Mid-morning, the next day, in an apartment on the highest floor of the Vyxora highrise, Yuna lay sprawled out face-down on a bed. Blankets and sheets half-covered her in chaotic fashion. She wore a lightweight tank-top and loose shorts. Sunlight streamed into her room, revealing a mess of clothes strewn about. The room comprised a wardrobe, a mirror, and a trash can. Outside of various frames on the walls that displayed posters, some moving, for television shows, there were few other decorations or objects.
Yuna stirred with an audible sniff. In a slothful manner, she slid off the bed onto her knees, then stood in a daze. She drifted out into a large room. In stark contrast to her somewhat barren room, the home exuded a cozy warmth throughout. A digital fireplace crackled along a wall while a television screen projected onto another, displaying a muted weather channel. Furniture, decorations and other amenities conveyed consistent upkeep. A slender woman with golden brown hair tied up flitted about a sizable kitchen. Nearby, Dante sat at a dining table in obvious discomfort, fidgeting. The table had breakfast and the relevant wares set upon it.
“Your father just got home, so it’ll be ready soon, hun.” the woman called.
“Sweet,” Yuna yawned, “Mom.”
A nervous Dante watched Yuna approach in a semi-stumbling daze, rubbing her eyes. A short distance from the table, she noticed him and, in an instant, became fully alert. Before he could even blink, she held a transarm dagger to his eye.
“The fuck’re you—!” Yuna shouted. Suddenly, even with a plate of bacon in one hand, her mother slapped her dagger-holding hand. The dagger fell into the table and, like a hot knife through butter, slid into it, stopping only at the hilt.
“Language,” Mom chastised. Yuna looked at her in disbelief, rubbing her hand.
“Mom, do you even know this guy’s an Aurelius? The family that leads those Legionnaire assholes!”
“What did I just say?” She placed the plate down, shifting others aside.
“Ugh.” Yuna grunted and clicked her tongue.
“Of course I know, hun. Reina caught me up. You kidnapped him, least I can do is feed him.”
Dante, meanwhile, broke from a brief stupor, glancing between them as they bickered back and forth. The mother evoked a picturesque maternal vibe, albeit her face had a distinct sharpness to it, he thought. He glanced at the disheveled Yuna, then observed the dagger from the side of the table.
Where was she hiding that? Dante glanced between the dagger and Yuna.
“Shush already and sit.” The mother shoved a piece of bacon into Yuna’s mouth. She sat with a grunt, glaring at Dante as she nibbled. “I hope our guest has an appetite. I might’ve overcooked. Dante, hun?”
“Huh? Oh.” Dante looked up from the dagger to her. “I, uh, don’t really eat actual food that much, Mrs. Vyx.”
“I told you, Celeste is fine. What d’ya mean, ‘actual food’, hun?” Celeste asked.
“Well, I can get the necessities from pills and supplements. Sometimes an IV. Food food would cut into my ALTR time. Plus, food tastes better in ALTR, anyway.”
“Hmm. Reina said you were a strange one. You sure you’re getting enough, hun? You’re looking quite malnourished to these eyes. Dunno much about this ‘ALTR’, but let’s see if I can change your mind.”
Celeste had a warm smile as she returned to the kitchen. Meanwhile, while still nibbling, Yuna stealthily retrieved the dagger from the table. Dante glanced back, noticing its absence. Then he felt a sudden substantial weight on his shoulder. He saw from the corner of his eye an immense hand, and had it not been holding him in place, he would’ve jumped in surprise, having not heard so much as a step prior.
“Repair,” said a deep, gravely voice.
“God damnit.” Yuna swore under her breath.
“This is?”
“A guest. Dante Aurelius. Dante, meet my dear husband and their father, Leon Vyx,” Celeste slid more plated food onto the table.
“‘Aurelius’?” Leon sat in the chair next to Dante.
Dante looked over to see who the huge hand had belonged to. He saw a bear of a man. His mere presence exuded a pressure, conveying a lifetime of hardship. He had short, clean-cut black hair with gray streaks and a similar goatee. A profound scar ran across his deep-set eyes and nose.
“Yeah pops, get this, Mom f—,” Yuna coughed, “invited the enemy to our breakfast table!” She chewed more bacon.
“Your daughter kidnapped the poor boy. Least I can do is fill his belly.” Celeste sat next to Yuna.
“I had my reasons.” Yuna paused. “Good ones, too.”
“Doubt,” Leon said.
“They were…” Yuna sulked.
“Aurelius?” Leon asked. In his left, he held his plate aloft as Celeste filled it while in his right, he moved Dante with ease, to get a better look. “I’ve met. They’re…”
“Insufferable asses?” Dante asked.
“Language,” Celeste scolded. To his own surprise, Dante reactively gave a slight apologetic head bow.
