Thursday, August 28th, 2042, VR Interview Room–replica of Luminara.

Kaelyn opened her eyes to the replica of Luminara, the setting for her upcoming interview. Moments after appearing in Ryan's VR Hub, she had received a message from Chloe's technical staff, providing a link to this private VR space.

Had they been watching me, or was this just eerily perfect timing?

She shrugged the question off her mind. She had a far more pressing concern: getting ready for the interview.

Show time! They want Kaelyn, the whole package—cocky, seductive, exotic. The world is dying for the full experience: the smirk, the boundless confidence, the mystery.

But worry tempered her enthusiasm. She was going to face a seasoned interrogator, a master of loaded questions designed to elicit specific responses. It pained her to admit it, but despite her considerable abilities, Kaelyn was ultimately only a university graduate.

I have to be careful. One slip-up, one misstep, one indiscretion revealed—and Chloe's relentless investigation could not only devastate Kaelyn's burgeoning online persona but also bring about real and lasting damage to the entire Porter family.

An icy dread washed over Kaelyn as she imagined Ryan's family caught in the crossfire, the chilling weight of it settling in her stomach. She located the fear's source—a small, delicate spark of dread—and inhaled deeply, feeling the tension drain from her shoulders and the chill leave her spine.

Don't worry too hard about it. Trust our instincts, just like yesterday when we conned all those players of their gear, money or time. This is just more of the same.

As she exhaled, the world seemed to sharpen—the colours a little more vibrant, the weight of her own body a little lighter. She scanned her surroundings, frowning at the set pretending to be the city of splendors. She breathed in, catching… nothing. None of the scents from any of the city's many food stalls. Even the air was devoid of the salty smell of the ocean. All Kaelyn felt was a pang of disappointment.

The closer she looked, the more she noticed all the minor flaws in the environment. Visually, it did a good job pretending to be her city. It had the right broad strokes, looked similar enough. But it was a pale imitation, a rough depiction of the city she knew so well. She recognised the area where she was; a small park tucked in a corner of the Landing of Lights. Two wooden benches sat at an angle, near a beautiful fountain of Hydra, the water goddess.

Even more uncanny than the lack of smells, however, was the lack of any sound. The usual divine hymn, which should have filled the area with its resonant melody, was absent. She heard nothing: no crowd, no wind, no fountain. Even the rhythmic crash of waves at the cliff base was strangely absent, leaving only an unsettling stillness.

The artificial nature of this replica unnerved Kaelyn. This place pretended to be her world, but failed at first inspection. Despite her apprehensions, she hoped the advantage of fighting on familiar ground would be enough to win her upcoming confrontation. Compared to the alternatives? This was likely as good as it would get.

She chuckled at the image of being interviewed in a VR replica of Ryan's home, and was relieved to avoid the stiff formality of a traditional news studio. She had wanted Chloe in a location unfamiliar to her; this place was probably the best she could hope for.

Kaelyn examined herself. She was still wearing her crop top and miniskirt. The Half-Blood felinae starter gear. An outfit her fans would instantly recognise. She wondered if she should switch it up. Because she was not in-game right now, she only had access to Ryan's wardrobe. She knew nothing in there would really suit her.

She wanted to give them something new. They had seen the runway model in her cyberpunk decor—now, they would see the strategist. Kaelyn was not merely eye candy; she was sharp, in control, impossible to ignore.

So she allowed herself to shop around for a better fit. With a few quick taps, she opened the app for a popular, budget-friendly clothing store, the familiar logo appearing on her screen. She quickly picked a cropped leather jacket and a white t-shirt. It would expose her collarbones and show-off a generous swell of cleavage. She paired it with a dark, embroidered skirt that clung just right. It felt like a statement: confidence, control, allure. She adjusted the collar of the jacket, admiring the sharp edge it gave her—a look that would let her command the room.

That's more like it.

