《Silent Paradox》
01 - College Dropout
The room hummed with the faint crackle of circuitry.
A pale morning light filtered through the dormitory blinds, illuminating the clutter that passed for a workspace. Loose wires snaked across the floor, their metallic sheen catching the light, while precarious towers of circuit boards loomed on every available surface. The air smelled faintly of burnt solder and instant noodles.
On the bed, a figure stirred, tangled in mismatched sheets.
"Ugh..."
Mateo groaned, pushing himself upright. His lab coat, which he hadn''t bothered to take off the night before, was now wrinkled and smudged with grease. He shoved a hand through his disheveled hair, blinking against the harsh buzz of the fluorescent light overhead.
The room was silent¡ªeerily so.
He glanced at the empty bed across the room, then back to his own. The silence stung. Kale and Thalo had left days ago, heading back to their families for the holidays. Now, the hallways were empty, save for the occasional clatter of distant footsteps.
He muttered to himself.
"Guess it''s just me again."
His voice sounded hollow, even to him.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, bare feet meeting the cool linoleum. His cargo pants, still on from the day before, were crumpled and weighed down by a collection of tools in the pockets. A screwdriver poked out, glinting like a misplaced weapon.
I wonder if they''ve figured it out by now. The others... I mean, they don''t ask, but... maybe they know.
His thoughts lingered on that familiar feeling of isolation. Sure, they were his friends, but they didn''t understand¡ªdidn''t get what it felt like to wake up and wonder if you were even on the right path anymore. To have your life defined by failure after failure.
Don''t think about it. Focus. Just get to work.
The desk across the room drew his gaze. It was the heart of the chaos:
An unfinished toaster prototype lay gutted, wires spilling out like entrails.
Beside it, a small drone hung lifeless, its propellers bent and its casing scorched.
On the shelf above, rows of failed inventions sat like silent judges¡ªa smart socket device that had once caused a blackout, an air purifier that emitted more dust than it removed, and a half-finished bracelet labeled Focus Enhancer v2.
Yeah, failures. I''ve got plenty of those.
He shuffled to the desk, picking up the bracelet.
He muttered, turning it over in his hands.
"Still a piece of junk, huh?"
The device had a sleek design, its black band inlaid with faintly glowing circuits. It was supposed to help people concentrate by emitting subtle electromagnetic pulses. Instead, it gave most users splitting headaches.
With a sigh, he tossed it back onto the desk.
"Maybe I''m just not cut out for this..."
But that thought was fleeting¡ªhe couldn''t allow himself to entertain it for long. Not when the alternative was worse.
Don''t think about it. You''ll find something. Just keep going.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The desk beckoned, but before he could dive back in, he needed a break. He made his way to the tiny dorm bathroom, flipping on the light with a groan as it flickered hesitantly to life.
In the mirror, he barely recognized himself. His dark hair stood at odd angles, and faint shadows lined his eyes, the telltale signs of too many late nights tinkering.
I used to care about how I looked. Now... now I don''t even have the energy to care about that. What does it matter, anyway?
He avoided his own gaze, instead focusing on scrubbing the grease off his hands.
"You''re still enrolled," he murmured to himself, the lie as familiar as the air in this room.
"You''re fine. She doesn''t have to know."
She.
His mother''s face surfaced in his mind¡ªstern, hopeful, desperate. He could already hear her voice during their next call.
"How are classes? Are you eating well? Remember, this degree is your future, sweetie."
The truth would crush her.
Maybe she''s better off not knowing the truth. Maybe it''s better to just keep lying.
The lie had been easy at first. One skipped semester turned into two. The money meant for tuition went to his inventions, to the dorm fees, to his endless pursuit of something that would make all of this worth it.
But so far, he had nothing to show for it.
Back at the desk, he dug through a pile of components, searching for something to salvage. His hand brushed against a smooth, unfamiliar surface.
He froze.
His fingers hovered over it¡ªtoo smooth, too warm. He could tell it wasn''t like the other gadgets scattered across his desk. But for now, he set it aside, knowing there was no time for another failed project.
Another failure in the making? Or could this one actually work?
With a sigh, he turned back to his tools. For now, it would just be another part of the clutter.
His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts.
A text from Kale.
"You should come join us next time. You can''t live on cup noodles forever."
Attached was a picture of her at home, smiling softly as sunlight streamed over her silvery hair. Her wide eyes, the same shade of blue as the ocean, stared at the camera with that reassuringly hopeful look she always wore.
Another buzz.
This time, it was Thalo.
"Hey. Still playing mad scientist? You better not invent anything that''ll get us all arrested, genius. Lmao. Just joking, joking."
The message came with a selfie¡ªhim at a caf¨¦, dressed in a sharp navy shirt, a smirk playing on his lips. He had that effortless confidence, the kind Mateo could never quite muster, the kind that always made him feel like an outsider.
Mateo snorted, tossing the phone back onto the desk.
He muttered.
"Idiots."
He couldn''t bring himself to ignore the warmth in his chest, the lingering pull of their words. It felt good to be reminded that there were still people who cared, even if he couldn''t face them right now.
He glanced at the phone, the weight of his friends'' messages still hanging in the air.
Maybe I should call her... no, no. Not today.
Mateo sat back in his creaky chair, rolling it toward the window. The campus outside was still, as if the entire world had put a pause on reality, waiting for something. He stared into the distance, his mind wandering.
There was a knock at the door.
The sound broke through the fog of his thoughts like an unexpected storm. Mateo jumped, his heart racing for a moment. He quickly stood up, trying to mask his disheveled state, but his hands were shaking slightly.
He glanced at the door, his pulse quickening for reasons he couldn''t explain.
"Mateo? You in there?"
It was the voice of his mother, distant but filled with that familiar maternal concern. His stomach tightened.
