Page 8 of Immersed
“I’m good, thanks.”Levi waved it away.“I like to keep my head clear.”
Especially when I’m experiencing something this astounding. I don’t want to miss anything.
While the others drank and smoked, Levi found himself studying the campsite. Zoe’s backpack looked organized and practical. A hatchet for splitting wood leaned against a log. Elliot’s flashlight looked expensive and powerful. These details seemed important somehow, though he couldn’t say why.
Ethan always noticed everything in those games he played. He said environmental details mattered, even the ones that seemed random at first.
“Maddie,”Levi asked, curious about the social dynamics,“how do you know everyone?”
She giggled, already a little buzzed.“I dated Tyler sophomore year, then Elliot junior year.”She took another swig of beer.“Now we’re all just friends. Mostly.”
“She’s our social butterfly,”Jasper added, exhaling a cloud of smoke.“Works at that fancy art gallery downtown and gets us into all the cool parties.”
“When I’m not babysitting my little sister,”Maddie sighed.“She’s thirteen going on thirty. Parents are always making me watch her while they jet off to wherever.”
Levi nodded, touched by how openly theyweresharing personal details with him. The conversation felt natural, likehe’dknownthese people for years instead of hours. The neural interface technologywasremarkable. How did it generate such complex, interacting AI personalities that felt this authentic?
As the night progressed and alcohol loosened tongues, more stories emerged. Jasper revealedhe’ddroppedout of engineering school topursue music. Elliot complained about his father’s expectations for him to take over the family business.
“Another trust fund kid rebelling against daddy,”Tyler muttered under his breath, and Levi caught the underlying tension between them.
The temperature dropped as full darkness settled around them. Levi noticed Maddie shivering despite sitting close to the fire. She glanced around the circle before fixing her gaze on him, a mischievous smile playing across her lips.
She stood unsteadily, wobbling over to where Levi sat.“Mind if I join you? It’s getting cold.”Without waiting for an answer, she plopped down beside him, pressing her body against his side.“You’re so warm.”
Her hand landed on his knee, fingers tracing small circles through his jeans. The firelight caught the glint in her eyes as she leaned closer, her perfume mixing with the scent of woodsmoke.“We could share body heat.”
And here I thought the scariest part would be the horror elements.
Levi felt his cheeks warm, not from attraction but from the awkward situation.He’dbeen in similar scenarios before—usually at the few parties Peter draggedhim to—and they never ended well.
“You’re very sweet, Maddie,”he said gently but loudly enough for everyone to hear,“but I should probably mention I’m gay.”
The circle went quiet for a beat before Jasper burst out laughing.
Maddie’s eyes widened before she joined in the laughter.“God, of course you are! All the cute ones always are.”She squeezed his arm affectionately before standing.“Elliot, make room. I’m freezing.”
Elliot smirked, lifting his arm to create space beside him. As Maddie nestled against his side, Tyler reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill, handing it to Elliot.
“Seriously?”Levi asked, watching the exchange with amusement.“I’m flattered Iwasworth a whole twenty bucks. That’s more than most of my stream donations.”
“Don’t take it personally,”Zoe said quietly.“They bet on everything.”
“Twenty bucks says we see fifty meteors tonight,”Tyler announced, already moving on to the next wager.
Levi leaned back, charmed by how naturally the grouphadacceptedhis revelation. No awkwardness, no weird questions, just easy acceptance and friendly teasing. It felt... nice. Comfortable in a way his real life rarely managed.
I could get used to this,he thought, then immediately felt guilty.This isn’t real. These aren’t real people. But it feels so...
As he watched the group laugh and joke through the flames, a movement beyond the circle of light caught his attention. Something tall and still seemed to stand at the forest’s edge, just beyond where the firelight faded into darkness.
Cold spread through his chest, his heartbeat suddenly loud in his ears. The sensation of being watched pressed against him like a physical weight, making it hard to breathe normally.
When he blinked and looked again, nothingwasthere.
Right on schedule,he thought, forcing himself to stay calm.Nothing says ‘atmospheric horror buildup’ like phantom figures that vanish when you look at them.
But the feeling remained, crawling along his skin like invisible spiders.