Her fingers lingered on the hem of the snug t-shirt, tracing the line where it met her skin—familiar, yet so different from anything she would have worn as Ryan. This was Kaelyn's look. This was Kaelyn's world. And here, she felt like she could handle whatever Chloe McIntyre threw at her. She sat down on one of the bench, crossing one leg over the other, keeping both hands over her knee.

There was always strange freedom in letting Kaelyn take over, a sense of stepping back and watching her instincts kick in. She had a way of making everything look so simple and inconsequential, including the things he knew he would never have had the courage to try. Where he would second-guess and hesitate, Kaelyn would simply do.

Moments later, Chloe appeared, as if she had been watching, waiting for her to settle down. Her avatar materialised a few steps away from the fountain. Her presence was sharp and immediately noticeable; a clean, professional avatar, designed to convey seriousness without distraction. Dark hair pulled back in a tidy bun, she wore a fitted blazer with neutral makeup—everything about her spoke of efficiency and focus, a deliberate contrast to Kaelyn's alluring and casual elegance.

Ryan's nerves lingered at the edges of her mind, but Kaelyn brushed them aside like cobwebs. This was her stage. Her world. Chloe McIntyre was about to find out exactly who she was dealing with.

Her opponent took a moment to assess her surroundings, her eyes flicking over the park, the marble fountain, and finally settling on Kaelyn. Her expression revealed little, but Kaelyn could sense a subtle curiosity in her gaze—a quick, assessing look that seemed to catalog everything from her outfit to her posture.

Kaelyn almost purred her greeting. "Ms McIntyre."

"Kaelyn," Chloe greeted her with a slight nod. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me here."

Kaelyn leaned forward, smiling. "Are we on air already?"

The reporter walked to the second bench and sat. "Everything in here is being recorded. But we'll cut and edit to keep only the best parts, of course."

She winked at the second part, as if she was on to some kind of secret.

Oh? So they got footage of me cloth shopping and slipping into something more comfortable? At that point, let's hope they will make the best out of that footage. It would be such a waste not to.

Kaelyn faked a look of surprise and embarrassment, but then nodded. "Why don't we begin, then, miss reporter?" She felt a flicker of satisfaction—this was her stage, her game. And she was going to enjoy every second.

Chloe adjusted her position and faced a nearby floating ball of light. Kaelyn figured the small, unintrusive markers were there for reporters to know where at least one of the virtual cameras was located.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Here we are, in the company of the face of the glitch herself. Miss Kaelyn, why don't you start by introducing yourself to our audience?"

Kaelyn raised one finger to her chin in mock thoughts. "Hmm. What's there for me to say? Everyone knows my name and my face already. You also showed to the entire world where I live, although this is far closer to what I would call my home."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Kaelyn gestured at the surrounding city, the cathedral and majestic spires, and the shining light reflecting on the giant columns of crystal.

Her gaze drifted over the park, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker—a brief stutter in the fountain's endless pour. She blinked, and it was gone, but a hollow unease lingered. This place was supposed to be hers, a piece of Luminara she had made her own, yet it slipped away like sand through her fingers. Another reminder how this place simply pretended to be the city of lights.

"Ah, you must mean the city of Luminara, from A Realm Reforged Again. Are we to understand that this is Kaelyn's birthplace, then?"

Kaelyn observed with interest how the reporter rephrased her question to include details she had omitted on purpose. This way, non-gamers could follow.

The felinae shook her head. "Actually, no. not my birthplace. I was born in a far more pastoral region. But this is where I spent the last few years, in the priest guildhall there, just behind you, actually."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "But the game has only been out for one day. How can you say you have spent years here? Are you talking about Kaelyn's backstory, or…" Chloe paused, searching Kaelyn's face. "Or is this something else? Some players are spreading rumors about how they find themselves with memories they should not have."

A smile crept up on the corner of Kaelyn's. She recognised what Chloe was doing, and answered in the most cryptic way possible. "It's like you say. I have a past in the game's world; Kaelyn was born here, and has an entire life's worth of memories."

She shifted her position on the seat, her blonde tail flicked behind her, almost as if batting Chloe's questions aside. She felt a twinge of nervousness in the back of her mind, a small voice warning her to rein it in. But Kaelyn just ignored it. This was her show.

