The days in the dorm were always a mixture of the mundane and the surreal.


    Mateo, on the living room, often found himself straddling the line between his own experiments and the bizarre happenings around campus. But today, as he sat cross-legged on his bed, the Reality Tuner''s box on the table in front of him, unease churned in his gut.


    Kale''s words from their earlier conversation echoed in his mind.


    "There was this... shadow. I think it was you, but it wasn''t. The room was dim, and there was this lamp flickering."


    Her tone hadn''t been teasing or playful. It carried the weight of something real, something she couldn''t explain. And that frightened Mateo more than he cared to admit.


    The door creaked open, breaking his train of thought.


    Thalo stepped in, laptop under one arm and a tired expression on his face, kicking the door shut behind him.


    He said.


    "Yo. You look like you''ve seen a ghost."


    Mateo muttered, gesturing toward the box on the table.


    "Maybe I have. Look at this."


    Thalo''s eyes lit up with curiosity as he set his laptop down and leaned over the box.


    "What is it?"


    "Mikhail called it the Reality Tuner," Mateo said.


    "He gave me this whole spiel about how it messes with your brain''s electromagnetic fields and rewires your perception of reality."


    Thalo snorted.


    "Sounds like pseudoscience."


    "That''s what I thought too," Mateo replied, opening the box and revealing the smooth, gleaming metal sphere.


    "But then he explained it, and... it kind of makes sense. Electromagnetic pulses, neural pathways, all that jazz."


    Thalo frowned, reaching out to touch the sphere. He hesitated, his fingers hovering just above the surface.


    "You haven''t used it yet, have you?"


    Mateo shook his head.


    "No, no. Not yet. I''m still trying to figure out if it''s worth the risk. Ha ha."


    "Good," Thalo said, pulling his hand back.


    "Stuff like this always comes with strings attached. I''d bet my tuition this thing isn''t as harmless as it looks."


    Mateo smirked.


    "You''d bet your tuition on anything. It''s not like you''re actually paying for it."


    Thalo rolled his eyes.


    "Pfft. Fair point. Still, if this thing can do even half of what that old man says, it''s dangerous. You should tread carefully."


    Before Mateo could respond, there was a knock at the door. He exchanged a glance with Thalo, then got up to answer it. Kale stood on the other side, her backpack slung over one shoulder and a frazzled look on her face.


    She said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.


    "Hey, uh, Mateo. We need to talk."


    Mateo asked, closing the door behind her.


    "About what?"


    "About the dream," Kale said, dropping her backpack onto the floor.


    "It wasn''t just a dream, Mateo. I''ve been thinking about it all day, and... something''s off."Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Mateo sighed, running a hand through his hair.


    "Kale, we''ve been over this. Dreams feel real sometimes. It doesn''t mean anything."


    "No," she said firmly, her green eyes locking onto his.


    "This was different. I saw things I shouldn''t have known about. Details about your room, the way the light flickered, the sound of your breathing. It was like I was there. Like I was in your room, but not physically."


    Thalo cleared his throat, drawing their attention.


    "Wait. Are you saying you had an out-of-body experience or something?"


    Kale hesitated, then nodded.


    "Uh, hmm. I guess? I don''t know how else to explain it. But it felt real."


    Mateo crossed his arms, his gaze shifting to the Reality Tuner on the table. A cold dread settled over him.


    Could it be connected? I hadn''t even used the device yet, but what if just having it nearby was enough to trigger... something?


    "You said you were near my desk," Mateo said slowly.


    "What else did you see?"


    Kale frowned, her brows knitting together in concentration.


    "There was... a book. A blue notebook with a bunch of scribbles in it. And a lamp—one of those old-school ones with the green glass shade. It kept flickering, like it was short-circuiting."


    Mateo''s stomach dropped. The blue notebook and the green-shaded lamp were both on his desk, exactly as she described. He hadn''t mentioned them to anyone, not even Kale or Thalo.


    Thalo noticed his reaction and raised an eyebrow.


    "That mean something to you?"


    "It''s... accurate," Mateo admitted reluctantly.


    "Too accurate. But how could you know that?"


    Kale threw up her hands.


    "That''s what I''m trying to figure out! See?! This isn''t normal. Something weird is going on, and we need to get to the bottom of it."


