Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary!

Chapter 833: Rain [6]

Tik! Tik!

The clock continued moving.

I sat at the desk, listening to it while the rain struck the window behind me. My phone rested beside the keyboard, its screen dark.

For a while, I remained like that.

Then—

Trrr!

I looked down.

Kyle?

The phone rang a few more times before I picked it up.

“Heyo.”

⎯Did you see the articles?

Kyle’s voice came out immediately. He didn’t seem to be in the mood to joke around.

“Articles?”

I leaned back in the chair and thought for a moment.

“Oh, you mean those.”

⎯What’s going on? You must know something. They’re starting to mention your name. Malovia, Malia… They’re talking about—

“Don’t worry about it.”

My gaze moved towards the window.

“I’ve got it handled.”

There was a short silence.

Then Kyle spoke again.

⎯Do you, though? This seems pretty serious.

“I know.”

⎯Then who exactly did you provoke?

“Well…”

I looked towards the ceiling, giving the question a little thought.

“A guy here. A guy there. And then another guy over there.”

Right, I provoked a lot of people.

“That’s who I am.”

A provoker.

⎯…..

“You know… People, right?”

He didn’t answer.

I could hear something moving on his side of the call.

⎯Seth.

“Yes?”

⎯I’m being serious.

“So am I.”

That was the truth.

There were quite a few people involved. I wasn’t entirely certain how many, but listing them would probably take longer than either of us wanted. I mean, the obvious answer was the Hand, but they were made up of multiple people.

Kyle let out a long breath.

⎯Is there anything we need to do?

“No.”

⎯Nothing?

“Nothing for now.”

Another silence followed.

Tik! Tik!

The clock continued ticking behind me.

I looked towards it briefly before lowering my gaze to the desk.

Kyle was still there. I could hear him breathing, although he seemed to be struggling with what to say next.

Eventually, his voice reached me again.

⎯Will you be fine?

My lips parted.

‘Will I…?’

I looked down at my hand.

The fingers resting against the armrest were trembling slightly. I curled them, pressing my thumb against the side of my palm until the movement stopped.

For a moment, I didn’t answer.

Then I closed my eyes and gave a small nod.

“Naturally.”

⎯…..

I opened my eyes again.

The rain continued running down the window.

⎯Alright.

Kyle’s voice was quieter this time.

⎯Keep your phone with you.

“I will.”

The call ended shortly afterwards.

I lowered the phone, watching the screen return to the list of recent calls before setting it beside the keyboard.

The room grew quiet again.

Tik! Tik!

I leaned back.

Outside, the wind pushed the rain harder against the glass. The sound filled the room for a few seconds before settling beneath the steady ticking of the clock.

My lips slowly curled.

I remained seated, taking in all the noise around me.

“I guess he does care a little.”

***

There were several monitoring centers spread across the entire world. Each center was dedicated to the findings and monitoring of Gates and Anomalies.

Today, the BUA monitoring centre was busier than usual.

Most of the screens showed roads, intersections, and entrances to buildings. Rain blurred several of the feeds, making it difficult to distinguish the people moving beneath their umbrellas.

An operator near the far end of the room was speaking with a patrol.

Another was checking a report about a flooded road.

Ellis sat in front of two monitors, scrolling through the latest updates while Nolan checked a small monitoring device beside him.

“Another transfer?”

Ellis stopped scrolling.

Nolan glanced over.

“Ivory Thorn?”

“Yes.”

Ellis turned the screen slightly towards him.

“They’re handing over another set of licenses.”

Nolan looked at the report before returning his attention to the device.

“That was quick.”

“They’re going at it like hawks. We’re talking about a Guild that used to belong to the Oak Circle. It’s… like there’s no semblance of mercy. Just one incident is all it took for it to fall apart.”

Ellis leaned back a little.

“It’s just how it is. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened.”

“I know that.”

He looked towards the report again.

“It’s just a little ugly.”

