Reality overload

Hey guys I posted a lot on a really short time it’s now caught up to other sites I’m on if anything’s messed up let me know 

8 a.m....

Somewhere across the river, while Kris is getting ready to log in, others were staring to move.

”Ring riiing.”

Vincent didn’t bother checking the caller ID. People like him didn’t get calls unless it was a job.

”Vincent here.”

”We’ve got a situation,” the voice said flat, controlled, the kind of tone that meant someone important was already angry.

”An anomaly in Brookside. You’re being assigned. The file is en route through the usual channels.”

A slow exhale. ”Understood.”

He ended the call.

Vincent wasn’t a large man, but size was never an issue. What mattered was the quiet, efficient way he handled ”problems”permanently. That was why the Horizon Veil Group kept him on retainer. They didn’t hire muscle. They hired results.

And Horizon Veil paid very, very well.

Vincent liked money. He liked it enough that getting his hands dirty didn’t bother him. Although it never had. Not after the things he’d done for them. Not after the things he’d seen them do.

He slipped on his coat, expression unreadable.

If Brookside had an anomaly, then someone was about to disappear.

Vincent stepped out into the hallway, locking the door behind him with a soft click. The building was as silent as a grave too quiet for a place fully occupied. Horizon Veil liked it that way. They bought entire floors, filled them with ”tenants,” and left them vacant letting the hired help move unseen.

He walked with the calm, unhurried pace of someone who had never once needed to run.

His phone buzzed again. A single encrypted ping.

The file had arrived.

Vincent opened it as he descended the stairwell. A grainy still image. A location tag. A timestamp. And one word stamped across the top in Horizon Veil’s cold, clinical font

ANOMALY.

He studied the image for a moment. A boy. Young,Red short hair, and a small frame. Looked like a college dorm. Ordinary on the surface, But Horizon Veil didn’t mobilize for ordinary.

If they were calling him, it meant the situation was already past containment.

Vincent slipped the phone back into his coat. His expression didn’t change, but something in his posture sharpened. Like a blade being angled toward a target.

Horizon Veil Group didn’t tolerate loose ends. And Vincent didn’t leave them.

He stepped out onto the street, blending into the morning crowd as if he were just another commuter heading to work.

University City College was crowded. Too crowded. Students spilled across the courtyard in clusters, laughing, rushing, oblivious. Vincent stepped out of his car and blended into the flow with the same ease a knife slips into water.

He walked through the front entrance like he belonged there.

He always looked like he belonged.

The lobby was bright, clean, and buzzing with morning energy. A stark contrast to the cold, clinical silence of Horizon Veil’s buildings. Vincent approached the front desk, where a woman in a university polo was typing something into her computer.

She glanced up. ”Good morning. Can I help you?”

Vincent offered a polite, practiced smile. The kind that made people relax without knowing why.

”I’m here to meet a student,” he said. ”Kris Hart? I need directions to the boys dorm.”

The clerk’s fingers paused over her keyboard.

Her eyes lifted calm, steady, unreadable.

”I’m sorry, sir,” she said, tone perfectly professional. ”We can’t provide housing information for students without prior authorization. If you’re meeting someone, you’ll need to contact them directly.”

Vincent held her gaze for a moment. ”I tried. He’s not answering his phone.”

That wasn’t right she remembered the young girl vividly. Something wasn’t right with this man. Her eyes narrowed.

”I understand,” she replied, still composed. ”But I can’t disclose their location. University policy.”A wall of policy and professionalism. That she would uphold.

Vincent studied her a beat longer. Most people cracked under silence. Most people fidgeted, looked away, revealed something.

She didn’t.

Her posture stayed steady. Her breathing even. Her expression neutral. If she knew anything, she wasn’t showing it.

”Of course,” Vincent said, offering a polite smile that never reached his eyes. ”Policies are policies.”

”Have a good day, sir.”

He turned and walked away, steps measured, coat brushing lightly behind him. The clerk watched him go. reaching for the phone. This guy gave her chills.

But the moment he walked toward the exit, the clerk reached for her phone, subtle, but not subtle enough.

Vincent didn’t need to hear the conversation to know what she was doing.