    Thalo''s gaze flicked to the Reality Tuner.


    "You think it''s that?"


    Mateo shrugged helplessly.


    "I don''t know. Maybe. Mikhail said it messes with perception, but I haven''t even used it yet. I don''t see how it could''ve done anything."


    Thalo said, his tone both curious and cautious.


    "Well, there''s only one way to find out."


    Mateo and Kale both stared at him.


    Mateo said.


    "You''re not seriously suggesting we use it."


    "Why not?" Thalo replied.


    "If this thing is causing weird stuff to happen, we need to understand it. And the best way to do that is to test it."


    Kale shook her head.


    "That''s a terrible idea. You don''t mess with something like this without knowing exactly what it does. It could be dangerous. The brain''s perception is fragile. If this thing can really manipulate electromagnetic fields, it could affect neural pathways, cause hallucinations, or worse—psychological trauma."


    Thalo smirked.


    "Dangerous is half the fun. And hold on. Before we jump to conclusions, we need to test its functionality. If it''s interacting with electromagnetic fields, there''s probably a software or code-based system controlling it. That''s where I come in. Let me debug it before you power it up."


    Mateo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He felt like he was being pulled in two directions—his curiosity urging him to experiment with the Reality Tuner, and his common sense warning him to stay far away from it.


    "I don''t know," he said finally.


    "Maybe we should wait. Do some research first, see if anyone else has used something like this."


    Kale nodded in agreement.


    "That''s the smart move. We need more information before we do anything rash."


    Thalo leaned back in his chair, clearly disappointed.


    "Fine. But don''t take too long. If this thing is causing issues, we need to deal with it sooner rather than later."


    The conversation shifted to other topics, but the tension lingered in the air.


    Mateo couldn''t shake the feeling that the Reality Tuner was more than just a piece of technology. It was a gateway to something unknown, something dangerous. And as much as he wanted to understand it, he wasn''t sure if he was ready to face what it might reveal.


    <hr>


    Later that night, the faint hum of streetlights filtered through the window as the three of them sat in the dimly lit dorm. Kale leaned against the edge of Mateo''s desk, fiddling with a pen while Thalo packed up his laptop into his weathered bag.


    "I hate to break it to you, but it''s Friday," Kale said, her tone casual but apologetic.


    "Neither of us have classes over the weekend, so we''re heading home for a couple of days. Don''t burn this place down while we''re gone, alright?"


    Mateo looked up from his tinkering, raising an eyebrow.


    "It''s Friday already? Where did the week even go?"


    Thalo smirked, adjusting his backpack straps.


    "Some of us actually keep track of time, unlike you. Anyway, we''ll be back Monday. Until then, try not to blow anything up or get yourself in trouble. You have a knack for it."


    Kale chuckled, brushing her silver-blonde hair back.


    "Seriously, though. If you''re going to mess with that device, don''t go full mad scientist without someone here to keep you grounded."


    Mateo rolled his eyes but couldn''t help smirking.


    "Noted, ma''am. Just remember, if something genius happens, you''ll miss out on the unveiling."


    Kale shrugged, a teasing grin on her face.


    "If it''s really genius, you can explain it to us on Monday. Otherwise, I''ll assume it''s one of your usual ''almost-successes.''"


    As they both headed for the door, Kale paused and glanced back, her expression softening.


    "Take care of yourself. And maybe get some sleep for once."


    Thalo added with a playful grin.


    "Or at least clean up the mess before your mom decides to pop by."


    With a wave and the sound of the door clicking shut, Mateo was left alone in the quiet dorm.


    After Kale and Thalo had left, Mateo found himself alone in the dorm.


    The dorm room was still and dim, the only light coming from the faint glow of Mateo''s desk lamp.


    The Reality Tuner rested before him, its smooth, metallic surface gleaming under the light. He had already spent hours inspecting it, tinkering with its external components, but his curiosity remained unsatisfied.


    "Just a machine," he murmured, as if to reassure himself. Yet, the device felt anything but ordinary.


    As his fingers brushed the small button at the top, a strange thrill coursed through him—a mix of anticipation and dread.


    He hesitated for a heartbeat, then pressed the button.