Chapter 2

Ivy, Jace, Haley, and Tad  found themselves anchored in the heart of The Hub, a vibrant place that contrasted sharply with the shadows and dangers they had faced on their quest. The air was crisp and invigorating, and the sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden glow that enveloped the group like a warm embrace. Sound enveloped them, a symphony of city life; a blend of laughter, chatter, and the distant hum of enginescreating a rhythm that resonated deep within their hearts, washing over them like a soothing wave of relief.

As they took in the surroundings, a teenage girl with black pigtails suddenly bumped into Ivy’s shoulder, her hurried pace interrupting the scenic moment. The girl turned around with wide eyes, her face flushed, as she apologized profusely.  She then spun back around and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Ivy with a surprised expression and no chance to respond. The only proof that what they had just been through wasn’t some sort of hallucination or dream was a small golden key, obtained by Jace at the quest, that Tad was now examining with intense focus. His brow was furrowed with great concentration.

“Huh,” Tad muttered, adjusting his grip on the key as he studied it, apparently trying to discern its secrets by simply staring at it.

“Let me see that,” Ivy demanded, extending her hand expectantly. Tad awkwardly & reluctantly held out the key to her; when his grip faltered, and it slipped from his fingers, tumbling to the ground at Ivy's feet. Ivy hurriedly twisted around to retrieve it, her fingers brushing over its smooth surface, feeling the cool metal against her skin. As she inspected the key, she grazed over a faint engraving on the back. She turned it over in her hand, her eyes narrowing in concentration.

“...It’s got some sort of... number on the back,” she observed, her voice trailing off in confusion, her brow creasing with intrigue.

Haley, who had been watching intently, leaned closer to Ivy. “I thought it was a house key, so I guess it’d make sense if it was,” she mused, her thoughts drifting as she fixated on the number.

“Hey!” Jace suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the key excitedly. “There's a button thingy below the number!” 

Haley blinked, momentarily startled. “No, i don’t think--” she starts, before eyeing the key again; second guessing herself. “Oh, yeah… I guess there is. Well, we can’t afford to press it, anyhow, because it could be dangerous--”.

“I’m gonna press it,” Jace interjected, as if stating a simple fact.

                 …

He pressed the key firmly into the lock before anyone could retort, his brow furrowing with frustration. “It’s not doing anything!” Jace exclaimed, his voice tinged with disappointment. Around them, the cityfolk bustled about their daily routines, oblivious to the unusual predicament the group found themselves in. 

Suddenly, the key began to pull at Haley’s hand, and in an instant, a surge of energy yanked the entire group upward, enveloping them in a blinding blur of light. Their feet felt weightless, floating in the ethereal glow, until-- thud! they landed abruptly on solid ground.

The four friends stood in an unfamiliar space, their senses reeling. Haley was enraged. “JACE! YOU CAN’T KEEP DOING THAT! WE COULD HAVE BEEN IN SERIOUS DANGER!” she shouted, her voice echoing off the walls.

Jace simply snickered, unfazed. “I’M SERIOUS,” she retorted, her tone sharp. “LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW!” She turned around, her eyes darting over her surroundings, and let out a huff of frustration as she registered their location: an apartment building, cozy and mundane, and decidedly not a monster’s lair.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jace snatched the key from Haley’s hand and sprinted down the gleaming hallway as he searched for the right door. “JACE!” she called after him, exasperated. “GET BACK HERE!” She raced after him, with Ivy and Tad trailing closely behind. Jace abruptly came to a halt, causing Haley to collide directly into his back. “Oww…” she groaned, rubbing the spot where she had bumped into him.

They had arrived at the door of an apartment. Jace fumbled with the key, twisting it inside the lock while ignoring Haley’s protests. With a dramatic twist, the door creaked open, revealing an expansive common area beyond. The marbled flooring glistened under the soft glow of the setting sun, which poured through a floor-to-ceiling window that dominated the far wall. Outside, the sprawling metropolis spread out before them, the last rays of sun casting a warm, golden hue over the skyline. Billboards flickered with vibrant colors, their reflections dancing on the shiny floor. “Woah,” Tad gasped, his eyes wide with wonder.

Stepping inside, the four of them took a moment to absorb their surroundings. Ivy closed the door behind them and flicked on the lights. The ambient glow illuminated the common room, showcasing sleek white leather couches that contrasted with the modern kitchen, complete with a polished island centerpiece cleverly integrated into the design. To the right, a narrow hallway led to four rooms, each furnished simply with a bed and a modest closet.

