contrast to whatever horror awaited him tonight. He retrieved the promotional materials from the box and held the glossy black folder up to the camera, its weight surprising in his hands.
“So, Virtual Vice sent over this press kit with the game.”He flipped the folder open, revealing marketing copy printed on heavy cardstock.“Says here IMMERSE is—”His eyes widened as he read the tagline, dropping to an incredulous whisper,”—the world’s first psychologically adaptive horror experience.”
Psychologically adaptive. What does that even mean?
He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing visibly as tension constricted his throat. The marketing copy continued in sleek corporate language that made his skin crawl.
“The AI engine reads your psychological responses with brain mapping technology?”Levi squinted at the dense text, gaining strength as he focused on reading aloud.“It says it ‘maps neural pathways to customize fear stimuli based on individual player psychology and trauma markers.’”
Trauma markers. Jesus. They’re basically building a fear machine custom-tailored to mess with your head.
“That’s not creepy at all,”he added with a nervous laugh that didn’t quite hide his growing unease.“So basically, it’s designed to find what scares you most and then throw it at you. Great.”
The chat began scrolling with new messages as his viewer count climbed to fifteen:
KittyKrunch: omg that sounds INTENSE
DeadPixel99: Psychological horror > jump scares any day
RavenQueen: This tech sounds too advanced to be real...
FinalGirl_Sarah: Are you sure this is safe, Levi?
TheCaptainSisko: Your brother would’ve been first in line for this tech
“Captain’s right,”Levi said, softening.“Ethan would have been begging for early access. Hewasalways saying horror gamesweretoo predictable, that they needed to adapt to the player more.”
He would have loved this. He would have figured out how to exploit the AI within an hour.
“So, um, the donation goal is set at $500.”He gestured to the local mental health awareness foundation logo he positioned in his overlay.“I know it’s not huge, but it’s realistic for a channel my size, and anything helps. Every dollar goes to crisis intervention programs that might help someone like—”
The words stuck in his throat like broken glass.
Say it. You can say his name.
“Like my brother,”he finished softly.“The foundationwasthe one that answered when I called one night. They talked me through... after.”
The chat exploded with hearts and supportive emotes.