She was calling someone.

Someone about him.

Vincent stepped outside into the morning sun, the crowd flowing around him.

He didn’t have what he came for. But that was fine. Horizon Veil didn’t send him to ask permission. They sent him to find a boy named Kris Hart.

And he would

Vincent moved down the steps of the administration building, the morning sun catching on the edge of his coat. Students streamed past him in every direction. laughing, arguing, half-awake, half-late. None of them noticed him.

They never did.

He paused at the bottom of the stairs, letting the flow of bodies part around him. His eyes scanned the campus with the detached focus of someone who had spent years learning how to see what others missed.

Horizon Veil’s file had given him a face.

A boy.

Red hair.

Small frame.

Somewhere on this campus, that boy existed. And Vincent would find him.

He slipped a hand into his coat pocket, tapping a small device no larger than a key fob. It vibrated once, activating. Horizon Veil’s network would begin scraping the campus’s unsecured cameras, public feeds, and any device foolish enough to broadcast without encryption.

He didn’t need access to everything.

Just enough.

Vincent started walking, blending into the crowd again. His pace was unhurried, almost leisurely, but every step was deliberate. He watched faces. Postures. Hair colors. Height. Movement patterns. He filtered out the noise with the ease of long practice.

A group of students passed him. two tall boys, one shorter girl, a cluster of friends behind them. None matched the still image in his mind.

He kept moving.

A campus map stood near the walkway. Vincent stopped in front of it, pretending to study the layout like any visitor. In reality, he was tracing the most likely paths a first-year student would take between dorms, dining halls, and lecture buildings.

Patterns were an unavoidable part of human nature. It was routine, predictable. People were creatures of habit. Even if it was an anomaly.

His phone buzzed once, an encrypted ping. The device in his pocket had already begun feeding him data. Camera angles. Hallway snapshots. Doorway traffic.

Nothing yet.

But that was fine.

Vincent had patience. He would wait, and watch.

Patience was part of the job.

He stepped away from the map and continued down the walkway, eyes calm, posture relaxed, expression unreadable.

Somewhere on this campus, he though with an evil smirk. A boy named Kris Hart was going about his morning, unaware that Horizon Veil had taken an interest. Unaware that someone was already looking for him. Unaware that the hunt had begun.

Riley, Charlie, and I sat at the table, the last of breakfast cooling in front of us. The air felt heavier than it had a few minutes ago, charged, like the moment before a storm breaks.

Riley tapped her fingers against the table, eyes flicking between me and Charlie.

”So...” she said, dragging the word out like she was afraid of what it meant.

”We’re really going to do this today.”

”Yea but I can’t drag you guys into this.” It’s to dangerous it’s all real... you heard Hestia’s voice to.”

Charlie nodded, arms crossed, jaw set in full big‑sister mode. Be that as it may, we still need answers. And you’re not going in alone, little sis.”

I choked on air. ”I...I’m not...don’t call me-!

Riley nodded solemnly. ”Yeah. She’s not going alone.”

I stared at her. ”Riley....Not you too.”

She blinked innocently. ”What? I’m just being accurate. Plus if you’re gonna make us pay for those cut photos. We might as well have our own form of compensation.

Charlie nodded emphatically. Like it was only obvious.

”Accurate?!” My voice cracked. ”I’m— I’m not... that’s.... What important is...

Charlie patted my head like I was a confused puppy. ”Aww, she’s trying so hard.”

”I AM NOT...stop...both of you...! like I said I can’t drag you two into this. If either of you got hurt.”

They ignored my complaints completely. Charlie leaned forward, eyes softening.

”Kris... we’re already dragged in. You think we’re just gonna sit here while my little sis gets cryptic goddess messages and... and...”She gestured vaguely at my entire existence. ”And this happens?”

My face burned so hot I could’ve powered our entire house.

”Little... sister...?” I whispered, mortified.

Riley added, ”Yeah. We’re in this together. Whether she likes it or not.”

I buried my face in my hands. ”I hate this. I hate both of you.”

Riley smiled, small, warm, and a little too soft. ”Sure you do.. face it you’re stuck with us hehehe.”