Without a second thought, Jace dashed into one of the bedrooms, launching himself onto the bed and recklessly rumpling the pristine sheets. Ivy sighed dramatically and shuffled toward the furthest room, too exhausted to muster any further complaints. She clicked the door shut behind her, sinking onto the bed and immediately falling asleep, leaving Jace, Haley and Tad to explore their new temporary home in the heart of the city.

“Pssst… Hey! Wake up!” 

Ivy fluttered open her eyes, feeling a weight of fatigue press down on her lashes. As she blinked away the remnants of sleep, she was greeted by an all-consuming pitch black around her. It felt as though she were suspended in a hallowed void, eerily reminiscent of the way Tad had described it to her and Haley just the day before. Yes, Ivy thought with a mix of confusion and curiosity, that’s probably it.

Tentatively, she pushed herself up from the ground, her limbs heavy with exhaustion. Peering into the encroaching darkness, she strained to make sense of her surroundings. Suddenly, a soft yet deliberate finger drummed against her shoulder. Startled, Ivy jumped, her heart racing. “GAH!” she shrieked, whirling around to confront whatever (or whoever) had startled her.

Before her stood a teenage girl, perhaps a year or two younger than Ivy. The girl flicked her long lashes playfully, a smirk dancing on her lips. Ivy’s eyes widened in alarm. “WHO ARE YOU?!” she demanded, taking a cautious step backward, every instinct telling her to be on guard. Instead of answering, the girl merely batted her eyelashes once more, as if entertaining a secret joke.

“YOU BETTER TELL ME WHO YOU ARE, OR I WON’T HESITATE TO RIP THOSE PRETTY LITTLE EYELASHES RIGHT OUT OF YOUR HEAD!” Ivy’s voice rose with a fierce defiance.

The girl gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart with an exaggerated flourish. “You think they’re pretty?? Awwwwww!” she cooed, her expression shifting to one of mock delight. Ivy took a moment to assess her. The girl had silky black hair styled into two circular buns, each adorned with a frilly pink ribbon. Her eyes were striking, a kaleidoscope of purple hues that seemed almost otherworldly. To top it all off was her skin;-- as pale as porcelain, and an outfit that was impossibly bright, vibrant colors clashing in a way that spoke of her unyielding effervescence.

Clearing her throat with an air of measured authority, the girl clapped her manicured hands together. “The name’s Rue. I volunteered to help my school by introducing Keywire to newcomers,” she said, her tone laced with an odd mixture of pride and nonchalance. Ivy opened her mouth to respond, but Rue interrupted before she could say a word.

“Anyway, I mostly did this for the XP, so don’t ask questions,” Rue continued, her voice casual yet commanding. “Oh, and do you like my nails? I had them done yesterday-- they're called ‘flamboyant flamingo pink!’” With a practiced flick of her wrist, she thrust her hands into the air, displaying her vibrant nails with a pop of her hip and a confident grin.

Ivy was bewildered. “What? Newcomer? School? Keywire? XP? Where am I? And what the heck is ‘Flamboyant Flamingo Pink’???” Each question spilled out in a rush of frustration and confusion, leaving her reeling.

Rue narrowed her eyes dramatically, her expression shifting from playful to ominous. “I said, NO QUESTIONS,” she warned, her tone sharp as a knife, leaving Ivy wondering just what kind of bizarre reality she had stumbled into.

“But-”

“No!”

“Just one…!”

“....Fine.”

“Okay…” --she wavered-- “What’s Keywire?” Rue crossed her arms. “A school.” Ivy gaped at her. “Come on, you have to give me more than that.” Rue let out an exasperated sigh, her eyes rolling dramatically. “It’s the school that you’re enrolled in. The classes there are organized by levels, so as long as you know your level, you’ll know which class you belong to.” She crossed her arms, a hint of impatience creeping into her voice.

Ivy furrowed her brow, a frown forming as she processed Rue’s words. “But it didn’t even indicate my level in my player information. All it said was ‘unevaluated’… How am I supposed to know which class I’m in?” Her voice carried a note of desperation, a mix of confusion and frustration.

Rue shrugged nonchalantly, her expression shifting as she began to turn away. “You’ll figure it out,” she said over her shoulder, her tone dismissive. She pivoted elegantly and wandered off into the encroaching darkness, leaving Ivy to stew in her bewilderment.

Suddenly, Ivy jolted awake, gasping slightly as she blinked at the ceiling overhead. Right… she reminded herself, trying to shake off the remnants of her dream. I’m in a video game realm. How bizarre… Her thoughts were left spinning as she struggled to come to terms with her situation.

As she sat up, her gaze fell on a sticky note that had been hastily plastered on the nightstand beside her bed. The note was yellowed with age, edges curling, and was adorned with smudged scribbles that beckoned her attention.

