It had been a while since Laura had been sucked in to the virtual world of DarkSands but things hadn’t changed much since then. The UI was almost identical and the main hub had seen nothing but minimal upgrades over the years. She loaded an old character—a Technomancer with emerald hair and an obsidian staff—and walked around for a bit, familiarizing with the controls once again. She wasn’t there to play. That was only part of the equation.

While the game was running on the main monitor, Laura had a secondary one analyzing its code. She was looking for anything out of the ordinary, something that shouldn’t be there. She knew that the odds of finding such a thing were slim or non-existent but she needed to be sure. There was something about Deirdre that didn’t sit well with her even if she couldn’t pinpoint why.

In all her years as a hacker, Laura had done a lot of crazy shit, from wiping out complex databases to leaking out products on the world wide web before they were meant to be shown to the public. She even had a Silicon Valley tech wiz arrested after uncovering his secret stash of porn videos he used to blackmail men and women to submission. She was no stranger to dark secrets and using them to her advantage. She was also an expert in using programs to create backdoors to other programs.

Going through the code was only the beginning of her plan. As long as she had an open connection to the MMO, she could use it to access the server, and gain access to the entire Tempest Studios’ network. Going the long way around made it difficult for anyone to realize what she was doing and if she couldn’t be traced, then she couldn’t be caught either.

She leaned back in her chair, eyes darting between the virtual world of DarkSands and the lines of code streaming across her secondary monitor. As her character wandered through the game’s fantastical landscapes, Laura delved deeper into the digital labyrinth of her target.

Her fingers danced across the keyboard with practiced precision, exploiting vulnerabilities and crafting intricate algorithms to bypass firewalls and encryption protocols. Each obstacle she encountered was like a piece of a larger puzzle, and Laura relished the challenge of piecing them together to reveal the hidden truths they held. With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a barrage of digital attacks, maneuvering through security measures with the finesse of a master thief. She made things look easy but, in reality, they weren’t. Her skills had taken years to develop and she was always improving herself to get ahead of the curve.

Laura navigated through layers of defense mechanisms and burrowed deeper inside the network. She was in. Now, all she needed to do was find Deirdre’s personal computer and use the path she had just created to access it. She emptied her energy drink and…

“Oh, hello! What do we have here?” she said to herself. She was looking at a top-level encryption, not unlike the one used by the military, and if that didn’t scream suspicious, then nothing else did. She could crack it but it was going to take a while. As long as her digital presence remained unnoticed, she was willing to take the risk.

“Come to Mama,” she said, getting back to work.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jeremy and Deirdre were enjoying their hearty meal. The food was delicious and so was the wine. He still had many questions to ask but the businesswoman preferred to eat in peace. The silence between them grew with each bite and he found himself reminiscing about his strange dream once again. The Black Queen was towering over him, demanding his absolute obedience and he couldn’t help but want to give it to her. He saw himself back at the warehouse, leaning to kiss her boots, and then the scenery changed.

Jeremy was now standing in an opulent mansion, surrounded by lavish decor and intricate tapestries adorning the walls. The air was thick with the scent of exotic flowers and the soft glow of crystal chandeliers illuminated the grand hall he stood in. The cool marble floor felt smooth beneath his bare feet as he looked around in awe.

He was naked, save for a black collar around his neck that was both restrictive and comforting. The collar seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, filling him with a sense of submission and desire that he couldn’t quite explain.

As Jeremy walked through the mansion, he passed by ornate statues of mythical creatures and shimmering fountains that whispered secrets of times long past. Each room he entered was more luxurious than the last, with plush velvet furnishings and gilded mirrors reflecting his every move.

He wandered through corridors lined with priceless artwork and intricate mosaics that told stories of love and betrayal. Every step he took echoed through the halls and reverberated deep inside his soul. A grand staircase spiraled upwards, leading to a balcony that overlooked a sprawling garden filled with exotic flowers bathed in moonlight. Soft music played in the background, adding to the surreal atmosphere of the dreamlike mansion.

“What is this place?” he said to himself.

“Home,” the hypnotic monarch’s sensual voice entered his thoughts. “Welcome back, Jeremy. How do you like the place?”

“There’s nothing to like. It’s but a fantasy, just like you,” he replied. “How am I dreaming again?”

