It was taking Adrian a really long time to get the Trion-System set up. Adrian, furrowing his brows in concentration, fiddled with the tangled mess, determined to bring the console back to life.

“He’ll figure it out,” Jeff said eventually. “Adrian’s smart like that. Let’s find something else to do.”

Sterling, leaning against the wall, picked up a comic book and started flipping through its pages. "Hey, check this out, guys! The latest issue of X-Men. Damn, this has some epic art.”

Harper, sitting cross-legged on the floor, rolled her eyes playfully. "You and your comics, Sterling. Can't you put them down for a moment?"

Sterling flashed a grin. "Nah, I need my superhero fix. But don't worry, I can multitask." He could not, in fact, multitask and was soon totally absorbed in the comic to the exclusion of everything else around him.

Jeff, lounging on a bean bag chair, tapped his fingers on a nearby desk. "Enough with the comics, Sterl. Let's put on some tunes.” ‘Sterl’ did not respond, so Jeff kept talking. “Got any requests, ladies?"

“Umm, does Adrian have Madonna down here?”

Jeff pretended to gag. “I think not. Your taste in music is basic, as usual.”

Harper pouted, “Everyone likes her though, she’s way more popular than whatever you’re listening to.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s good. Just means everyone is too stupid to appreciate actual talent.”

Eden, ignoring their squabble, perused the bookshelf, pursed her lips and pointed to a record. "How about some Queen? 'Another One Bites the Dust' always gets me groovin’."

Jeff smiled. "Much better.” He sauntered over to the record player, placing the Queen album on the turntable. The room filled with Freddie Mercury's powerful voice and the infectious rhythm of the bassline. Sterling couldn't help but tap his foot to the beat, and Eden started dancing a little, cracking open a soda. She wasn’t a great dancer and I found myself stifling a laugh.

Sterling grabbed a new stack of comic books and began flipping through the pages. "Hey, Sylas, look what Spidey’s doing here."

I glanced over, my interest piqued by the vibrant artwork. "Nice find, Sterling. How's the story so far?"

“Can't tell you, gotta read it for yourself. But let's just say Spidey's in for a wild ride."

Jeff, reclining on the bean bag chair, smirked and chimed in. "Wild ride? Sounds like your dates, Harper."

Harper, standing by the vinyl record player, rolled her eyes. "You’re such a jerk!”

I looked at Sterling, but he was so busy reading he didn’t seem to notice Jeff’s quip at his girlfriend.

Eden, perched on the arm of the couch, crossed her arms and shot back, "You're one to talk, Jeff. Didn’t you drag Amy Sanchez on the Tower of Fear at the State Fair even though she’s afraid of heights, then forgot her at the park? She was crying about it for a whole week after!”

“She was being an insufferable chicken that whole time.” Jeff said with a smile. He tapped his fingers on the desk to the beat, then said, “Hey, Eden, do you carry a hardware store in that makeup bag of yours? It's like you're ready for a construction project."

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Eden narrowed her eyes, smacking Jeff's arm. "Oh, please! At least I don't dress like some coked-up banker. And, Last time I checked, your fashion sense could use some serious help. You should be grateful for the effort I put into my appearance."

“True, you could be all fat, like Harper.”

Harper, clearly annoyed, said, "Jeff, maybe you should stop criticizing and start doing some push-ups. Those biceps could use some work."

Harper gave up on talking to Jeff after that point, evidently annoyed with his jab at her weight. She really wasn’t fat, just a little chubby, and I thought it was mean-spirited. She went to Sterling, curling up under his arm and poking her head over to read Spider-Man with him.

Jeff’s teasing was growing tiresome throughout the day, but I couldn't deny that he had a strange charm about him. There was an edge to his personality that was by turns funny then mean. I couldn't quite figure him out, and that uncertainty bothered me. Yet, no one else seemed to be too bothered by his behavior, except Harper. Maybe they were used to it, or perhaps I was overthinking it.