"And those memories must come from the famous calibration system everyone is talking about? The one allowing you to move body parts humans don't normally have as if you were born with them?"

Kaelyn grinned at that. "Well, not exactly. After all, I was born with those parts."

Chloe looked taken aback and slightly uncomfortable at that answer. "But not the player who created you. Are you somehow hinting I am interviewing Kaelyn, not her creator?"

Kaelyn let out a melodic laugh, tinged with a hint of cruelty and amusement. "Of course you're interviewing me. And I am both. There is but one brain, one body, and two sets of memories. It's really not complicated."

Chloe's gaze turned serious. "Earlier, I have met the player behind the avatar. I have to admit, the difference between the two of you is pretty surprising."

Kaelyn squinted her eyes at Chloe. She had not said too much, but she was threading dangerous ground, and it would be easy for her to slip up and reveal some details about Ryan by accident. "But is it that surprising? Isn't it the same for actors or politicians? The face they show to their family isn't the one they show to the camera. Or to the teller at the grocery store. We all have distinct faces based on who we're talking to and what we're doing at the moment."

Chloe gave Kaelyn a slight smile, acknowledging the point, but clearly not convinced. "True enough. People adapt, wear different masks, depending on their audience. But those are just... roles, personas. They're not separate people. What you're describing—the idea that both Kaelyn and the person who created her are here, together—that sounds like something more."

Kaelyn tilted her head, her expression unreadable, a flicker of something amused and dangerous lurking in her eyes. Her fingers drummed idly against the bench, a slow, deliberate rhythm, as if testing Chloe's patience. "Maybe it is. Kaelyn's creator and myself aren't separate people." She let her gaze drift away, as if looking out over the gleaming spires of Luminara, a city both familiar and strange in this silent, scentless replica. "We have distinct lives and memories, but we're both able to access them."

Chloe nodded slowly, apparently still digesting all that. "I see. Do you mind if I ask you a personal question, Kaelyn?"

She looked at the reporter with a devious smile, one telegraphing how her answer would depend entirely on the question. "But of course, Ms McIntyre. Ask away."

"Oh, please, you can just call me Chloe. Here's a question I'm sure is on every viewer's mind: Why a catgirl?"

Kaelyn's smiled broadened. She put a hand on one hip and flicked her tail, mimicking one of her iconic seductive pose. "That should be obvious, no? Who wouldn't want to be this cute?"

Chloe smirked as if she had expected exactly that response. "I suppose that's true for many people, Kaelyn. But for you? Something tells me it's more than just looking cute."

Kaelyn tilted her head, her tail flicking idly behind her as she studied Chloe with feline curiosity. "You're very observant, Chloe," she purred. "Maybe there is more to it. But why should I give all my secrets away in the first interview? A little mystery is good for the soul."

Chloe chuckled, a hint of steel in her gaze. "Fair enough. Though I have a feeling you enjoy giving people what they want—just enough to keep them hooked, but never the complete story."

Kaelyn leaned back on the bench, casually deflecting Chloe's unspoken question. Once again, she felt a flicker of unease, a warning in the back of her mind to be careful. But Kaelyn brushed it aside, her voice smooth and unbothered. She crossed her legs and draped one arm casually along the backrest, as if she were perfectly at ease.

She gave Chloe a knowing smile, her emerald-green eyes catching the artificial light and flashing with mischief. "Isn't that the essence of charm? A little give, a little take. People always want what they can't quite have."

The reporter shifted slightly, keeping her expression neutral, though Kaelyn could see the gears turning in her mind. "Alright then, let's talk about what you've given to the world so far. The glitch, as it's being called, has caused quite a stir. People are describing it as more than just a technical error. Do you have any opinion on the matter? What has been your experience so far with it?"

Kaelyn's smile turned thoughtful, a softer, almost wistful expression replacing her usual confident smirk. "It hasn't been an impediment for me, or for most who have been living with the glitch, I assume. But for the others, who suddenly see their friends, family members or colleagues looking nothing like they did the day before yesterday? I suppose that could require some adaptation."