“Unpleasant. Yes,” Leon said with a slight chuckle.
“Syrup?”
“Please.”
“That might be the nicest way it’s ever been said, uh, sir.”
“Leon.”
“Plate, hun.” Celeste snapped her fingers at Dante.
“Oh. Thanks.” Dante handed her his plate. Meanwhile, Yuna had become preoccupied, eating voraciously yet avoiding making a mess.
“So?” Leon asked before eating.
“It can wait dear, I’ll handle it,” Celeste said.
“Reina?”
“Despite a lot happening, our other troublesome daughter only went to sleep a bit ago. She stayed up all night monitoring the situation. She passed out right after catching me up.”
“Hm.”
A short time passed until Yuna stopped in abrupt fashion, her mouth half-full as she spoke. “Hey, wait a minute, the duel? Don’t leave me hanging pops, what’s going to happen?”
“Yuna, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Celeste scolded.
“Finish.” Leon gestured to her plate.
“C’mon, seriously?” Yuna grumbled. She made eye contact with Leon, then wolfed what remained on her plate. After another minute, Leon finished and stood up, walking opposite Dante. Leon outstretched both arms, beckoning Yuna to him. “You were only gone a day.” He beckoned again. “Fineee.” She embraced Leon for a moment, but as she pulled back, he squeezed and lifted her off her feet.
“What’re you—” Yuna squirmed as Leon held even tighter. This drew Dante’s attention, as he had been surprisingly enjoying the meal.
“Suspended,” Leon said.
“God fucking damnit. Mother fucking pieces of—. Are you fucking serious?” Yuna thrashed about, swearing nonstop. Despite her great disadvantage, Leon’s grip loosened. She then head-butted him hard enough for both to recoil, yet he held on.
“Spar,” Leon said. The effects of Yuna’s actions with a full belly set in. She stopped swearing and went limp, to which he set her down. “Missed. Twice.” He withdrew. Yuna let out an exhaustive breath.
“You sure you’re going to be able to keep up, old man? I’m pretty fu—”
“Ahem.” Celeste coughed.
“—upset.”
“Rested,” Leon said.
Yuna laughed. “So glad I’m banned from those snooze fests. You’d think a cabal of ‘scary’ underworld leaders wouldn’t be a bunch of boring bureaucrats.”
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
“Mother.”
“I was getting to it.” Yuna turned to Celeste, who had a warm smile. “Sorry for the swearing, Mom. Great grub, as always. Thanks.”
“Of course, hun. Now, I know you’re upset, but don’t overdo it. Val will be watching with hose privileges,” Celeste said.
“Can you at least tell her to use the warmer one?”
“Don’t make her use it, and it wouldn’t cool you down as much.”
Yuna clicked her tongue as Leon walked away. “That jokes still not funny, no matter how many times you say it.” Celeste chuckled. Yuna caught up with Leon and gave him a playful bump. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you stumble, old man.”
“Hm,” Leon grunted.
“I’ve been practicing my headbutt. Admit it, you’re impressed,” Yuna boasted. The pair left.
“You’re looking a bit lost, hun,” Celeste said as she cleared the table.
“Oh. Uh,” Dante said.
“Disoriented by my peculiar family?”
“Well.”
Celeste chuckled. “I know from Reina you’re already familiar with Yuna’s temperament. You’d be shocked though if you knew how many times that trick has worked on her. Girl’s got a short fuse, but an even shorter memory. She also only says ‘sorry’ when she really means it, otherwise it’s ‘my bad’ or silence. She’s troublesome, but in a good way. My husband, meanwhile, takes some getting used to for folks. To say he speaks succinctly will sound like an understatement.”
“Yeah, uh. I really couldn’t follow, felt like I had selective hearing.”
“Heh. You get a feel for it, after a while. For example, ‘Reina?’ was him saying ‘Where’s my precious Reina, why isn’t she here like always to welcome Papa home?’. Or like when he said ‘Missed’ was ‘I’m sorry, my darling daughter, for being unavailable and missing our sparring the last two days.’”
“All that?”
“I might’ve embellished a little.” Celeste had a sly grin. “He’s got an ancient injury, though. Starts to feel pain after stringing together more than a few words.”
“Really? Damn.”
“Not that you asked, but you’ll have to forgive me in advance if I over-share, hun. You’ll quickly find I say far too much about them. Are you finished?”
“Ah, yes.” Dante’s plate had a third remaining. “Sorry for not finishing it all. Might be hard to believe with my figure, but I overate to get to even that. It was so good. This’ the most physie food I’ve eaten in… can’t even remember.”
“That’s okay hun, I piled too much. Our strays will thank you. Your mother never cooks?”
Dante laughed. Celeste had a perplexed look. “Definitely not. I literally can’t picture such a scene.”
