Page 65 of Immersed
Behind him, Asher moved with predatory silence. Even in the cramped passage, he managed to avoid making noise—a skill that would have been admirable if it weren’t so unsettling.
They reached another junction, this one branching into four directions. Levi stopped, listening for any sign of where Elliot might have gone.
Silence.
“Shit,”Levi muttered, pulling out his phone to check for signal. Nothing. The building’s metal infrastructure was blocking everything.
“We should pick a direction and commit,”Asher suggested.“Standing here won’t help him.”
Levi chose the left passage, mostly because it seemed to slope upward.Maybe it leads back to the main building.
“Can I ask you something?”Asher asked.
“No.”
“I’m just curious about you. We’ve been through so much together, but I don’t really know anything personal.”
“There’s nothing to know.”
“Everyone has something.”Asher’s tone remained patient.“What do you do for work? Where did you grow up?”
Levi kept walking, refusing to engage. But the questions stirred something uncomfortable in his chest—a loneliness he’d been carrying for months. When was the last time someone asked him personal questions? When was the last time anyone had been curious about his life?
Fuck it. Maybe talking would help pass the time. Maybe it would make this nightmare feel a little less isolating.
“I stream,”he said.“Gaming content. Not very successfully, so I work as a barista at this shitty coffee shop to pay rent.”
“What kind of games?”
“Indie stuff. Puzzle games, some RPGs. Nothing too intense.”Levi paused, then added quietly,“I hate horror games.”
“I suppose being in this building is like a horror game, right?” Asher chuckled.
“Yeah, well. Life’s got a sick sense of humor.”They reached another junction, and Levi chose the right passage this time.“I mostly just... exist in a small apartment, no friends really. I order takeout, play games, try to pay rent.”
“Sounds lonely.”
The simple observation hit harder than any criticism would have.“Yeah. It is.”
“Do you have family?”
The question made Levi’s step falter.I had family. Past tense.“I did.”
Silence stretched between them, and for a moment Levi thought Asher would push for details. Instead, he said,“I’m sorry.”
“What about you?”Levi asked, deflecting.“What’s your sob story?”
“Similar, actually.”Asher’s voice carried an unexpected note of vulnerability. “I’m pretty isolated. No real connections. I spent most of my time alone, working on projects that don’t matter to anyone but me.”
Projects.Levi wondered what that meant, but didn’t ask.
“I never thought of it as lonely, but that changed recently,”Asher continued.
There was something in his tone—a recognition, like he understood exactly what Levi was describing.
“What’s your favorite food?”Asher asked suddenly, his tone shifting to something lighter, almost eager.
The abrupt change caught Levi off guard.“Uh... pizza, I guess? Why?”
