“So, Dom, any luck with that puzzle box of yours yet? Got it cracked?” Nile had just placed the drive into one of the available ports on his computer and barely glanced at her as he waited for the data to load.

Dom sighed and reached into her backpack to pull out a sketchbook filled with sketches she had drawn of the puzzle box that had been plaguing her dreams lately. She couldn’t get away from it, and when she’d finally told Nile about it, he had suggested she try to unlock it instead of trying to shut it out. So she tried, but she could never seem to do more than cause a minor shift in its basic composition.

As she sifted through the pages of artwork, she became as absorbed in what she was looking at as Nile was in the game she had given him. The images shifted as she turned page after page, trying to find the key to unlocking the puzzle. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Nile reached over and snatched the sketchbook out of her hands.

"Hey, relax, you said you’d let me take a shot at it, yeah?" Nile had the sketchbook open already, flipping through the pages. As he reached the end, he began working his way backward, his eyes narrowing with that “thinking face” she recognized so well.

"And you sketched out everything you can remember about it, yeah?" His voice was casual, but his concentration was focused, deeper than usual.

"Yeah, it’s everything I can recall." She watched him, noticing how each time he flipped to a particular page, the puzzle seemed to shift, as if Nile’s scrutiny alone could alter its design. The effect was almost dizzying. After a few minutes, Dom started to feel a pain behind her eyes, like she’d been staring at a screen too long. She looked away, focusing instead on the school grounds for a quick change of scenery.

She took a survey of the quad and saw that the usual hustle and bustle of the grounds was in full swing; the seemingly random passerby heading to one class or another, the stereotypical cliques staked out in their long-established territories - spots claimed through decades of tradition and social maneuvering.

The so-so aroma of the less-than-stellar food wafted through the air from the nearby cafeteria, enticing any daring enough to try a dish. At least today was all-American food day - hamburgers from Hamburg, hot dogs from Frankfurt, French fries from Spain, and apple pie from England... oh man, it was so American it hurt.

Achievement Unlocked: Cultural Awareness

* Effect: +5 Wit

Dom blinked as the message faded, a faint smile playing on her lips at the system’s cheeky timing. She was about to dismiss it when a soft chime from Nile’s laptop pulled her attention back. Nile quickly set her sketchpad aside, his eyes lighting up as he typed a few commands, clearly excited to dive into the game she’d given him.

“You don’t understand, Dom. This is the hottest thing in the world of gaming,” he said, a low, intense thrill in his voice. “The message boards are filled with leakers talking about how revolutionary this game is going to be. It’s the ultimate sandbox. You can be anyone, do anything, change the world. And there are rumors that they are working on a virtual reality interface technology to release alongside it.”

His excitement was infectious, and Dom found herself soaking in every word he said with rapt attention. She couldn’t help but get caught up in his description - the new mechanics, the storyline, the star caliber of the vocal acting. And besides, Dom was girl enough to admit that it did sound interesting.

A virtual reality game? She’d seen some low-fi games in the malls and at the major theme parks, but from the way he described it, this thing was going to be immersive in a way that was beyond anything she’d played. From her time traveling with her dad in the military, she’d seen some pretty realistic training simulations. But this sounded incredible. And she couldn’t wait to play it. With Nile.

“It is going to be revolutionary. Far ahead of its time in the tech department. I just hope my computer can run it, even in low-fi, you know?” she replied, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

She was so caught up - almost more in the simple fact that he was speaking than what he was actually speaking about - that she didn’t at first notice as a dull hush fell over the quad. But the sudden absence of the typical background chatter was like a roar, an almost deafening silence that filled her ears.

And still, it wasn’t until Nile himself stopped talking and turned to stare into the distance that she really took notice. What would cause such an avid gaming enthusiast to suddenly fall silent? She broke her gaze from his face and glanced around, looking for the disturbance. It only took her a moment to spot the source.

She was the source.

At first glance, she was what some might consider pretty: athletic figure, almost heart-shaped face, full lips, and blonde. But at second and third glance, she was more than striking. From the highlights in her hair to her strange blue-green eyes, and her perfectly manicured nails - every additional detail that could be seen seemed to add to and enhance her beauty. She was wearing a light yellow sundress, and the smile she flashed everyone was brilliantly white.

She was perfect. And Dom felt something off about her from the start.

Alert: New Character Detected

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

* Potential Threat Level: Unknown

* Passive Skill Activated: Unease

Dom’s stomach twisted as she caught herself glancing away, a flicker of irritation sparking with an inexplicable sense of dread. She waved her hand in front of Nile’s face, his expression one of barely hidden desire.

“Ahem! Earth to Nile, come in Pharaoh.”

Dom kicked Nile in the shins, and only then did he seem to snap out of it. “Dude, what the hell? That hurt.” He reached down and rubbed his sore shin.

“Not as much as it’s gonna if you don’t snap out of it. What’s the matter with you? Never seen a… perfect… cough girl walk into a high school before?”

Nile’s expression turned suddenly to one of near panic as he straightened in his seat, and he stared past her shoulder, the sketchpad falling to the ground at his feet, forgotten. Dom felt a chill run down her spine. She turned slowly to see who was behind her, but for some reason, she felt she already knew.

And she was right.

Standing behind her, within easy scratching distance, was the new girl. Dom crossed her arms and leaned back against the table, giving the girl a very unfriendly look of contempt.