“How indeed? But what makes you so sure this is a dream and not the real world?” The Black Queen purred.

She moved towards him, wearing Deirdre’s face—or was it the other way around?. She wore a sleek, form-fitting bodysuit that reflected the raven hues of her hair. The fabric clung to her lithe frame, accentuating every graceful movement she made. Intricate violet patterns adorned the bodysuit, swirling and dancing like ethereal shadows across her skin.

At her wrists, she wore sleek silver bracelets that glinted in the night, and her piercing eyes glowed with a fierce intelligence and inescapable seduction.

“You can’t fool me with your mind games. I know what’s real and what’s not,” Jeremy replied.

“So you keep saying. If this were but a fantasy as you say, then you’d have no problem keeping away. However, here you are, staring at me once more. Perhaps your mind is trying to tell you something, Jeremy.”

“Like what?”

“That I’m the only thing that’s true and everything else is an illusion. You’re investigating my legend, but perhaps you should be investigating yours, instead,” she chuckled.

“That’s insane!”

“Is it? Think about it. What do I do in those stories, Jeremy? I change people. I make them see the world differently. Reality isn’t real until I tell them what to think and do. My control redefines them, gives them purpose and meaning. To be my thrall is to realize you are nothing without me. Look deep inside your heart and you’ll know I’m telling the truth. What you are is a lie without me. You need to be my servant and that’s why you’re here with me, every fiber of you begging for enslavement.”

“I need nothing from you!” Jeremy screamed, pushing the Black Queen away with a force that surprised them both. His eyes blazed with defiance as he tried to shake off the intoxicating hold of her words. The opulent mansion around them seemed to shudder at his outburst, the tapestries rippling in response to his inner turmoil.

The Black Queen’s smirk faltered for a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her delicate features before she regained her composure. She circled him like a predator, her voice dripping with honeyed malice.

“You resist, but deep down, you know the truth,” she whispered, her voice like silk brushing against his senses. “You crave the darkness I offer, the liberation from your mundane existence. Embrace it, Jeremy. Embrace me. Let me write your story the way it’s mean to be written.”

“Fuck you and everything you stand for!” he exclaimed. With a steely resolve, he backed away from her, his heart racing with fear and defiance in equal measure. Her power was growing, emanating from every corner of the mansion as if the very walls were alive.

As he retreated, Jeremy’s eyes fell upon another staircase hidden in the shadows, twisting and turning like a serpent beckoning him to escape. Without a second thought, he darted away from the Black Queen’s mesmerizing gaze and descended the staircase with haste, his footsteps echoing in the darkness.

The air was growing colder and her eyes were everywhere, following him as he wandered through the labyrinthine corridors. Whispers filled the air, carrying her venom with ease.

“You can’t escape the truth, Jeremy!” she cackled. “I always find what’s mine. If not today, then tomorrow. Soon, you’ll be right back where you belong, living for me and for me alone.”

Jeremy’s lungs burned with each breath as he raced through the confusing layout, the air thick with foreboding. Every step he took seemed to echo louder than the last, as if he was being urged to flee before it was too late.

The mansion began to tremble, chandeliers swaying and paintings crashing to the ground in a cacophony of destruction. The opulence that once adorned the halls now crumbled into chaos, revealing cracks snaking up the walls like veins pulsing with malevolent energy.

With a last glance over his shoulder, Jeremy saw the Black Queen standing at the top of the grand staircase, her figure looming like a specter of doom against the backdrop of crumbling decadence. She raised a hand towards him, a cruel smile twisting her lips as she whispered words that were lost in the roar of collapsing stone and shattered glass.

A burning chasm opened at his feet. Jeremy plummeted into the fiery abyss, his screams drowned out by the deafening roar of the collapsing mansion above. The air around him seared with intense heat as he tumbled through the darkness, the glow of molten lava illuminating his terror-stricken face. Memories flashed before his eyes in a dizzying whirlwind and the Black Queen’s words echoed in his ears, taunting him with their seductive promises of power and control.

But as the flames licked at his skin and the stench of sulfur filled his nostrils, Jeremy knew deep down that he had made the right choice in defying her. He fell and fell and fell…

* * *

“Jeremy!” Deirdre touched the bottom of his glass with her fork. “Jeremy, can you hear me?”

