Page 42 of Immersed
The door creaked open.
Asher stood in the doorway, coils of audio cable draped over one shoulder. His tall frame nearly filled the entire opening, blocking the dim hallway light.
Levi’s mouth went dry. His hands instinctively clenched into fists.
Asher stepped into the room, kneeling to examine a power outlet near the baseboard.
“I sh-should—” Levi’s voice cracked as his body reacted violently to his presence—heart hammering against his ribs, skin flushing hot then cold. He cleared his throat. “I’m going to check on Zoe.”
He moved toward the door, trying to give Asher a wide berth.
Asher’s arm shot out without him looking up from his work, blocking his retreat with casual strength. The movement was so smooth, so effortless, it seemed almost choreographed.
Levi froze, caught in the narrow space between the bed frame and Asher’s extended arm. Asher looked up, locking onto Levi’s with unnerving intensity. Nothing in his expression revealed a killer, a stalker, a tormentor. His features remained composed. Yet something lurked beneath that composure—something that felt like it recognized Levi, that knew their shared history across multiple realities.
“We need to talk.”
14
Reskin
“Wehaven-nothingtodiscuss,” Levi said, pushing confidence into his voice he didn’t feel. He stepped toward the doorway, refusing to acknowledge the arm blocking his path.
Asher’s fingers wrapped around Levi’s upper arm with surprising strength, spinning him back into the room. Not violent, exactly, but firm enough to make Levi stumble against the metal bed frame.
“Do we have a fucking problem?” Asher’s voice remained level, but something sharp glittered beneath the surface. “Because you’ve been cold as hell this entire trip. Mean-mugging me since we left the city.”
Levi’s breath caught. This wasn’t the measured, predatory speech patterns he remembered. This Asher sounded... frustrated. Almost hurt.
“I haven’t been—”
“Bullshit.” Asher stepped closer, forcing Levi to crane his neck to maintain eye contact. “Yesterday, you were excited about the audio setup. Talking about how we could layer ambient sound with real-time recording. Today you won’t even look at me.”
Yesterday. Another manufactured memory. Another piece of false history the game had crafted.
“I’m just stressed,” Levi deflected, fighting the urge to step backward. The bed frame pressed against his legs, trapping him. “Big investigation. Lots of pressure.”
“Stressed about what?” Asher’s eyes searched Levi’s face with uncomfortable intensity. “I’m trying to do the job you hired me for. Set up clean audio so your content doesn’t sound like garbage. But every time I get within ten feet of you, you act like I’m carrying the plague.”
The genuine confusion in Asher’s voice made Levi’s carefully constructed rationalization waver. This didn’t sound like manipulation or psychological warfare. This sounded like a colleague trying to understand why his working relationship had suddenly deteriorated.
He really doesn’t remember. This version of him has no idea.
“Look, I’m sorry if I’ve been weird,” Levi said, forcing his shoulders to relax. “You’re right. I’ve been in my own head too much. It’s nothing personal.”
Asher’s grip on his arm loosened but didn’t disappear entirely. “You sure? Because if there’s something I did—”
“There isn’t.” The lie came easier than expected. “I just... I have a lot riding on this video. I need this to be good.”
For a moment, something flickered across Asher’s features. Almost like relief. “Okay. Good. I thought maybe...” He shook his head, releasing Levi’s arm. “Never mind. Professional paranoia.”
Professional paranoia. As if he were worried about keeping this job, maintaining this working relationship. It was such a normal, human concern that Levi felt his worldview tilt.
“We’re good,” Levi said, taking a step toward the door the moment Asher’s arm dropped. “Really.”
But Asher moved with him, not blocking this time but walking alongside him. “I’ll help you set up that recorder. Make sure the levels are right.”
No. I need space. I need distance.