Eden, meanwhile, took a seat next to Adrian. She looked concerned, her brow furrowed with worry. "Have you heard from Uncle Peter recently?" she asked anxiously.

Adrian shook his head, his eyes fixed on a note his uncle had left behind. "No. I can't help but wonder where he is and what he's gotten himself into this time. He sent me this console by mail, so I haven’t seen him. Not since he went missing last month. But that must mean he’s alive and doing fine, right?"

I leaned closer, curious. "What did he write in the note?" Eden asked, trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious words.

Adrian sighed, his fingers tracing the inked lines. "He said playing this game will help us uncover some mysteries. Weird, isn’t it? But he's always been cryptic like that. A strange man, but a good one. I miss him."

As I listened to Adrian speak, I felt pretty bad. I couldn't imagine what it felt like to have a loved one disappear without a trace. The uncertainty, the longing for answers—it must have been agonizing. But oddly it also didn’t sound like it was the first time this happened.

The door opened and Adrian’s mother poked her head in. “Girls, you wanna come over here and help me make some cookies?”

Eden and Harper jumped up. “Yes!” Harper answered for both of them.

“We’ll be lucky if any of the cookies make it to this room in one piece,” Jeff quipped, chuckling to himself as he went back to his horror novel. Harper shot him a glare.

Meanwhile, Harper and Eden made their way to the door. Eden's grace and beauty were captivating, and I found myself unable to tear my gaze away. But just as she was about to step through the doorway, she bumped into the doorframe, causing a ripple of laughter to tear through the room. Jeff especially started cracking up, choking out the words, “What a spaz!”

I couldn't help but laugh along with the others. She shot me a quick glare, and walked out the door.

With the girls gone, the room fell into a momentary lull. Jeff looked up from his book, his eyes scanning the room. "So, Adrian, did you fix that game or what?”

"Alright, I think I got it all set up," Adrian said, his eyes glimmering with excitement as he fiddled with the Trion-system. "Just give me a sec to make sure everything's working."

I watched him intently, my heart pounding with anticipation. We were about to dive into the world of Adventures of Westia 2: Quest for the Celestial Keys, and I couldn't wait.

Sterling sat nearby, a goofy grin on his face. "This better be worth it, Adrian. I'm missing watching a wrestling match with my dad for this."

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Trust me, it's going to be awesome."

Meanwhile, Jeff leaned against the wall, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, awesome when Sylas fails miserably."

I shot Jeff a glare, not in the mood for his taunts. But before I could retort, the Trion-system came to life with a series of electronic hums and beeps.

"Here goes nothing," Adrian said, pressing the power button.

The screen flickered to life, displaying the loading screen of Adventures of Westia 2. However, the image glitched for a moment, causing Adrian to curse under his breath.

"Come on, work!" he urged the console.

We held our breaths as Adrian tried a few more times, each attempt met with glitchy results. The tension in the room rose with each failed try.

"Just one more time," Adrian said, determination in his eyes.

With a final press of the button, the loading screen appeared, and this time it remained stable. Peppy 8-bit music began playing.

"Yes!" Sterling exclaimed, pumping his fist.

Adrian grinned proudly, but before we could fully celebrate, Eden and Harper returned with a plate of freshly baked cookies and chips, along with a pitcher of lemonade.

"Perfect timing! The game's about to start!" Sterling said, grabbing a cookie.

Eden put the tray down on the coffee table, then picked up a cookie to hand to her cousin. Her hand brushed against the game console just as I pressed the start button.

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light, and I felt a strange pulling sensation. My surroundings blurred, and I stumbled backward, disoriented. When the light finally subsided, I found myself surrounded by black with the screen asking for my name, then subsequently standing in a vast green valley.

And this was where I stood now.

“I can’t believe this... This is Adventures of Westia! I'm actually inside the game!"

"Adrian, Sterling, Jeff... I'm in Westia!" I called out, hoping they could hear me even though they weren't physically present. “Are you guys here? Eden? Harper?”

But there was no response. Was I alone?