He swallowed, straightening himself up, wiping his hands on his pants.
"Yeah, Mom. Just a sec."
The door creaked open, and there she stood, her face painted with a mixture of disappointment and hope, as if she was bracing herself for something.
"I brought you some food," she said, holding out a Tupperware container.
"And how are you doing with classes? You''ve been so quiet lately. I''m getting worried about you."
Mateo took the container, his fingers brushing against hers for a moment. He forced a smile, as convincing as he could make it.
"I''m good, Mom. Really. Classes are fine. Just, you know... busy."
She stared at him, eyes searching for cracks in the facade.
"Well, I hope so. You''re still on track for graduation, right?"
Her words hung in the air like a weight he couldn''t escape from.
"Of course, Mom. I''m fine. I''ll do just fine."
She nodded, not entirely convinced but unwilling to press further.
"Alright. Well, if you need anything, just call. You know I''m here."
As she walked out, Mateo let out a breath he didn''t realize he had been holding. He shut the door softly, trying to push away the guilt that gnawed at his insides.
The room was quiet once more, save for the soft hum of the circuitry and the distant sound of his two friends'' voices in the back of his mind.
The thoughts tugged at him, pulling his mind toward the future. It wasn''t all about the failed inventions.
There had to be a way forward.
There must be.
He knew he couldn''t keep going like this forever, stuck in the same cycle.
Maybe today... today is the day things change.
02 - Fractured Bond
The vendor shop was a small, dimly lit space tucked between a rundown caf¨¦ and a convenience store that smelled of stale chips and old coffee.
Mateo stepped inside, the bell above the door ringing faintly as he entered. The scent of burning incense mixed with the metallic tang of old gadgets, creating an odd, comforting atmosphere. The walls were lined with shelves filled with forgotten gadgets, mysterious tools, and obscure parts, their origins often unknown.
The shop''s owner, a grizzled man with silver streaks in his unkempt beard, was hunched behind the counter, his hands working meticulously on something small¡ªlikely another broken device that had been left behind. His name was Mikhail, and though his face looked as if it had weathered a storm or two, his eyes still carried a spark of curiosity that kept him in business.
Mateo approached the counter, his boots clicking on the floor.
He asked, his voice light but carrying the weight of unspoken frustration.
"Got anything new for me?"
He was in a familiar mood, the kind where no one else understood his need to keep creating, to keep testing his inventions¡ªeven though most of them failed.
"Something that might actually work this time?"
The old man glanced up, his brown eyes sharp under his weathered face, a small grin pulling at the corners of his lips. "Something special, kid. You ready?"
Mateo nodded, curiosity building. Mikhail''s "special" finds were always worth looking at, even if they occasionally ended up being junk.
Mikhail reached under the counter and pulled out a small box, his movements deliberate. He set it on the counter with a quiet thud and slid it toward Mateo.
He said.
"Here you go."
The box was unremarkable¡ªwooden and chipped around the edges¡ªbut it felt heavier than it should be.
Mateo raised an eyebrow as he lifted the lid. Inside, resting on a velvet lining, was a small metal sphere. Its surface was smooth, almost unnaturally so, and it seemed to shimmer with a subtle light. Mateo''s fingers hovered over it, instinctively drawn to it, but something about it unsettled him.
Mateo asked.
"What''s this?"
Mikhail stood back, watching him closely.
"This, my boy, is the beginning of something much bigger than you can imagine."
His eyes glinted in a way that was almost too knowing, too calculating.
"It''s called the Reality Tuner."
Mateo looked up sharply, his hand still hovering over the object. The name hit him like a punch to the gut¡ªhe''d heard whispers about this, vague rumors in the underground tech community. But he''d never seen one in person.
"You''ve heard of it, haven''t you?" Mikhail continued, his voice taking on a more serious edge.
"I''ve been working on prototypes for years¡ªfailed ones, mind you¡ªbut this one? This one is special."
Mateo leaned forward, his skepticism battling with a growing sense of intrigue.
"Reality Tuner?" he repeated slowly.
"What does it do?"
Mikhail''s face took on a shadowed expression, as though he was weighing whether to reveal the full truth. After a moment of silence, he sighed and leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"It messes with perception. I''m talking about bending reality¡ªmanipulating how you experience the world around you."
Mateo blinked, momentarily thrown off by the simplicity of the statement.
"Bend reality?"
He scoffed, his brow furrowing.
"How exactly does a little metal ball do that?"
Mikhail chuckled, a deep, almost unsettling sound.
"It''s all in the electromagnetic fields, Mateo. This thing taps into your brain''s neuro-electric signals. It syncs with your sensory processing centers and creates an alternate version of reality. Not like VR. Not like any of those gimmicks. It reprograms your senses¡ªmakes you feel things that aren''t there. Things that are just... fabricated."
Mateo frowned, leaning back.
"So, you''re telling me this thing makes people see things that aren''t real?"
He gestured toward the sphere in his hand, unsure whether to be intrigued or horrified.
"Exactly," Mikhail said, his tone far more serious now.
"But that''s just the surface. The problem is, it doesn''t stop there. It doesn''t just trick you¡ªit completely alters your experience. It creates a new reality, one you perceive as the real world. And once you start using it, the line between what''s real and what''s not can get... blurry. Eventually, you won''t know the difference."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Mateo shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around it.
"Ohh, okay, okay. So you''re saying it just... messes with your head? Like a hallucination generator?"
"More than that," Mikhail replied with a knowing grin.
"It''s like your brain gets a new operating system. And when you push it too far¡ªwhen you dive deep into the new reality¡ªit''ll start to break down. People lose track of what''s real. They can get stuck in it. They go mad."