Chloe's eyes narrowed slightly, leaning in. "So you're saying the glitch is more difficult on friends, family and co-workers than it is for the victims of the glitch?"

Kaelyn's gaze turned sharp, her posture shifting just slightly as she straightened. "It's not really my place to say what goes on in other people's heads, but I'm fairly confident than anyone in a situation like mine would actually pretty be comfortable with it."

Chloe held Kaelyn's gaze, the silence stretching between them, thick with unspoken questions. "What would you say for people whose life are in disarray? Those who may be afraid of losing themselves or their loved ones? Waking up and not recognising the person they've become?"

Kaelyn took a deep breath, her eyes momentarily distant, as if wrestling with an unfinished thought. "Change can look scary," she said finally, her voice steady but tinged with something deeper. "But it's also inevitable. We all change as we age, as our brains mature, as our knowledge of things evolves. This may appear to be a bigger change, because it came all so suddenly, but that's all it is. Change has always been part of life, hasn't it? What is there to fear?"

Chloe's gaze softened, but the sharpness remained, like the gleam of steel behind silk. "That's a nice way to look at it. But a shift like this—it's not gradual. It's not even a choice, really, is it? For some, it's more like an invasion. People fear what they can't control, Kaelyn. What do you say to those who see this as a violation?"

Kaelyn smiled, a hint of playfulness returning to her face. "People always fear what they don't understand, don't they? But fear doesn't mean something's bad—it just means it's new. Something foreign." She tilted her head, her cat ears twitching ever so slightly, an unconscious motion that seemed to underscore her point. "And with the unknown… sometimes you just have to embrace it. Maybe even learn to enjoy it."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound easy. But for someone experiencing a shift like this—seeing themselves transformed, feeling memories that aren't their own—it's hard to draw that line between what's real and what's not. Doesn't that blur a person's sense of identity?"

Kaelyn's expression softened, a glimmer of genuine thoughtfulness crossing her face. "Perhaps? But maybe identity is more flexible than you think? We're constantly taking in new experiences, shaping ourselves, adapting. Maybe the problem isn't the glitch—it's how people feel they must hold on to a single, unchanging sense of self."

Chloe considered her words, clearly intrigued but not entirely convinced. "So, you believe identity is fluid? That this glitch—this sudden transformation—is just another way for people to explore who they could be?"

"Exactly." Kaelyn's voice was rich with conviction. "Who says we're only one thing? I can be Kaelyn and still hold on to memories that don't belong to her. But that doesn't erase who I am. Maybe it just… expands it."

The silence that followed was heavy, a quiet understanding passing between them. Chloe gave a small nod, acknowledging Kaelyn's words, her resolve. "Thank you, Kaelyn. I think our viewers are going to see something important from your experience. I know I have."

Kaelyn offered a faint smile, relief and determination mingling in her expression. "I hope they do."

Chloe rose from the bench, smoothed her blazer and extended a hand, flashing a polite smile. "Well, thank you for your time."

Kaelyn shook her hand, her grip firm. "It was my pleasure."

Just before Chloe's avatar dematerialised, Kaelyn caught a change to the reporter's facial expression twist into something more unreadable but sinister. The corner of her mouth twitched, her gaze lingering just a fraction too long, as if she knew something Kaelyn did not. Worry flooded her mind. Had she slipped, somehow? She replayed the interview in her mind, scanning every word, every gesture, every shift in Chloe's expression. Her tail flicked—too sharp, betraying the calm she fought to hold.

She remained standing, the city of Luminara silent and still. She scanned the empty streets, feeling the weight of her own words, the enormity of what she had just claimed.

This was her truth. Kaelyn, fully and completely. Glitch, avatar, anomaly—let them call her what they wanted. She knew who she was.

And I'm never going back to what I used to be.

She exhaled slowly, the tension visibly leaving her shoulders as she released a pent-up sigh, then left the virtual room.

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