‘ It wasn’t a dream. Hey, do you like tacos? I love tacos. Except when they have fish in them--  that’s just icky. Beef tacos are pretty mediocre, but chicken tacos really take the win. Hey, I wonder if…’ 

The note was written so small and in such a large quantity that Ivy struggled to read it. Then, at the very bottom, she wrote:

Oh btw, classes start at like 9:00 A.M. 

Oh, Ivy thought. Great. She didn’t bother to write that before I spent 5 minutes reading her taco rant? Ivy didn’t pause to consider how the note had materialized in front of her; they were, after all, immersed in a video game realm where the extraordinary was commonplace. With a habitual flick of her wrist, she stalked over to the closet and swung the door wide, only to be met with emptiness. The stark, bare interior was underwhelming and frustrating, and without a second thought, she slammed the doors shut again, the resounding thud echoing in the small room. The feeling of discomfort washed over her; she detested the sensation of grime clinging to her skin. Right now, her hoodie was drenched in sweat, and her hair resembled a bird’s nest, tangle after tangle threatening to thwart her attempts at grooming.

With a heavy sigh, she pushed her way into the living room. There, Jace reclined on the couch, lazily fixated on the whirring ceiling fan above him, while Haley was engrossed in the kitchen, the sound of sizzling from the frying pan punctuating the morning air. Ivy stifled a yawn, rubbing her eyes slightly. She perched herself on a barstool at the counter, feeling both exhausted and mildly curious. “Did we actually have stuff to make breakfast?” she questioned, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Haley, her voice rising above the crackle of the stove, responded, “Morning!” She turned off the heat and set the pan down with a clatter. “And yes, apparently, we had food. We found it before you decided to pass out in random,” --she shot a pointed glance at Jace-- “bed.”

Jace shot straight up from the couch, annoyance flickering across his features. “It was perfectly safe, Haley. You ruin all the fun,” he countered, sulking like a child. His pout resembled that of a misshapen blobfish, a comical sight that made Ivy suppress a grin. “It won't be ‘fun’ when you end up six feet underground,” Haley shot back, an eyebrow raised in skepticism.

Just then, Tad emerged from the hallway, appearing as disheveled as Ivy felt. He stumbled into the kitchen, his eyes bleary and his posture slumped, radiating confusion and fatigue. The light-hearted banter between Haley and Jace faded into the background as Tad took a seat next to Ivy on the bar stool, stifling a yawn as he leaned in.

After a moment of silence and the clinking of dishes, Ivy broke the lull. "Hey, did anyone else have that dream about being enrolled in a school called 'Keywire'?" she asked, her voice half-serious, half-joking. She braced herself for the bewildered looks she anticipated.

To her surprise, Haley's eyes lit up. "Yeah, actually!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm cutting through the morning haze. “Sorry, I probably should have mentioned that earlier,” she added sheepishly.

"That's fine, I guess," --Ivy shrugged-- “So, are we all enrolled in that school, then?"

Haley hesitated, her forehead creasing as she dished out an egg onto Ivy’s plate. "I think so," she finally responds.

“Huh,” Tad mumbled, taking a hearty bite of his egg. He chewed thoughtfully before adding, “That’s interesting. I thought it was just a weird dream or something.” He swallowed, glancing between Ivy and Haley. “But how do we get there?”

Ivy shrugged, feeling an unsettling mix of anticipation and confusion. "That's the thing-- I don’t know."

Haley blinked at her. "You don’t?"

Ivy met her gaze. "You do?"

Jace, who had been lazing on the couch, suddenly raised a hand in a half-hearted signal, his expression a mix of boredom and complacency. "I know how to get there too," he announced, stretching his arms overhead.

Ivy and Tad exchanged puzzled glances, their brows furrowed in unison.

Haley, meanwhile, placed the pan in the sink, her mind clearly racing. Leaning over the counter, she impaled a piece of egg with her fork, popping it into her mouth. After she swallowed, her expression turned serious. "My representative explained everything," she began, her tone shifting. "Keywire is like a school for everyone from ages five to twenty. Its students are sorted by level and placed into five different classes," --she shrugged-- “but it’s not based on the type of abilities they have. I’m assuming your level determines how powerful your abilities actually are.”

Jace’s jaw dropped as he slid off the couch and approached the counter, elbows resting on the cool marble. “Sorry, but how the actual--”

Haley cut him off with a disapproving glance. “Flip,” he corrected himself, faltering, “did you memorize all of that?”

Haley shrugged nonchalantly. "It seemed important."

Ivy, her mind swirling with thoughts and questions, picked at her eyelids distractedly. 

“So uh… how exactly do we get there?”

Author's Note

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