Mateo''s stomach churned at the thought, but he couldn''t pull his gaze away from the device. He could already feel it¡ªthe allure. A device that could change everything, that could push human limits beyond anything he''d imagined. But was it worth the cost?
Before he could process it all, he interrupted Mikhail''s long-winded explanation.
"Okay, okay. So, can you just tell me like I''m five? Because all this science talk isn''t helping."
Mikhail paused, then grinned wryly.
"Alright, fine. Let me break it down. This thing sends out electromagnetic pulses into your brain. It doesn''t just observe the signals your brain sends; it rewires them. It creates a new ''reality'' for you¡ªlike when you dream, except it happens while you''re awake."
Mateo''s eyes widened as it started to make sense.
"So it''s not just seeing things¡ªit''s about living in a different reality, experiencing it like it''s real?"
"Bingo," Mikhail replied, his tone lighter now.
"But remember, young man, don''t mess with it too much. If you do, your brain might not know how to handle it. People have ended up in hospitals from this kind of thing. You don''t want to be the one to test the limits."
Mateo stared at the Reality Tuner in his palm. His mind raced. It sounded like the kind of thing his father would have made¡ªsomething ambitious, dangerous, and maybe... revolutionary.
He shook his head.
"And why are you giving this to me?"
Mikhail shrugged, his expression unreadable.
"Let''s just say it''s your turn to play with fire."
Mateo set the Reality Tuner back down in the box, still unsure whether to be excited or terrified. But one thing was certain¡ªhe wouldn''t be able to forget about it. Not now.
"I know the feeling. Just... don''t let it break you. You might get what you want, but you''ll lose something in the process."
A shiver ran down Mateo''s spine, but he forced himself to smile.
"I''ll keep that in mind, old man."
Suddenly, his phone buzzed. Mateo glanced at the screen¡ªKale''s name.
Mateo said, stepping away from the counter.
"Hold that thought."
Mikhail muttered, his words low but clear.
"Make sure you don''t lose yourself."
Mateo paused at the door, but didn''t look back. Instead, he answered the call.
"Hey, Kale."
"You''re not going to believe this," Kale''s voice crackled through the phone.
"I had the weirdest dream last night. It was so real. I saw your dorm, and everything seemed... off."
Mateo furrowed his brow, his fingers tightening around the phone.
"Off? Like what?"
"There was this... shadow. I think it was you, but it wasn''t. The room was dim, and there was this lamp flickering. I swear it wasn''t just a dream," she continued, her voice filled with unease.
"It felt like¡ªlike I was there. In your dorm, right next to you."
Mateo chuckled lightly, but the unsettling tone in her voice didn''t escape him.
"You''re crazy, Kale. It''s just a dream. You know how overactive your imagination gets."
"Maybe," Kale said, but her voice was still laced with uncertainty.
"But there were details I shouldn''t know. The way the light was hitting your desk. The fact that you had a... well, never mind. You''ll think I''m crazy."
Mateo shifted uncomfortably.
"It''s just a dream. Nothing to worry about."
But something about her words, the eeriness in her voice, made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"I''ll catch up with you later. Don''t stress about it, alright?"
"Yeah. Talk to you later," Kale replied, but there was a pause.
"Mateo... be careful. It''s not just a dream."
The line clicked off, leaving him standing in the vendor shop, his mind racing.
Mateo muttered to himself, but he wasn''t so sure.
"Just a dream."
He pocketed his phone, trying to shake off the discomfort as he returned to Mikhail''s counter.
Mikhail asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You alright there, kid?"
Mateo waved it off, his eyes lingering on a shelf of outdated tech.
"Yeah. Just... some strange stuff with friends, you know?"
Mateo''s mind was still reeling from Mikhail''s explanation of the Reality Tuner.
The concept of bending reality, of shifting perception, was unsettling in a way he couldn''t quite put into words. He glanced back at the small metal sphere, still resting on the counter. The allure was undeniable, but so was the warning.
Could it really work? Could something so small change everything?
His thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of the door opening behind him. He turned, almost grateful for the distraction.
Lila stepped inside, a sudden burst of energy, carrying a small tin wrapped in wax paper.
Her presence always seemed to carry a subtle energy, her eyes sparkling with a quiet intensity. She waved at Mateo as she approached, her hands full of a small tin wrapped in wax paper.
"I brought cookies," she said, her voice sweet and tinged with a playful tone.
"Thought I''d drop by and see if you''re still alive in here."
Mateo blinked, a little caught off guard by her sudden appearance.
Lila had been coming by the dorm more frequently, and though he wasn''t blind to her obvious affection for him, he couldn''t bring himself to acknowledge it. It wasn''t that he didn''t find her interesting; it was just that he was too focused on everything else.
"I''m alive, I guess," Mateo said with a half-smile, his tone a little awkward.
"Just been busy with¡ª" he gestured at the half-finished projects on the counter "¡ªthis."
Lila laughed, setting the tin down on the counter and leaning in a little too close for comfort.
"You really need to stop living off cup noodles, Mateo. It''s not good for you."
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Mateo rubbed the back of his neck.
"I''ve got it handled."
Her eyes lingered on him for a moment, as if searching for something more than just conversation. She had a way of looking at him that made Mateo feel like he was under a microscope, dissected, analyzed. But instead of calling attention to it, he focused on the cookies, picking one up and biting into it to break the tension.
"Anyway," she said, stepping back slightly.
"You heard the rumors about the campus, right?"
Mateo raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious now.
"Rumors?"
"Yeah," Lila continued, her voice dropping slightly, as though she didn''t want to be overheard.
"About it being haunted. People say weird things have been happening lately¡ªthings that can''t be explained. Lights flickering in classrooms, shadows in the corners of the halls. Weird stuff."
Mateo chuckled, trying to shake off the tension.
"That''s just college gossip. You know how it is. People need something to talk about."