Nolan gave a small shrug.

“That’s how it works.”

“Doesn’t make it any less ugly.”

“No.”

A voice came through the speakers above them, reporting that a patrol was moving away from one of the flooded streets.

Ellis acknowledged it before looking back towards Nolan.

“Who do you think will get most of it?”

“Most of what?”

“The entire incident.”

Nolan lowered the monitoring device.

“Helios Vanguard.”

Ellis turned towards him.

“Helios?”

“Yes.”

“I thought the Big Five weren’t making a move.”

“Well, not under their own name.”

“…..”

Nolan reached towards the report and moved it farther down.

“It’s obvious if you look at it carefully. The Guilds making the offers don’t all have the money or personnel to operate everything they’re trying to acquire.”

“So you’re saying someone is helping them from behind the scenes?”

“Wasn’t it obvious?”

Ellis looked at the names on the screen.

Nolan pointed towards one of the proposals.

“Look at the guarantees. Who’s providing the funding, who gets to supply personnel, and who gets access once the licenses change hands.”

Ellis leaned closer.

For a while, he read without saying anything.

Then his brows drew together.

“So they’re using other Guilds.”

“It’s easier than making a move themselves. The moment Helios openly tries to absorb Ivory Thorn, the other major Guilds will make their moves as well.”

“But if several smaller Guilds take pieces of it…”

“Then Helios is just supporting their partners.”

Ellis massaged his forehead.

“Right, of course. It was quite obvious.”

“Very.”

Nolan picked up the device again.

“Arithmus is involved in some of the proposals. Evening Sun too. Then there are the smaller arrangements for individual Gates and personnel.”

He checked the reading before adding—

“Severed Stars is one of them.”

Ellis looked up.

“Severed Stars?”

“Yes.”

“They’re acting for Helios?”

“Yes. It’s—”

Nolan stopped.

His attention settled on the device in his hand.

The number on its display changed.

Then changed again.

“…..”

Ellis waited for him to continue.

When he didn’t, he turned towards him.

“What? What’s⎯!!”

Nolan’s expression changed as he noticed the reading on the monitor as it continued to climb.

“Bring up the city map.”

Ellis looked at the device as he scrambled to the keyboard. The report vanished, replaced by a map divided into several monitored areas.

A marker appeared near the centre.

Then another beside it.

Nolan placed the device on the desk and leaned towards the screen.

“Camera coverage?”

“There should be several.”

“Bring up the nearest one.”

Ellis’s fingers moved across the keyboard.

A street appeared.

Rain washed over the road, reflecting the lights of the cars waiting at the crossing. A few people stood beneath an awning while others hurried past.

Nothing seemed unusual.

Nolan looked down at the readings.

They were still rising.

“The camera on the other side.”

Ellis changed the feed.

This time, neither spoke.

A car sat at an angle near the crossing.

The vehicle behind it was stopped too, its driver leaning out of the window.

Farther ahead, several pedestrians stood in the rain.

They weren’t trying to find shelter.

They were looking up.

“Move the camera.”

Ellis adjusted the controls.

The view slowly turned.

A dark outline entered the screen.

At first, it looked like the side of a building.

Then the camera moved farther, and both men went still.

“…..”

Something stood across the far end of the street.

It was enormous.

Tall enough to reach past the lower floors of the surrounding buildings, with an opening that seemed to extend several meters into the air.

Ellis looked towards the map.

There was no structure marked there.

“Zoom in.”

Nolan’s voice was grave as he adjusted the image.

The dark outline grew clearer.

“It’s…”

“A Gate.”

Ellis finished as his lips pressed together, his eyes reflecting a series of wooden benches standing in rows on either side of a central passage.

Nolan reached towards his radio.

His hand stopped before he picked it up.

Beside him, Ellis leaned closer to the monitor, his eyes moving over the benches before moving towards a specific desk.

Eventually, he muttered a few words.

“…A courtroom?”

“”…