Charlie clapped her hands once, snapping the mood back to business. ”Alright. Gear check. Pods ready?”

”Yeah,” I muttered. ”They’re good.”

Riley grinned and reached into her backpack. ”And I brought my mobile head‑unit.”

She pulled out a sleek VR helmet rig.

Charlie blinked. ”Good, You did bring it with you.”

Riley shrugged. ”I wasn’t letting you two go in without me.” She looked at me like a disobedient child. ”Also, I didn’t trust her not to log in while we aren’t looking.”

I pointed at her. ” I would not.. and stop calling me...”

Both girls stared at me.

”...Okay, maybe I would’ve sneaky logged in,” I admitted. But still stop ca...” Charlie cut me off.

Charlie sighed. ”Exactly.”

Riley set the head‑unit on the table. ”This’ll work fine. I won’t be as immersed as you two, but I’ll be in the game. And that’s what matters.”

I frowned. ”Are you sure? The mobile rigs lag sometimes.”

Riley smirked. ”I’ve beaten you in PvP while lagging. I’ll be fine cutie.”

”RILEY.”

She winked. ”What? It suits you.”

”UUUGH...”

My stomach did a weird flip I did NOT approve of.

Charlie stood up. ”Alright. Here’s the plan.”

She pointed at me.

”You’re not dying again.”

”I didn’t try to die in the first place.”

”Doesn’t matter,” Charlie said. ”No dying.”

Riley nodded. ”Second rule, we stick together. No wandering off. No solo scouting. No ’I’ll just check this corner real quick.”

”You two are acting like I’m a toddler.”

Charlie and Riley exchanged a look.

Then said in perfect unison:

”You are.”

I threw my hands up. ”Unbelievable.”

Charlie ignored me. ”Third rule, we go straight to the Temple of Hestia. No detours. No side quests. No fighting random mobs unless we have to.”

Riley added, ”And if Hestia shows up again, we don’t scream this time.”

”You screamed too!” I pointed at her.

”I screamed because you screamed.”

Charlie raised a hand. ”I screamed because the goddess spoke in riddles like a haunted fortune cookie.”

I slumped. ”Okay, fair.” We can at least complete the quest for Hilguard. We need the money. I read on a forum that we can rent a carriage instead of walking.

Riley and Charlie both perked up at the notion of not having to walk all day.

I smiled at their responses but it was mechanical... I was nervous about logging back into DOL. and kinda scared about what might happen. I

Charlie softened, stepping closer. ”Look... whatever’s happening, we’ll figure it out. Together.”

Riley nodded. ”Yeah. And if Hestia tries to cryptic‑poetry her again, we’ll be there.”

”STOP...” I tried, but my voice came out small and useless. It was to late they’re

Charlie ruffled my hair. ”Aww. She’s embarrassed.”

”I AM NOT—!”

Riley leaned in, smirking. ”You kinda are.”

My face was on fire. My chest felt weird. My stomach felt weird. Everything felt weird. I threw my hands up.

”I can’t even... uugh I give up.”I muttered. They weren’t going to stop. And I couldn’t stop them.

Charlie grinned. Like she’d won the grand prize.and sounding way to happy about it

”Pods?” She said.

”Pods,” I echoed weakly.

Riley lifted her head‑unit. ”Helmet.”

We all stood up at the same time, a united front, even if I felt like a vibrating anxiety marshmallow.

We walked down the hallway toward the pod room.

”You can use my bed Riley it’s better that the floor or couch.”

”Thanks char she smiled.”

Charlie opened the door.

The pods hummed softly in the dim light.

Riley slipped the helmet rig over her head.

Charlie climbed into her pod. I hesitated. Just for a moment.

Riley placed a hand on my shoulder. ”Hey. We’ve got you .”

Charlie nodded from inside her pod. ”Always, little sis.”

My heart did that stupid flip again.

I swallowed, climbed into my pod, and lay back. The lid began to close.

”See you inside,” Riley said.

I exhaled.

”Y‑yeah. See you inside.”

The world went dark.

Then—

PING.

[BOOT SEQUENCE INITIATED]

[LOGGING INTO DIVINE LAW ONLINE...]

My stomach fluttered.

Here we go.