Rising Shards

After Syval dropped down from the ceiling, we waited to see if a monster or something would follow, since we were apparently in a combat room for whatever this stupid game was.

”I notice nobody is taking advantage of my stellar Tension Betrayal System, or the Killing Game Bypass System,” Reed was really close to his camera, which was not a pleasant sight. ”Seems kind of weird, when you could be murdering each other for points.”

”Shut up,” I said as I bonked the monitor.

”He’s not even consistent in his motivations,” Zeta said. ”One minute he’s all, ’oh, everyone read,’ and the next getting all ’oh, everyone kill each other!’ This guy sucks, is what I’m saying.”

”He seriously sucks,” I said.

Syval was still composing himself on the ground. I poked him with my foot.

”You good there?” I asked.

”I think so,” Syval said. He checked his wrist that had the big power blocker band on it. ”Yep, all good.”

It started to really annoy me that the longer I had to interact with Syval, the more likely it was I’d remember him.

”You shouldn’t have ran away from Lillia,” I said. ”She’s not going to forget that one.”

”I know, I just panicked!” Syval said. ”You should be thanking me, there was a huge void monster in the vent that I took care of before I got stuck.”

”Uh huh,” I said. ”Raytris, did you see any other void monster up there?”

”It’s pretty dark in the vent,” Raytris said.

”Maybe that was the one we were going to fight,” Zeta said, adorably nibbling on her nails. ”But we didn’t move onto the next room, though...”

”Maybe the whole thing is busted,” Myles said. ”That squiggly guy and Penteldtam don’t seem to be the types who can put a competent murder game together.” She stretched as she looked around. ”You know, I bet I can find a reverse failsafe or some trigger to let us out.”

”You can do that?” Zeta asked.

”Oh yeah, back home I was in something like this I’d say...daily? For a while?” Myles said.

”Like murder games? Was your world just a horror movie?” Zeta asked.

”Not murder games, there were just a lot of traps set by the bad guys,” Myles said.

”Wow, that sounds...stressful,” I said.

”So does having daily interdimensional trips to fight monsters,” Myles said. ”Like, don’t get me wrong, this world’s way more chill. But still messed up when you stop and think about it.”

”Yeah...” I didn’t really have a good response to that. Myles shrugged and started feeling around the walls. ”Do you need help, or anything?”

”If I do, I’ll let you know,” Myles said.

”Since we’re stuck here, can you maybe tell us what has you spooked enough that you’d fly away from Lillia instead of like talking it out?” I asked Syval.

Syval sat up, then turned away, as though he were going to turn completely around so his back was to me, then realized halfway through that it’d look rude. ”Is now really the time for this?” He asked.

”You know what, I think it is!” I said. ”Because Kalei’s our friend, and we want to help her if something’s wrong.”

”Well, ask her about it then,” Syval said. ”She seems fine to me.”

He put on this voice as he talked, like he was trying to sound like he was a fancy prince or something.

”Every time we ask Kalei she just says she’s fine, then changes the subject,” Zeta said.

”Have you considered that maybe she is fine? And that you’re worrying over nothing?” Syval said.

”Then why’d you run away when Lillia tried to figure it out?” I asked.

”Because...” Syval turned again, still sitting. ”She’s really scary!”

”I think he turns when he’s lying,” Myles said from one of the corners as she fidgeted with the wall.

”OK, but it’s true that she’s scary! That is absolutely not a lie!” Syval said.

”Ugh,” I crossed my arms.

”Is it like a thing where you’re dating? And Kalei didn’t want to tell us because...she thought we’d be mad about her being in a straight couple?” Zeta suggested.

”What? That’s not it, no,” Syval said. ”There isn’t anything to it, it’s just. Nothing!” He turned again, having made a complete rotation now.

”Well, if it is and you just don’t want to say, I wouldn’t be super mad I guess,” Zeta said.

”I would be,” I said.

”OK, I would too, but I don’t know how to say that in a not rude way,” Zeta said.

”You could just not say it,” Syval said. ”Maybe Syval didn’t want to hang out with you because you’re so rude.”

”What? Did you mean to say Kalei?” I asked. ”You said your own name.”

”Listen, I’m panicking!” Syval said. ”Maybe Kalei didn’t want to hang out with you because you’re so rude.”

”We’re not rude!” Zeta said. ”At least, I hope not.”

”I’ll admit that I can be rude to Marble,” I said.

”See? So rude.”

”I’m teasing!” I said.

”Teasing is rude,” Syval said.

”Admittedly this is a pretty stressful situation, so don’t be too harsh on ’em?” Myles said. ”Besides...” A panel dropped forward in front of Myles, revealing some cords. ”I think I just got us out of here.”

Myles looked through the wires. ”Er, wait. There should be another one here.”

”You’re really knowledgeable about...wall...cords,” Zeta said.

Myles peeked into the open compartment. ”Once you break into one electrical lockdown system the rest are all pretty much the same. Damn, I dunno if I can reach.”

Raytris slumped back down until she was a puddle again, only peeking up to say, ”If I try to grab it I might make a mess of the equipment.”

”Maybe I can get it!” I said. ”I have experience using my vines to grab stuff like that. Actually, it was something kind of similar to this, too.”

I needed a break from talking in circles with Syval anyways. Zeta tilted her head, trying to think of what I meant.

”Tesata thing,” I said, and that was enough of an explanation.

”Be my guest,” Myles said. ”If you can find a cylinder, that’ll have some gears we can turn.”

I conjured some vines and tried not to think of that time Mikkel locked me in a closet, but it definitely came up as I reached around for the gizmo Myles wanted. I wondered if I’d end up hitting Mikkel again this time, but the idea of him being just around the corner was not a pleasant thought. Luckily, I found the part before the mental image lingered too long.

”Here ya go!” I said, giving Myles the part, a silver remote with gears on it and a bunch of the cords in the wall feeding into it.

”Thanks!” Myles fiddled with it and within a few moments something big made a loud clunk. The lockdown walls didn’t budge, but a pathway opened in front of us. It was a commotion in the next room, as we entered a packed room that clearly had more than one group waiting already. Almost immediately, Zeta and I bumped into Anastasia, who was not pleased to see us.