“Can we help you?” Help being the furthest thing from Dom’s mind.

"Hi! My name’s Ashleigh, but you can call me Ash. What’s yours?" Ash spoke with an accent that was hard to place. It sounded Australian, but as if she’d been in the states for too long. Ash held out her hand for a shake.

"None of your-" But Dom was cut off before she could finish by Nile’s quick reactions.

“I’m Nile, nice to meet you! Welcome to our boring little school.” He practically leaped over the table to take her hand. He almost looked like a love-sick puppy dog.

Down boy, bad dog - where was a newspaper when you needed one.

"Nice to meet you, Nile, and...?" Ash extended her hand to Dom, but Dom still refused to return the gesture. Nile kicked Dom in the shin, eliciting a cry of protest in response.

Quest Triggered: Befriend the New Girl

* Objective: Engage in friendly conversation with Ash

* Reward: +10 Nile’s Approval

* Penalty for Failure: -15 Nile’s Approval

Dom clenched her jaw, managing a thin, forced smile. She had no intention of playing nice.

“Ouch! Jeez! Ok, fine.” To Ash, “I’m Random, but my friends call me Dom.”

Dom grudgingly shook Ash’s hand. She’d been called Random for as long as she could remember. Her mother had given it to her as a nickname when she was really young, and it sort of stuck. Now everyone either called her Dom, Random, or D’, but never Dominique, her birth name.

As soon as their fingers touched, Dom felt a slight shock, like the kind you feel when you run your sock-covered feet along the ground and touch something metallic.

“Nice to meet you, Dom. Would you mind if I joined you guys? I’m new here and could use some friends. And you both look like nice people.”

Was she for real? Who talks like that? This is the 21st century, lady.

Nile immediately pushed Dom aside and gestured for Ash to take a seat.

“Be our guest.”

Ash graciously accepted the seat and squeezed in between Dom and Nile. She was much too close for Dom’s comfort. And so, Dom was more than relieved when the school bell rang moments later, signaling the end of the lunch period.

“Sorry to cut this short, but it’s time for class. Let’s go, Nile.”

Dom reached down to pick up the forgotten sketchpad and put it in her backpack. She stood up to leave and was a couple of steps away when she turned back to see Nile slowly getting up.

Ash turned to Dom and gestured in confusion. “You don’t mind if I tag along, do you? I don’t know anyone else here, and it’s such a big campus, I wouldn’t want to get lost.”

Nile smiled a big smile and waved her concern away. “Don’t worry about it, Dom and I would love it if you tagged along, right Dom?”

Dom felt like she was starting to see red, so she was barely able to contain herself as she shook her head.

“Sorry, Ash, but I just remembered I have somewhere else I have to be. But I’m sure Nile here will take good care of you…”

Dom didn’t wait for a response. She turned and booked it, her footsteps echoing against the brick path as she cut through the quad, each stride laced with an anger she could barely explain. The early spring air was still cool, crisp even, but she could feel the heat prickling along her skin, like she was trapped in the thick, stifling weight of summer. Her throat felt tight, her pulse quickened. Why was she letting this girl get under her skin?

Why was she letting her get to her? She was just some new girl - strange, beautiful, maybe a bit too friendly with Nile - but that was it. She was just trying to fit in, and who was Dom to blame her? He’s kind of cute, with his slacker, skater-boy persona, after all.

Dom forced herself to take a few deep breaths, letting the cold air steady her as she rounded the corner. She stopped by a massive oak tree and leaned against it, the rough bark pressing into her back, grounding her.

No big deal. She was just making too much of this - right?

With a wry smile, she glanced back in the direction she’d come from, almost deciding to shrug it off and rejoin them, maybe laugh about the whole thing later. But just as she was about to step back toward the quad, a burst of laughter echoed around the corner. Dom froze, heart hammering, ducking behind the tree just as Nile and Ash came into view.

They strolled down the path, completely oblivious to her, their heads close together as they talked and laughed. Nile had Ash’s books tucked under his arm, like some over-eager pack mule, and Ash’s hand rested casually on his shoulder, her fingers grazing his jacket sleeve in a way that felt too natural, too familiar. Like they’d known each other forever.

That was fast.

Achievement Failed: Self-Restraint

* Effect: Emotional State Compromised

Dom felt a cold knot twist in her stomach as she watched them walk by, Ash laughing at something Nile had just said.

But as Dom walked away, she felt an inexplicable shiver. Behind her, Ash glanced back, a thoughtful look crossing her face as she watched Dom leave before turning back to Nile with a smile.

Just as she reached her bike, a cold, metallic-sounding notification hovered in her vision:

Quest Triggered: The Unseen Rivalry

* Objective: Observe Ashleigh’s behavior. Be wary.

* Reward: +100 Experience, +10 Insight

* Threat Level: Rising - Potential Hostile Encounter Imminent

A chill ran down her spine, and she cast a cautious glance back toward the empty quad, where shadows seemed longer than they should be, stretching ominously in the late afternoon light. The system message flickered out, but the uneasy feeling lingered, heavier than before, like something dark had stirred.

Without a backward glance, she climbed onto her bike and revved the engine, letting its roar drown out the silence that seemed to follow her. But as she sped away, the sensation of being watched clung to her like a shadow, pressing in close and unshakeable.