Laura couldn’t stop trembling. What she had seen was impossible, and yet every fiber in her body was telling her that it was true. The legend had come alive that night.

“Please try to calm down and tell me what happened.” Jeremy hugged her. “Who was here?”

“The Black Queen!” the hacker shrieked. “She touched me! Her hands were all over my body! I don’t know how but she was here! You believe me, don’t you?”

Jeremy nodded and held her hands, hoping that the warmth of his body would soothe her nerves. “Of course I do. I had another vision of her tonight, too.”

“You did?” Laura’s eyes lit up as she escaped his embrace to gaze at him. “When?”

“While I was having dinner with Deirdre. It was quite bizarre. One moment, I was talking to her, and the in the next, I was in The Black Queen’s mansion and she was taunting me and trying to seduce me or scare me away… I’m not sure. What about you?”

“I saw her in the reflection of my computer, and then she appeared behind me, almost as if my thoughts had given it substance,” Laura said, realizing how crazy she sounded saying such things out loud. Fuck, this makes no sense!”

“I hear you. Neither did my vision, but everything about it seemed real too, so…”

“Are we going crazy, Jeremy? Is this stupid erotic legend with our minds for real? Because I’m too young and too pretty to be locked up in an asylum! Jesus!”

“I hope not, but I don’t like the alternative either.” Jeremy helped her get up and asked, “Can I get you something? A cup of coffee, perhaps?”

“No, thanks,” she pointed at the empty energy drink cans. “I’ve had enough caffeine intake for today.”

“Fair enough, but I’m getting one. Are you starting to feel better already?”

“Kind of, but there’s still a lingering feeling gnawing at my loins, and I fucking hate it!”

“So do I.”

Jeremy headed to the kitchen, and Laura followed him, leaning against the fridge as he reached for a cup. He poured himself a cup of coffee, the steam rising from it like a comforting embrace. He glanced at Laura, her eyes still wide with fear and confusion. It was obvious she needed time to process everything that had happened, but she was curious to know more. In silence, he waited for her breathing to relax and her heartbeat to slow down. Fear was the enemy of reason and everything good in the world. Giving in to it was not an option.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what were you doing when you had that encounter?” he queried, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

“Doing some investigation of my own,” Laura bit her nails and sighed. “Speaking of which, there’s something I need to show you.”

“What is it?” Jeremy stepped closer to her, his eyes searching hers for whatever secret she was dying to reveal.

“Something terrifying…” Laura replied, her tone somber like a moonless sky. 

Jeremy followed her back to her laptop, sipping his coffee as she perused through the flash drive’s contents. “Don’t be mad, but I hacked into Tempest Studios with you were on your dinner date with Deirdre.”

“It wasn’t a dinner da… Wait, you did what? Laura, why?”

“I said I was going to follow a hunch, didn’t I? Well, the hunch paid off. Big time.” Laura smirked.

“And how many laws did you break this time? Laura, you can’t keep doing things like that! What if you were caught? Whatever you were considering, I’m sure it’s not worth risking going to jail because of it.”

“Forget about that, okay? It’s the truth that’s important and if this is real, then your new friend has a lot to explain.”

“What do you mean?” he gazed at the rectangular screen as it sprung to life in shades of yellow and white.

“See for yourself.”

Laura opened the files pertaining to Omicron. He studied the schematics and read the descriptive paragraphs of each one but couldn’t make sense of them. He lay down the empty cup of coffee next to the laptop and asked,

“I don’t get it. What is this?”

“Doesn’t the name ring a bell?” Laura crossed her arms like a disappointed teacher. 

He mused for a moment, the words awakening the memories inside. There was a story there, A story within a story within another story, reality and fiction becoming as one. He sat on a rotating chair, trying to come to terms with the implications.

“Omicron? That thing that was in the third Black Queen story?” he scratched his chin. “Is that where you’re getting at?”

“Isn’t that what you see? Not all details are the same, but the gist of it is there. The tale was the blueprint, but this… of, Jeremy… this stuff is what nightmares are made of.”

She wasn’t wrong. A mass mind control mechanism embedded in one of the most popular video games of all time? Subliminal messages, virtual reality, and brainwashing techniques straight out of a horror movie rolled into a single package? Thinking about it was enough to make the hair on the back of his neck stand to attention.

“It’s fiction,” he shrugged, but the word didn’t have the same weight anymore. “Maybe it’s a new scenario they’re devising for the game.”

“I thought about that too, but it’s too weird of a coincidence.” Laura tapped her feet. “I don’t want it to be true, but I feel like it doesn’t make sense otherwise.”

“You’re being paranoid, Laura. There must a reasonable explanation for all of this that doesn’t involve accusing a multi-million dollar corporation of conspiring to fuck people’s brains with a video game! Come on, this is way too absurd.”

“If the visions can be true, then why not this? Inspiration takes many forms, Jeremy. This is one of them.”

The journalist was in shock. He expected the evening to end with a surprising revelation, but this one took the cake. Laura had the eyes of a madwoman trying to convince the rest of the world that the Apocalypse was right at their doorstep. Her brain was not firing on all cylinders as usual but stuck in a weird place where even the most outlandish theories were as natural as breathing.

“I don’t know, Laura…” he concluded. “This proves nothing. Did you find anything in the game to prove your point?”

“No, but I’ve yet to dig deep enough. I need more time and perhaps another visit to their servers.”

“So you want to commit another felony. No! It’s too dangerous!” Jeremy exclaimed, his voice laced with concern. “I don’t want you to put yourself in harm’s way like this.”

Laura frowned, aware of his worry and the heavy responsibility she bore. “I know, Jeremy, but we have to do something. This can’t be ignored.”