But as Lila laughed, he couldn''t shake the unease that had settled in his chest. Was it just the stress of everything, or was there something more to it?
A sudden flicker of light overhead caught his attention.
He turned toward it, noticing the overhead lamp had begun to blink erratically, casting strange shadows across the room. For a split second, Mateo could have sworn he saw something¡ªa figure, standing motionless in the corner of the room.
But when he blinked again, the figure was gone.
"Must be the wiring," he muttered, brushing it off.
"Old dorms and their faulty electrical work."
Lila smiled, but Mateo couldn''t shake the feeling that something was watching him.
03 - Curious Cat
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¡ªone 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¡ªpsychological 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¡ªhis 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.
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¡ªa mix of anticipation and dread.
He hesitated for a heartbeat, then pressed the button.
04 - Threads of Possibility
The first thing Mateo noticed was the sound¡ªa low, almost imperceptible hum.
It was subtle, like the faint vibration of an engine coming to life, but it resonated in his chest, matching the rhythm of his heartbeat.
Then, the room changed.
The air grew dense, pressing against his skin as if the very fabric of reality had thickened. His desk warped before his eyes, its edges twisting and bending like molten metal. Mateo''s breath hitched.
He blinked, trying to refocus, but the distortion only deepened.
The walls of the dorm shimmered, fading in and out as though they were caught between existing and dissolving. Shadows stretched unnaturally along the floor, curling upward like dark tendrils reaching for him. The lamp on his desk flickered, its light dimming until it cast jagged streaks across the room.
Mateo whispered, his voice trembling.
"What the hell... What the hell is happening?!"
And then, he heard it.
"Mateo..."
The voice was faint, almost carried by the hum itself, but it froze him in place. His father''s voice. Calm, familiar, and unmistakably real.
"Mateo... you have to understand..."
His pulse quickened.
"Dad?"
It couldn''t be him. His father had been gone for years¡ªvanished without a trace. And yet, the voice carried a weight that pulled at something deep within him.
The hum grew louder, vibrating through the floor and into his bones. The shadows twisted faster, spiraling around him as if alive. His chest tightened, and his breath came in short, shallow bursts.
Mateo whispered again, his voice cracking.
"Dad?"
The room trembled, the flickering shadows and warped walls threatening to close in on him. The voice came again, stronger this time, as though it were echoing from every corner of the room.
"Mateo, you must¡ª"
A sudden crackle of static pierced the air, sharp and jarring, breaking through the trance.
Mateo''s hands shot up to his ears as the sound drilled into his skull. The room snapped back into focus, the walls solidifying, the shadows retreating.
For a moment, everything was silent.
Mateo sat frozen, the Reality Tuner still in his hands. His fingers were ice-cold, and a sheen of sweat coated his palms. The low hum had stopped, but the weight in the air remained, an unseen presence pressing down on him.
He muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
"What the hell just happened?"
He looked down at the device, its surface still faintly glowing, as if taunting him.
The room around him was unchanged, yet it felt profoundly different¡ªoff, somehow. It was as though something had shifted, something he couldn''t see but could feel in every fiber of his being.
His mind raced. The voice¡ªhis father''s voice¡ªhad been so vivid, so real. But how?
He closed his eyes, willing his breathing to slow, and focused on the memory of what he''d just heard.
"Mateo, you must..."
Must what? What were you trying to say? Wait, why is he even there? He left me and my mom years ago. I shouldn''t...
The Reality Tuner sat heavy in his lap, its cold surface almost pulsating under his touch.
He said aloud, his voice steadier now, though the unease still lingered.
"I need answers."
He reached for his phone with trembling hands and quickly typed out a message to Kale.
"Need help. Something weird happened. Call me."
Without missing a beat, he opened another chat and messaged Thalo.
"Hey, Thalo. That device¡ªthe Reality Tuner¡ªit''s... doing something. I think I need your help with the code. Call me when you can."
As the messages sent, Mateo''s gaze returned to the device. He traced the faint lines etched into its surface, the grooves that seemed to glow ever so slightly.
There was no denying it now¡ªthis wasn''t just some failed invention.
It was something far more powerful, far more dangerous.
And yet, despite the fear gnawing at him, he felt an undeniable pull. Whatever this thing was, it was tied to his father¡ªand to answers he had sought for years.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Mateo murmured, gripping the Reality Tuner tightly.
"I don''t know what you are. But I''m going to find out."
The room remained silent, but the memory of his father''s voice lingered in his mind, intertwining with the hum that had vibrated through the air.
Mateo''s phone buzzed almost immediately, pulling him from his spiraling thoughts.
Thalo''s reply lit up the screen first.
"Dumbass. We just left. We haven''t even made it home, and now you want us to come back to the dorm?"
Mateo let out a small huff, a mix of irritation and relief. Thalo''s bluntness was a weird comfort, grounding him back in the moment.
A second buzz followed. This time, it was Kale.
"We''ll visit tomorrow morning. Just be safe and explain your experience to us tomorrow."
Mateo stared at the screen, his grip on the phone tightening.
Safe? He wasn''t even sure what that meant anymore. Whatever had just happened wasn''t something a good night''s sleep could fix.
But he knew Kale and Thalo were right¡ªdragging them back now wouldn''t solve anything.
He typed out a quick response to both of them.
"Okay. Tomorrow morning. But seriously, this is weird. Just... hurry."
Setting the phone down, Mateo glanced at the Reality Tuner once more. It sat there, innocuous and unassuming, a silent enigma that had just shaken his entire world. He rubbed his temples, trying to process the chaos in his mind.
For now, he was alone with it. And the night stretched ahead, heavy with unanswered questions.
Mateo leaned back against the wall, staring at the Reality Tuner as if it might spring to life again. His hands were still trembling, but his mind raced to dissect what had just happened.
