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Watching her game was a… strange experience.

At least ithadbeen when I first walked into her office to find her playing a popular first person shooter game at her desk. Years later, I found a kind of solace watching her game. Listening to her swear under her breath or all out rage at the characters had quickly become my favorite form of entertainment.

She reached over to her hip and withdrew what I assumed was a virtual sword and took a deep breath. “Get ready to eat shit, Gorgon,” she murmured quietly, and I fought to smother my giggles as she launched into attack.

She swung at the screen, quick, precise movements before she exhaled and sheathed her sword again. “Ha, too easy.”

I applauded her and she turned around just in time for me to watch the massive monster crash to the ground. She pulled off her headset and shook out her short curls, her eyes glinting with satisfaction.

“I take it that’s an approval?”

She walked over to the sofa and plopped down beside me, a hint of her expensive yet soft perfume wafting over to me.

“It’s got some bugs here and there and the gameplay might be a little too easy.” She sighed. “But I think those are just minor tweaks for now. What we have is ready to showcase, at the very least.”

“You looked like you were enjoying yourself,” I told her.

She smiled softly. “Do you want to give it a try?” she offered, holding out the headset.

My stomach dropped ten floors. “No way,” I insisted, trying to slide away from the headset she offered me.

“Why not?” she pressed, her lips kicking into a mischievous grin. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little challenge?”

“No, because the last time you asked me to play a beta test in virtual reality, I had to sprint to the bathroom to throw up,” I grumbled. “The motion mechanics were so bad that I almost passed out!”

Despite herself, Reid cackled at me, no doubt remembering how hilarious I must have looked hauling ass with a VR headset hanging off my head.

“Come on.” She giggled. “That was such a long time ago. Besides, I now insist that they fix the mechanics on every VR game before they send it up to me.”

“I don’t buy it.”

“Did you not just see me clear that level without falling on my ass?” she teased.

“I did, but you’re used to doing this shit,” I pointed out. “You insist on beta testing every single game that DawnStar releases. I’m just a bystander.”

“Okay, if you’re chicken then just say so.” She frowned, shrugging a little as she pulled the headset away.

Her jab clicked through my mind like skipping stones on water and I turned to look at her, brows raised.

“Excuse me?”

The side of her mouth curled into a smirk and she waved a hand at me. “I mean, I get it if you’re too scared to try it out-”

“Give it here,” I huffed, grabbing the headset and shoving it onto my head.

Her laughter faded a little as I was thrown into a virtual fantasy world.

“Oh, God.” I cringed, my eyes straining to grow accustomed to the augmented reality around me. Whatever character I was playing stood at the foot of a grand staircase that spiraled high into the air.

I craned my neck to see just how high the staircase rose but gave up.

“What is this?” I asked, looking back down at the scenery.

Standing on a mountaintop, the clouds sprawled around me like effervescent rugs, there was no discernible path.

“This is a backend level that we’re using to test,” she explained. “The controls are pretty easy.”

She described the game controls and mechanics and I clung to each word, trying to remember every bit.