Jeremy blinked, the remnants of the fiery abyss still dancing behind his eyelids. He looked around in a daze, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The strange mansion and the Black Queen had vanished, replaced by the familiar sight of the restaurant and Deirdre’s concerned gaze.

He shook his head, trying to dispel the lingering effects of the surreal encounter. With trembling hands, he reached for his glass, only to realize it was empty.

“What... what happened?” Jeremy asked, his voice hoarse with disbelief. He glanced down at his almost untouched plate of food, feeling a wave of nausea wash over him.

Deirdre studied him with furrowed brows, worry etched into her features. “You zoned out for a moment there,” she said. “Are you okay?”

Jeremy took a deep breath, picking up his thoughts one by one. The only honest answer to her query was,

“I don’t know. I… I saw something just now,” he muttered.

“What did you see?” The proud video game designer asked.

“I can’t put it into words,” Jeremy murmured, his gaze distant as he tried to grasp at the elusive leftovers of the vision that still lingered at the edges of his consciousness. “It was too weird, too... surreal. Like a nightmare brought to life.”

Deirdre leaned in, her eyes filled with curiosity and concern. “Try me,” she insisted. “I’m here for you. Whatever you think happened, it’s okay. You can tell me.”

Jeremy hesitated, unsure of where to even begin. The memory was like smoke slipping through his fingers.

“I saw The Black Queen,” he said. “She talked to me and started messing with my head. And the strangest thing is, it’s not the first time this happens.”

“Have you been dreaming about her, Jeremy? Are you seeing her in your mind?” Deirdre asked.

“Yeah, I guess I am,” he replied, reaching for the bottle of wine. “I don’t know what’s happening to me?”

“And how does that make you feel? Confused? Scared? Aroused?”

“Why the hell would I be aroused?”

“You tell me. You said you didn’t like the character and yet you’re fantasizing about her even when you’re awake. Perhaps your mind is trying to tell you something, Jeremy.”

Suddenly, he froze. Those were the same words the mesmerizing woman had told him in his strange vision of temptation and decay. The lines between reality and dreams blurred, leaving him grasping for a thread of truth to cling to. His fingers traced the outline of the wine bottle, seeking solace in its cool glass surface.

The image of the Black Queen lingered in the periphery of his thoughts, her haunting visage refusing to fade. Was she a mere figment of his imagination, a manifestation of his deepest fears and desires? Or was there a darker force at play, one that sought to ensnare him in a web of illusions and deceit?

Jeremy’s hands trembled as he poured himself another glass of wine, the familiar amber liquid offering a brief sense of comfort amid his swirling thoughts. He took a sip, the taste bitter against his tongue.

As he tried to recover from his strange experience, Deirdre’s phone buzzed. The businesswoman excused herself and answered the call. Jeremy couldn’t hear who was calling but registered her annoyance when she said, “Are you sure?”

Deirdre’s eyes widened in shock, her grip on the phone tightening as she listened to the voice on the other end of the line. Jeremy watched her expression shift from surprise to disbelief, a crease forming between her brows.

“What do you mean? That’s not possible!” Deirdre’s voice quivered. Jeremy leaned in, sensing the tension radiating from her as she continued her hushed conversation. “Well, you better do something! I’m not paying you a fortune to sit on your ass, am I? Call me again if you find anything else.”

Deirdre hung up and masked her disappointment with an open smile. The journalist in Jeremy perked up his ears and asked,

“Is everything okay?”

“One of our testers discovered an unexpected bug in DarkSands’ latest update. We’re trying to determine if it was an isolated incident. If it’s not, fixing it could impact our release timeline,” she said. “I’m not happy.”

Jeremy’s mind raced with possibilities as he listened to Deirdre’s explanation. A bug in DarkSands’ latest update? It seemed like a minor inconvenience on the surface, but a part of him couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it than met the eye.

Laura’s hunch resurfaced in his mind, and he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a connection between the mysterious video game character and the glitch that had been uncovered. Was it possible that there was something sinister lurking beneath the surface of DarkSands, something that went beyond a mere coding error?

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said, discreetly reaching for his phone to send Laura a message. He suspected the evening was about to get juicier than ever.

((to be continued))