He muttered to himself.
"Electromagnetic waves... spatial distortion... Is that what this is? The device must emit some kind of electromagnetic pulse that interacts with... something. But how? And why did it¡ª"
His voice caught as a realization struck.
Mikhail had mentioned it, hadn''t he? Something about the Reality Tuner not being a gimmick, about it tapping into fundamental forces of the universe.
Mateo had brushed it off at the time, thinking it was just his Mikhail''s eccentric ramblings, but now...
He whispered aloud, his voice barely above the hum of the dormant device.
"Mikhail was telling the truth."
The weight of those words hung in the air. His father, who had disappeared without explanation, who had left behind nothing but fragments of his work and a hollow ache in Mateo''s life, had been right all along.
Mateo shook his head, trying to focus.
"If this is real... then that hum, that vibration... maybe it wasn''t just in my head. Could it have been electromagnetic resonance? Or some kind of quantum field response?"
He ran a hand through his hair, the logical part of his mind clawing for a foothold amid the growing chaos.
"But if that''s true, then... what exactly did it tune into?"
The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
The distortion, the flickering walls, the shadows¡ªthey hadn''t been tricks of the light or his imagination.
They were real. As real as the faint echo of his father''s voice that still lingered in his ears.
His chest tightened. If his father had been telling the truth about the device, then maybe he''d been right about other things too. About why he had to leave. About why this device was so dangerous.
Mateo''s gaze returned to the Reality Tuner, his voice shaking as he muttered.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into?"
Mateo''s ears perked up at the sound of the knock echoing from the front door.
He froze for a moment, clutching the Reality Tuner in his hand as his pulse quickened.
He muttered to himself, swallowing hard.
"Who the hell would come at this hour?"
He slipped the device into his desk drawer, trying to shake off the lingering unease from earlier.
As he walked toward the living room, his hand instinctively checked his phone in his pocket. 11:03 PM.
Mateo hesitated at the door, a swirl of curiosity and apprehension knotting in his stomach.
Should I even open it?
He clenched his jaw, half-considering ignoring it entirely, but the persistent knock came again, sharper this time.
His hand gripped the doorknob tightly before he turned it and swung the door open.
Standing there was Lila.
She looked distinctly out of place for the hour, dressed in loose, casual sleeping clothes¡ªa tank top and short shorts that stopped just above her knees. Her hair was slightly messy, as if she''d left in a rush, and her expression carried a mix of defiance and unease.
Mateo''s eyes involuntarily darted downward, and as soon as he realized what he was doing, his face flushed a deep red.
"Lila?" he stammered, trying to steady himself.
"Oh, hey... you again. Wait¡ªwhy are you here this late?!"
His voice rose slightly, a mix of embarrassment and genuine concern.
"You''re Kale''s classmate, so you don''t have any classes this weekend, right? Why aren''t you at home? I mean, I know our dorms are close, but¡ªseriously¡ªyou shouldn''t be walking alone this late! This is a subdivision; it''s not safe! What if something¡ª"
Lila cut him off, her voice calm but sharp.
"Who are you to tell me what to do?"
Her brow arched slightly, a teasing glint in her eyes.
"You''re not my boyfriend, Mateo."
Before he could protest, she stepped inside, brushing past him as if the threshold of the door wasn''t a boundary at all. Mateo blinked in surprise, momentarily speechless.
He asked, shutting the door behind her as she made her way into the living room.
"I¡ªwhat are you doing?"
Lila turned to face him, a small sigh escaping her lips.
"Sorry about that," she said softly, her tone gentler now.
"I just... I didn''t know where else to go."
Mateo crossed his arms, studying her with a mixture of concern and confusion.
"Lila, seriously, what''s going on? Why aren''t you at your dorm?"
She hesitated, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I couldn''t sleep."
She admitted finally, her voice quieter.
"I... I was scared, okay?"
Mateo''s expression softened slightly.
"Scared? Of what?"
She let out a nervous chuckle, though it lacked humor.
"It''s stupid, really. My dorm is so close to the campus, and... with everything that''s been happening lately, I just¡ªI couldn''t stay there alone tonight."
Mateo furrowed his brow.
"Wait, what do you mean? The same thing you told me back at Mikhail''s shop?"
As Mateo and Lila settled into the living room, the tension was still thick between them.
Lila was curled up on the couch, her knees drawn to her chest as she glanced nervously at the walls, occasionally looking at Mateo like she expected something to happen. Mateo, on the other hand, was trying to keep his composure. But deep down, a gnawing sense of unease continued to grow.
Lila spoke first, breaking the silence.
"About it being haunted..." she started, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"People say weird things have been happening lately¡ªthings that can''t be explained. Lights flickering in classrooms, shadows in the corners of the halls. Weird stuff."
Mateo frowned, remembering what she had said before.
Rumors. Weird noises at night. People saying they''ve seen things moving where they shouldn''t.
"Yeah, I remember you mentioned it last time," Mateo replied, trying to sound more dismissive than he felt. "But that''s just college gossip, right? People always need something to talk about."
Lila''s laugh was quick but hollow, her fingers tapping nervously against the side of the couch. Mateo could see her unease and realized it wasn''t just the whispers of strange happenings she was afraid of¡ªthere was something more to it.
He chuckled uneasily.
"Probably just faulty electrical stuff. This dorm''s got that vibe, right? Old wiring, old everything."
But as he spoke, the overhead light flickered once again.
Mateo''s eyes snapped toward it, his heart thumping in his chest. The bulb blinked erratically, casting distorted shadows that stretched across the room in strange, unnatural angles. His breath hitched.
For a brief moment, he thought he saw something¡ªsomething standing in the corner of the room, still and silent, its shape unclear.