“I see. Coffee?”
“I’ll have to pass. Not sure how it might sit with me.” Dante watched Celeste continue to clean up. “Oh, uh, should I help? That’s something guests offer to do, right? Happens in shows a lot…”
“It’s fine.” Celeste chuckled. “Are you into television shows? What kinds?”
“Not a lot, but I dabble all over genres.”
“If you happen to like any Yuna has, surefire way to distract her hostility.”
“Oh, yeah? Which ones?”
“Let me see. Which one did she have me watch again? ‘Hidden Garden’?
“Oh, uh, those.” That is super hard to believe.
“Anyway, sit tight and relax. I’ll be done shortly. We have things to discuss.”
“We do?” Dante watched in silence. “Oh, I almost forgot to say thanks, Celeste.” He felt an unfamiliar warmth in his chest at the sight of Celeste’s smile and nod. After a short time, she sat.
“So. You really are as odd a duck like Reina conveyed,” Celeste said.
“Er, did I do something weird?” Dante asked.
“Nah, hun. Well, okay, Reina’s pretty detailed, so you did more than a few things that could be considered ‘weird’ in her recap. I know about everything since you were kidnapped. Apologies on behalf of my daughter, again.”
“Eh.” Dante shrugged. “Kinda did me a favor. I only realized this after I woke up this morning, but yesterday I hadn’t even given a thought to where I was going to sleep.”
Celeste chuckled. “On that subject, you don’t have anywhere to go, do you? I’ve decided you can stay at Vyxora, long as you need.”
“Huh? All of a sudden? Really?”
“Sure, hun. You’re an outcast, after all. And just in case it needs to be said, you’re free to come and go as you please.”
“That’s… but my family—?”
“Like I said, Reina shares everything with me. Which means I’m aware you know nothing of Vyxora. Our entire reason for being is sheltering outcasts. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. We can work out other details later.”
“Hm. Alright, er, thanks?”
“How’s your ear, by the way? I can be a little rough, having Yuna as a daughter.”
“It’s,” Dante rubbed his reddened ear. “alright.”
“I can be a little too forceful. You’ll get used to it. I did think you’d need a meal, but I also have an ulterior motive.”
Dante scratched his beard. “Can’t imagine what you’d want with me? Especially since Reina shared all? To be honest, this entire experience is a bit surreal for me. I’m already fuzzy on the details.”
“Heh. If you’re wonderin’, yes, you said more than a few strange things that stuck out to Reina. Particularly, your lack of panic.”
“Yeah… not real sure how I’ve been so calm, honestly.”
“There’s something, however, that I want to know more about. Forgive my ignorance, as while I’m competent, I’m an old hand when it comes to technology overall. Can you tell me more about ‘ALTR’?”
“ALTR? Not like stuff about the Legion and my family?”
“As I said, none of my business, unless you want it to be. Will you tell me all about ALTR? I’m curious.”
“Sure. Now, where to start…” Dante went into enthusiastic detail about the adventures, experiences and life he lived in the world of ‘alternate reality.’ “Lot of this is really difficult to convey properly though, I realize, as I’m saying it. Just really doesn’t do it justice.”
“Your passion’s plain as day. ‘Envy’ was it? You said of Reina?”
“Oh, uh, well, that was stupid of me, I’m—”
“Don’t worry. We had a good laugh, and it’s why I’m talking to you right now. You see, my daughter’s shockingly stubborn when it comes to sharing how she feels. So, regardless of how insensitive your comment was, she loved not being pitied for once. I can tell. My dear Reina’s also a workaholic, despite her condition. She plays an occasional game or talks with her family, but otherwise spends all her time worrying about Vyxora.”
“Is she, like, an information broker or something?”
“Picked that up, huh, hun? Not as simple as that, but yes.”
“Seems way too nice, though. Pretty weird when I think about it.”
“Don’t get me ramblin’, hun. Let’s just say she’s good at compartmentalization. Anyway. I worry for her greatly. I’ve failed to give her any meaningful distractions, and she needs an outlet. Worst, if she’s stressed, she hides it very well. I’d be hard-pressed to even remember her complaining. About much of anything. She’s adored as a princess here, yet her only real friend is Yuna, and her parents, kinda.” Celeste paused in thought. “I think I’ve already said more than I should’ve and went off rails. Please keep this between us?”
“Sure?”
“Ahem.” Celeste smiled. “ALTR. What I’ve been getting to is, will you help me introduce Reina to it? Please?”
“Whoa. Unexpected. Hrm, just to clarify, you know I shunned my family for ALTR, right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, just wanted to make sure. As you might’ve guessed by now, it’s pretty addictive to most. It’s not uncommon for people to abandon their real lives, to be frank. Truthfully, though, I almost blurted out to her myself, ‘ALTR is for people like you!’ So I’ve been thinking about how I could get her to try it.”