He looked at her, his eyes searching for a glimmer of sanity amid her wild claims. “It’s not worth the risk.”

“It is to me!” she clenched her teeth. “This is bigger than us, Jeremy. What’s described here endangers us all. I don’t want to live in a world where this technology is a thing, so breaking a few rules is a small price to pay. The pursuit of the truth is more important than self-preservation. I’m going to continue looking into this, and I’d like you to help me.”

“Help you how? Covering for you? Laura, if they find you and my association to you is uncovered, they’ll bring us both down,” he concluded. “You need to drop this for now and lie low for a while instead of drawing more attention to yourself with even more meddling. Trust me, no good is going to come from this.”

Laura couldn’t believe her ears. After everything she had done for him already, was he trying to wash his hands of the most disturbing discovery of the decade? What the fuck?

“You’re such a coward, Jeremy!” she spat. “I thought you were my friend and that we were in this together, but maybe deep down, you’re just a scaredy cat, afraid to get his hands dirty.” Laura shook her head in disappointment, her eyes flashing with uncontained anger. “When you contacted me to get your article rolling, I was there for you. You wouldn’t have gotten as far as you did without my skills. I’ve always stood by you, and now that I’m asking you to do the same, this is what I get? Thanks a lot!”

Jeremy felt a pang of guilt in his chest, but he stood firm in his decision. She was too excited, her emotions running wild before his eyes. Even if there was a semblance of truth in her words, being on edge would only bury it instead of bringing it to the light. 

“Laura, please! I want to be there for you just as you are for me, but not like this. You need to take a step back and think things through. Please!”

“Fuck you!” she flipped him off as she stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her. He thought of going after her but chose not to. He was stunned at how quickly trust could be lost and loyalties questioned. Sitting with his legs crossed, his thoughts returned to Deirdre and the phone call she had received while they were having dinner. He hadn’t bought the story about the bug in the latest build of the game. Could Laura’s breach be the real reason for her concerns, or was that too much of a stretch?

“If I had something like this to hide, I’d be worried too,” he thought, trying to sync his mental efforts with the reasonings of his friend and lover. He returned to the laptop and went through the downloaded documents one more time. Everything in them seemed bonkers and impossible but also far too detailed. After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, he went to look for Laura, who was now standing by the front door with her head buried between her shoulders. She was still fuming on the inside, but he didn’t expect any form of violence or retribution.”

“I don’t want to talk to you right now,” she said, almost on the verge of tears. “Please leave me be.”

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to upset you, but you were the one who started acting out. Do you at least understand where I’m coming from?”

“Oh, I understand you, alright! What I don’t get is why you don’t seem to understand me. My concerns are legitimate, Jeremy. Why can’t you see that?”

“I’m trying to, but we need to be realistic. Without solid evidence, those documents are just elaborate pieces of fiction, no different from any of those stories we’ve read.”

“Then let me look for it!” she begged. “If I’m wrong, I’m wrong, and I’ll live with it, no problem, but if I’m not, and I do nothing to stop it, I’ll never forgive myself. I need to do what is right, and I’d be a lot more at ease if I knew for certain I could count on you if things get tough.”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer by heart.

“Not while this feeling lingers. I think… I think it’s all connected, Jeremy.”

“The visions and this supposed clandestine project? Connected how?”

“I don’t know yet, but I intend to find out; the sooner, the better.”

“Easy there, Laura. You’ve been through a lot today already. At least, sleep on it and then look at everything again tomorrow with a fresh pair of eyes. If you do that, then I…”

“You’ll help me? Will you stay with me no matter where this takes us?” she asked. 

It was the moment of truth. Jeremy hesitated for a bit, weighing the potential risks against his loyalty to Laura. He knew that if he said yes, he might be putting his neck on the line, but he couldn’t deny the strength of their friendship and the undeniable passion and conviction in Laura’s eyes. He also feared the potential repercussions of leaving her to her designs, especially with their blossoming relationship in the mix. Against his better judgment, he told her what she wanted to hear.

“Okay, I’ll help you, but if things get dicey, we pull the plug. You may do some crazy things with computers but you’re no superhero and neither am I. Should we discover that something illegal and unethical is indeed going on, we get the proper authorities and let them handle things. This is non-negotiable, Laura. Take it or leave it.”

A sigh of relief escaped Laura’s lips as she looked up at him with gratitude. “Thank you, Jeremy. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I appreciate your support.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said, thinking to himself that their problems were only beginning. “Come. Let’s get some rest. Preferably together.”

“Are you inviting me to your bed again?” she teased, a hint of her playful nature returning to the surface. It was a stark contrast to her fury from a couple of minutes earlier and the side of her he cherished the most.

“Only if you promise to behave and not cause any more trouble,” he replied, eyes twinkling with mischief.

Laura laughed, a genuine sound that filled the room with warmth. “I can’t promise to be successful, but I’ll try.”

“That’s good enough for me.”

He held her hand, and with that, they retired to the bedroom. The next day would bring new challenges, but for now, they were content to be together, even if embroiled in the most unusual of scenarios. The outside world and all its conspiracies and strange legends could wait until morning.

Despite the tempting suggestion, they didn’t have sex at all but ended up falling asleep in each other’s arms. The night was peaceful but not devoid of unexpected intrusions. They both dreamed of The Black Queen, hovering over them and filling their minds with intoxicating desires that defied Logic and Reason. Dressed in purple and black latex, her unnatural-looking eyes glowing in the dark, she was the most dangerous and seductive siren of them all, and she was pleased.

“You’re almost there,” she purred, caressing their minds. “Soon, you’ll see the truth with your own eyes and surrender to it just like they did. Sleep tight.”

((to be continued))