05 - Mysterious Figure
He blinked hard, forcing his mind to clear.
The figure was gone.
He muttered again, but this time, the words felt weak in his mouth.
"Must be the wiring."
Lila, who had been staring at the corner of the room where the figure had stood, finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You sure? You don''t think...?"
Mateo''s stomach churned.
That''s exactly what she said earlier. Something waiting.
He repeated, though his voice lacked the certainty he wished it had. He didn''t meet her eyes as he spoke.
"Probably just old dorms and bad wiring."
The light flickered again, and then settled.
The room seemed unnaturally quiet. The hum of the old fridge in the corner, the distant sounds of the night outside, everything felt strangely distant now.
Lila''s voice cut through the stillness.
"I hate being alone in my dorm at night. It feels like... something''s watching me. Especially when the lights flicker."
Mateo didn''t respond immediately. He knew what she meant, but he wasn''t about to let her see how deeply the idea had taken root in his own mind.
Not after everything that had happened tonight.
His thoughts swirled back to the Reality Tuner. The distortion he''d experienced earlier, the way the room had warped and shifted.
Was that connected to all of this? Had I unlocked something, somehow?
The air in the room seemed to shift again, heavy and charged.
But it was just our minds playing tricks, right? Maybe it was the stress or the lack of sleep.
Lila shifted uncomfortably on the couch, her fingers nervously tapping against the armrest.
She muttered to herself, though Mateo could hear the words clearly.
"I shouldn''t have come here..."
Mateo''s chest tightened, and he opened his mouth to say something, to stop her from leaving. He didn''t like the idea of her walking back to her dorm alone, especially after everything they''d just talked about.
"Lila, wait," he said, his voice sounding rougher than he intended.
"If you''re feeling scared, it''s okay. You can stay here for tonight. You don''t have to go back yet."
His heart raced, not entirely sure why he felt so strongly about this. Maybe it was the feeling that she was vulnerable, or maybe something else.
Lila''s eyes flickered up to meet his, and for a moment, it felt like the air between them thickened. She was still standing by the door, her hand on the handle, but she hesitated.
Mateo caught the brief flash of relief in her eyes before she shook her head with a small, soft laugh.
"No, it''s okay," she said quickly, though the unease in her voice was evident.
"I didn''t mean to trespass or anything. I''m sorry if I''m being a bother. I''ll just head back to my dorm. I''ll be fine, really."
She looked down at the floor for a moment, her cheeks flushed slightly, and Mateo couldn''t help but notice the way she was avoiding his gaze.
She wasn''t just scared of the dark or the shadows in the corners of the room. Mateo could tell there was something more beneath it. Lila had her own kind of unease¡ªhe knew that much¡ªbut he also knew that she didn''t want to seem weak, especially not in front of him.
Before Mateo could respond, she stepped toward the door, her fingers brushing the doorknob.
She added, her voice quieter now.
"Thanks for letting me in tonight, though. I didn''t mean to overstep."
Mateo felt the words caught in his throat. He wanted to stop her, to insist that she stay on the couch, but the words didn''t come. Instead, he let out a quiet breath, half-relieved and half-resentful of the distance she was putting between them.
"You''re not a bother," Mateo said softly, not sure if she heard him.
"But if you change your mind, the door''s open."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Lila paused for a moment, then gave him a small smile¡ªone that didn''t quite reach her eyes, but enough to make Mateo feel like he had said the right thing.
She said, her voice soft, but there was something lingering in the way she said his name, as if she were hoping he might stop her.
"Goodnight, Mateo."
Mateo didn''t say anything else as he watched her leave, the door clicking shut behind her. He stood there for a moment, feeling a strange mix of relief and disappointment, his thoughts still swirling from everything that had just happened.
Could they all be connected?
The door clicked shut behind Lila, but the shadows in the room seemed to linger just a moment too long. Mateo swallowed hard and glanced over at the desk drawer where he put the Reality Tuner.
He had no idea what he was truly dealing with, but one thing was certain¡ªhe wasn''t alone in this.
The lines between reality and something darker had already started to blur.
The sun had barely risen, and the subdivision outside the dorm were still quiet, save for a few early risers on their way to class.
The crisp morning air had a sharp bite to it, and as Kale and Thalo approached the door of their dorm, they both felt the weight of the day''s impending conversation hanging over them.
Thalo, carrying his laptop bag slung over one shoulder, gave the door a firm knock.
He called, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
"Mateo? You up?"
No response.
Kale sighed, glancing at her phone for the time.
"It''s already 9:30. He''s never up this late unless something''s wrong."
Thalo knocked again, this time a little louder, his hand briefly pausing on the doorknob.
"Mateo... seriously, you in there?"
Still, no answer.
Kale exchanged a look with Thalo. Something was off.
Mateo had seemed fine when they left last night, but now it was like he''d vanished. Maybe he''d fallen asleep after all the chaos with the Reality Tuner.
She said, a little louder now, concern creeping into her tone.
"Mateo, please open the door."
Thalo leaned in closer to the door, his voice turning a bit more teasing.
"Hey, Mateo, don''t tell me you got arrested for your role as the mad scientist now?"
Kale shook her head.
"Thalo, that''s not funny."
The silence hung between them, and after a few moments, Thalo fished his phone out of his pocket and typed a quick message to Mateo, but again, no reply.
Thalo muttered, scratching the back of his neck in frustration.
"Still nothing."
Kale raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe we should just call the campus security?"
Thalo muttered to himself, almost under his breath.
"Stupid."
He reached into his bag and pulled out a small metal key.
"I''ve got a spare key. I made one just in case."
He stepped forward, key in hand, ready to unlock the door¡ªbut just as his hand touched the knob, the door swung open with a sudden creak, revealing Mateo standing in front of them.
