Virtue jumped down from her driver’s seat, her boots landing with a dull thud on the cobblestone street. The world around her felt surreal, and panic gnawed at the edge of her thoughts. She thought longingly of home, but the way to Bethnal Green appeared lost in the darkness.
She glanced around, looking for somewhere—anywhere—to hide. Lacking any better option, she ducked into the passenger compartment of the carriage, shoving open the creaky door and sliding inside. The interior smelled faintly of leather and old wood, the upholstered seat cracked and worn. Virtue pulled her knees up to her chest, her breath shallow.
She patted her jacket pocket for her phone, but it wasn’t there. A wave of dread passed through her, but before it could settle, a bright window blinked to life in her mind—a classic LitRPG-style prompt, vivid against the darkness behind her eyelids.
Incoming Message from Paragon!Controller: Your passenger has changed the pickup location.
Virtue frowned, blinking rapidly. The words seemed to float, neon-like, and disappear, leaving her bewildered. Before she could process what she had just seen, another window popped up, labeled Navigation. A map overlay appeared, projected across her vision, glowing faintly like a satnav. An arrow pointed in the direction she needed to go—towards Mr. Null.
“Well, that’s new,” Virtue muttered, rubbing her temples. “I guess this is the only way forward.” She pushed the compartment door open again and clambered out, heading back to the driver’s seat. The horse tethered to the carriage—broad-chested and dark-coated—looked at her with a mildly annoyed expression.
“You’re back,” the horse said dryly.
Virtue froze, then swallowed hard. “Yeah. Seems like I need to get to Mr. Null.” She hesitated, then added, “Do you have a name?”
The horse snorted, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe she even needed to ask. “Saveloy,” he replied, his eyes rolling slightly. “As in the sausage. Not my choice, believe me.”
Virtue let out a short, incredulous laugh. “Right. Saveloy. Okay. Well, let’s get moving.” She climbed back onto the driver’s seat, her hands trembling as she grabbed the reins. For want of any other ideas, she flicked them gently, and the carriage lurched forward.
The fog still hung thick, and the air felt heavy as Saveloy pulled the carriage along the cobblestone streets, the clip-clop of his hooves echoing eerily. They passed the remnants of rush hour traffic—twisted versions of the black cabs she was used to, pulled by skeletal horses, their drivers shrouded in tattered cloaks. an Ethereal, angelic figure passed by, giving Virtue a curious glance. Deliverwoo riders bearing satchels of food spun down the road on penny farthings. It was like seeing the world through a funhouse mirror, familiar but twisted into something out of a dark fairytale.
The looming silhouette of the Tower of London came into view, but it was nothing like Virtue remembered. The ancient fortress had transformed into a ghastly keep, its stone walls darker, more menacing, with gargantuan ravens perched atop the battlements. Cages hung from iron gibbets, swinging gently in the breeze, with decaying zombies inside who called out pitfully as she passed. Huge trolls, dressed as Beefeater soldiers, monstrous in stature, stood at intervals along the perimeter with pikes keeping a watchful guard.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Saveloy kept up a running commentary as they traveled. “Y’know, back in the day, they used to just execute people here hourly. Now, it’s more of a showcase,” he said conversationally, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Look at that one—he must’ve been here for a century at least. That’s some commitment.”
Virtue stared, unable to look away from the gruesome display. “Great. Just great,” she muttered. “Anything else I should know?”
“Oh, loads,” Saveloy replied, his tone almost cheerful. “But I wouldn’t want to overwhelm you.”
"how do i get home?" Virtue asked anxiously.
"How would I know, I just work here..." Saveloy responded, then said no more despite Virtue's pleas.
Lacking any other plan, they continued on, and Virtue tried to keep her focus on the map overlay still visible in her vision. It pointed them further into the heart of this twisted version of London, and eventually, they found themselves approaching Bank. The scene here was strange in a completely different way—Stockbroker gnomes, all dressed in sharp suits, bustled about, briefcases in hand, their pointed hats barely poking out above the crowd, hurried towards the exits, eager to end their day.
“Busy place,” Virtue noted, her eyes wide as she watched the gnomes weave through the street, chattering indecipherably in nasally voices.
Saveloy snorted again. “They run the financial district. Since crypto came in they've been even harder to understand"
Virtue shook her head, the beginnings of an incredulous smile breaking across her face. “This is seriously the weirdest day of my life.”
She took a deep breath, looking ahead, where the map overlay directed her. Somewhere out there, Mr. Null was waiting, and whatever he wanted, it was clear that this was only the beginning.
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They continued down the winding streets until they reached Pudding Lane. The street was narrow, and the scent of smoke hung heavily in the air. Virtue’s eyes widened as they pulled up in front of a bakery, its windows glowing orange from the fire that seemed to perpetually rage inside.
“Is that... supposed to be on fire?” she asked, staring at the flames licking at the edges of the roof.
“Yep,” Saveloy replied, almost nonchalant. “This was where the Great Fire of London started... 1666, you know. Seems the flames never quite died out.” He gave a sniff. “Permanent feature now, apparently.”
Virtue shook her head. “Of course it is.”
A figure appeared out of the fog—a large-framed man in a massive overcoat, his face obscured beneath the brim of a towering top hat. He moved with purpose, his long coat sweeping behind him as he approached the carriage. Virtue could barely make out his features, but there was something imposing about his presence. Without a word, he climbed into the passenger compartment, the door creaking as it shut behind him.
Incoming Message from Paragon!
Controller: New destination set. Proceed to Inner Circle, Regent's Park.
Virtue blinked as the navigation overlay shifted, pointing them towards their new destination. She glanced at Saveloy, who let out a weary sigh.
“Regent's Park, huh? Fancy. Well, let’s get moving before our passenger changes his mind again,” Saveloy muttered, starting to pull the carriage forward.
Virtue held on to the reins, guiding them as they set off through the strange, shadowy streets. The world around them seemed to grow darker, the fog thinning just enough for her to see the skeletal shapes of the buildings they passed. They made their way towards Regent's Park, and Virtue couldn’t help but feel the weight of what lay ahead.
As they approached the park, the tall iron gates loomed in front of them, and Virtue took a deep breath as they entered. The park looked like a jungle ahead, nothing like the manicured playground she remembered.