“You thought that? Even in your situation? Why? Isn’t last night your first meeting?”
“Yeah… I recognize I’ve got a screw lose, but have no intention of fixing it. For why, I dunno, just sharing of a passion, maybe?”
Celeste laughed. “At least you’re honest, hun. Vyxora doesn’t judge. It’s kind of our whole creed.”
“Maybe I should thank Yuna for taking me. Starting to feel like I fell backwards into some luck. Kind of hard to believe you guys exist.”
“No. That girl doesn’t need further ego boosts.” They shared a laugh. “So, what do we need to do for this ‘ALTR’? I did some brief searching, but it’s a lot to take in.”
“Yeah, about that. It’s become a competitive space, with several paths, you could say. There are different entry points into the ALTR-verse, too. But Reina’s health is the biggest obstacle.”
“Wait, is this dangerous?”
“Ah, no. Well, it can be. But that’s only if you risk garbage equipment or rush certain things. What I meant is her condition will determine the required gear. I’ve heard doctors have to be involved in some circumstances. I might even have friends in such situations, but wouldn’t know about it. In many circles, mine included, we don’t even acknowledge physie life.”
“You’re not filling me with confidence, hun.”
“Sorry. I need more information. I don’t mind doing a deep dive into research, but—”
“Oh. That reminds me. Hold that thought, hun.” Celeste moved into a side room briefly, then returned with a tablet in hand. “Hand.” She presented the tablet to Dante, grabbed his wrist as he reached out and placed it on the screen. “Our Reina’s got a tight leash on security. It’ll be done in a moment. She already has your retinal scan.”
“Uhh.” Dante had a bewildered look as Celeste returned to the room. A short time later, she came back out and handed him a thick card.
“Hot off the printer. This lil’ card will work only with your thumb at the center. You just swipe it at that terminal near your bed and you can search to your heart’s content. Reina thought you might need some access to the web. You’re ‘limited, of course’. Her words.”
“Oh, thanks. Never seen something like this.” Dante marveled at the card. “Did she create this?”
“Her idea, yep.”
“She’s kinda amazing, huh? The cat?”
“Her idea too. Just you wait. She’s wast—” Celeste stopped. You shush now, Celeste. “If you want more details on how it works exactly, you’ll have to ask her. Bit over my head. Anyhoo, continuing on, what do you need to know about her condition?”
“Right, well, you must know, she told me a little. If I know what she has, I can use that to look into what we’ll need.”
“It’s some kinda device, right? Hooks into yer neck?”
“That’s the starting point. You lack control with portable hardware, however. Uhm, I’ve never really had to explain this.” Dante glanced around, then paused at the sight of a window. “Ah. You’re more like a spectator with that type. My home rig, for example, is as heavy duty as it gets. My latency is—” Dante rattled off a great deal of jargon until realizing Celeste’s eyes had glazed over. “Er, sorry about that. Still with me?”
“Huh? Ah, yes, my bad hun. You lost me.”
“My fault. The short of it is, need to know her physical condition to explore our options for hardware needed.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so earlier?” Celeste stood up and beckoned. “C’mon.” Dante followed her to a room at the end of a hall. It slid open without a sound as she approached.
“Wait, are you bringing me to her room? Isn’t she sleeping?” Dante whispered.
“It’s a lot easier to show you than trying to explain it. Her condition is… complicated.”
“I’ve never been in a girls’ room, but isn’t she not going to not like being seen sleeping?”
“You’ll find my daughter’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Plus, we’re keeping this project under wraps until I say otherwise. Understood?” Celeste flashed an icy glare at Dante, sending a shiver down his spine. To him, she seemed like another person for a moment, and he nodded on instinct.
Dante entered the room. He froze at the sight. It looked nothing like the rest of the cozy home, instead appearing as if they had entered a high-tech laboratory he’d seen in one of his games. Servers lined metallic walls, chilled air blew throughout and it appeared otherwise barren except for a chair and something where he’d expected the bed to be. Images of cyro chambers Dante had seen in movies and shows flashed in his mind, like those often present in spaceships. The chamber melded into the floor and wall, obscuring what lay within. Celeste beckoned him closer, to which he inched forward in hesitation. The glimmer of glass appeared at its head.
“I probably shouldn’t allow this… but I get to show her to so few people,” Celeste whispered as she caressed the glass. “I know I’m her mother and all, but tell me she isn’t a sight for sore eyes?” She signaled for Dante to come closer. He displayed apparent reluctance, but curiosity won out as he peered in.
Fragile, Dante thought. The word felt like such an apt description for Reina. She had long bluish-black hair, profoundly soft features and even paler skin than himself.