"Well, well, well," Thalo said with a smirk, glancing Mateo up and down.
"Look who it is. Someone put an all-nighter."
Mateo was dressed casually, his eyes slightly bloodshot, but otherwise looking relatively normal. His expression, however, was anything but relaxed. He stood in the doorway, a bit stiff as if trying to appear calm despite the tension he was holding in.
Kale stepped forward, a raised brow replacing the usual smile.
"So," she said, folding her arms across her chest.
"You ready to explain it to us?"
Mateo sighed, rubbing his temples as he stood back to let them in.
"Yeah. Come on. No time to waste."
He turned and walked toward the desk, motioning for them to follow.
Kale and Thalo exchanged glances before stepping into the living room.
The morning light filtered through the dorm room windows, casting long shadows across the cluttered space.
Mateo, Thalo, and Kale sat in a tight circle around the desk. Mateo fidgeted, his fingers tapping restlessly against the surface as Kale adjusted the various sensors attached to his body.
Thalo glanced around, his eyes narrowing at the high-tech equipment scattered across the desk.
"Kale, how do you have all this stuff?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"I thought you were just a biology student."
Kale looked up from the equipment with a small smile.
"I am. But my family''s in the medical field, and they use this equipment for their work. They got a whole lab set up for research, and I may have borrowed a few things."
Thalo raised an eyebrow.
"Borrowed?"
Kale shrugged, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Let''s just say, when your parents are doctors, they don''t mind you taking a few gadgets for personal use. Don''t worry, they won''t miss it."
Thalo just nodded, looking impressed.
"Must be nice to have parents that can just hook you up with this stuff."
Kale smirked, already focusing on her work again.
"It has its perks."
Kale glanced up at Mateo, her expression calm but focused.
"Alright, Mateo. We''ve got everything set up. But first, you need to tell us what happened when you used the Reality Tuner last night. We need to know everything."
Mateo hesitated, his gaze flickering toward the desk where the device sat quietly, its faint glow a reminder of what had happened.
He took a deep breath, his thoughts momentarily drifting back to the moment he pressed the button and the strange sensations that followed.
"Okay," he began, his voice low.
"It started pretty normal. I just activated it like we talked about, but when I pressed the button, it felt different¡ªlike... everything around me shifted. The room, the air, it felt heavier, like something was changing."
Kale and Thalo listened intently, the atmosphere in the room growing more tense with every word.
Mateo continued, his hands shaking slightly as he recalled the experience.
"At first, it was like the desk... it was warping. The edges were fading, like reality itself was being unzipped. It wasn''t just the desk, though. The walls started flickering in and out of focus, and the shadows¡ªthey were stretching, curling on the floor like they were alive. And the hum... it was like the sound was inside my body, vibrating in my chest."
Thalo raised an eyebrow.
"A hum?"
Mateo nodded slowly, his mind still reeling from the memory.
"Yeah. It was like this low, constant hum that matched the beat of my heart. I swear I could feel it vibrating in my bones. It was unnerving."
Kale looked at him, her brow furrowed.
"And what else? What did you feel?"
"I... I heard my dad''s voice," Mateo said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"It was like he was there with me, talking. I know it doesn''t make sense, but I could hear him. He said, ''Mateo... you have to understand...''"
His voice faltered slightly, the weight of the memory sinking in.
"I thought it was just my head playing tricks on me, but the shadows... they reacted to it, like they were... listening."
Kale exchanged a look with Thalo.
"That''s... that''s really messed up, Mateo," she said, her tone serious.
"The way you''re describing it, it''s like the Reality Tuner is messing with more than just your perception. It''s messing with your mind."
Mateo shook his head, trying to clear the lingering unease.
"I don''t know. But I couldn''t ignore it. It felt real. And when I snapped out of it... it was like the room snapped back to normal. The shadows were gone, the hum stopped, and everything just... reset."
06 - Wandering Minds
Thalo leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming on the edge of his laptop.
"That''s... definitely not normal. I''ve never heard of a device doing that before. Not unless it''s tapping into something deeper. Something that shouldn''t be messed with."
Kale nodded.
"This is bigger than we thought. When you activated it, it triggered something in your brain, something psychological. That''s why we need to run these tests. If it''s affecting you like this after one use, who knows what it''s doing to your mind long-term."
Mateo looked down at his hands, the weight of the situation finally hitting him.
"I just... I don''t get it. My father¡ªhe must have known something about this. I need to know why he left."
Thalo gave a small, sympathetic smile.
"Hey, bud. We got this. We''ll figure it out together."
Kale placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah. We''ll get to the bottom of it. But first, we need to check you out. We need to understand what''s going on with your brain."
Mateo took a deep breath and nodded.
"Okay. Let''s do it. I need to know what this thing is doing to me."
Mateo muttered, trying to avoid her gaze.
"Though, I still don''t understand why you''re so concerned, Kale."
"I feel fine. Really. No headaches, no dizziness. Everything''s normal."
Kale, however, wasn''t convinced.
Her hands moved quickly, ensuring that the electrodes were properly attached to his scalp, monitoring his brain activity as well as his cortisol levels.
"Just because you feel fine doesn''t mean everything''s fine. You''ve only used the device once, but it could still be affecting you in ways you don''t even realize."
She said, her voice serious.
"I need to run the test, alright? Just for peace of mind."
Mateo sighed, leaning back in the chair and throwing a glance at the Reality Tuner on the desk.
"Alright, fine."
He relented.
"Let''s get this over with."
Thalo, who had been sitting quietly beside them, raised an eyebrow.
"What are you gonna do, Kale? Hook him up to an EEG and see if his brain''s going haywire?"
"Exactly," she replied, her voice steady.
"I want to see how his brain responds when he uses the Reality Tuner. We''ll track his cortisol levels too. They can tell us a lot about how stressed his body is."
Mateo grumbled but didn''t protest any further as Kale finished setting up the sensors.
"Okay," she said, stepping back.
"I''m going to need you to activate it now. Just like you did last night."
Mateo hesitated for a moment, then reached for the Reality Tuner. His fingers brushed over the cold metal surface, the hum it emitted feeling almost familiar by now.
He pressed the small button at the top of the device, and the room around him flickered for an instant¡ªjust as it had the night before. His vision blurred, and the edges of the room seemed to melt into something more fluid. The hum deepened, reverberating through his chest, syncing with his heartbeat.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Kale''s eyes locked onto the screen in front of her, watching as his brain activity spiked.
His cortisol levels, normally steady in the morning, shot up in a sharp wave. Her brow furrowed as she examined the data.
"Mateo," she said slowly, her voice laced with concern.
"Your cortisol levels are through the roof. And your brainwaves¡ªlook at this."
She pointed at the screen, where jagged, erratic patterns filled the graph.
"This isn''t normal. Your brain''s activity is all over the place."
Mateo blinked, shaking his head.
"What? That can''t be right. I feel fine."
But Kale wasn''t buying it. She leaned in closer, her eyes scanning the numbers.
"The stress your body is under is incredible. It''s like your fight-or-flight response is constantly triggered. This device is messing with you, Mateo. It''s affecting your nervous system, your brain¡ªit''s not just in your head. This is real."
He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the tension coil inside him.
"I feel like I''m just... exhausted, that''s all. Maybe it''s nothing."
But Kale''s eyes remained fixed on the screen, her suspicion growing. She didn''t believe it was "nothing." Her fingers hovered over the keys, but before she could say anything more, Thalo piped up from behind them, his attention fully absorbed by the screen of his laptop.
"Guys," Thalo''s voice was low, almost too calm.
"There''s something weird going on with the code. I''m going through the Reality Tuner''s programming, and there are encrypted lines hidden in there. At first, I thought it was nothing, just random bits of data¡ªjunk code or something."
Mateo turned toward Thalo, furrowing his brow.
"Encrypted lines? What does that even mean?"
Thalo''s fingers tapped furiously across the keyboard.
"I''m not sure, but something doesn''t sit right. I was poking around, trying to figure out how this thing works, and I found these strings of text buried deep in the code."
Kale, who was still monitoring Mateo''s condition, looked over at Thalo.
"What kind of strings?"
"Just... random letters and numbers," Thalo replied, his voice flat.
"But as I looked closer, something caught my eye."
He paused, his eyes scanning the screen.
"It''s like the code is reacting to emotional input. I ran a few tests¡ªmade some minor changes¡ªand every time there was an emotional spike, the encrypted strings would shift."
Mateo asked, now genuinely confused.
"What are you talking about?"
"I mean," Thalo continued, a slight edge of unease in his voice.
"There are phrases hidden in the code. Phrases like... ''I see you.'' It''s almost like this thing knows what we''re feeling, knows what we''re doing."
Kale''s eyes widened as the pieces began to fall into place.
"So, you''re saying the Reality Tuner isn''t just a device... it''s interacting with us? Almost like it''s... aware?"
Thalo nodded slowly, the weight of his own words sinking in.
"That''s what it seems like. The encrypted phrases¡ª''I see you''¡ªthey''re not just gibberish. It''s as if the sphere is aware of every move we make, every emotion we feel."
Mateo stood up abruptly, his mind racing.
"That''s insane! It can''t be¡ª"
But then, his words faltered as he felt a sudden chill run down his spine. His heart raced, the hum from the Reality Tuner still echoing faintly in his chest.
"It''s not just in the code, is it?" Mateo whispered, his voice shaking.
"It''s... in the air around us too. I felt it. Last night, when I used it... it felt like something was watching me."
Kale looked at him, her expression serious.
"I think it''s more than just watching. I think it''s interacting with you. And it''s not just your brain¡ªit''s affecting your body, your nervous system. That device, that sphere¡ªit''s doing something to you, something we don''t fully understand."
Thalo slammed his laptop shut, his face grim.
"We need to figure out what it really does before it gets worse."
The three of them fell into a heavy silence, the tension in the room palpable.
Mateo''s hands were trembling again, but this time, he wasn''t sure if it was the Reality Tuner''s influence, or the cold reality of what they were dealing with.
"I can''t stop now," Mateo muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.
"I have to know what it''s doing. I have to know what my father... wait a second! Mikhail!"
He said softly, his voice barely a whisper.
"Mikhail was the one who gave it to me."
Kale and Thalo both paused, looking at him in confusion.
Thalo asked, eyebrows furrowing.
"The old man with the old rusty, right? You best bud?"
"Yeah," Mateo interrupted, his mind racing.
"He was the one who gave me the Reality Tuner. I''ve been so focused on what it does, I never stopped to think¡ªmaybe he knows something about it. Maybe he knows what''s going on with this machine."
Kale hesitated, slowly removing the EEG sensors from Mateo''s head.
"You think he''s connected to this somehow?"
Mateo nodded, his eyes still distant as he processed everything.
"It''s the only lead we have. If anyone has answers, it''s him. We need to talk to Mikhail. His information might help us understand this thing better¡ªunderstand why it''s doing what it''s doing."
Kale carefully removed the last of the sensors from Mateo''s head, her fingers delicate but quick.
"Alright, let''s go talk to him then."
As the last of the equipment was detached, Mateo stood up from the chair, a newfound determination in his eyes.
"We have to move fast. I don''t know how much time we have before¡ª"
He cut himself off, realizing he didn''t know exactly what was coming, only that it was far from good.
Kale and Thalo stood with him, ready to face whatever came next.