Feed the Kitten came to its conclusion. The sudden jump back into reality was jarring. Within seconds of the Moderator fading out of existence and presumably into another game, the Garrison building returned to life. No longer did the burning heat of fire permeate the building. Cars honked and rumbled outside on the city streets, and the clock on the wall began to tick closer to five o’clock. Nothing had changed, except for Iliya. Peaches was gone from his arms. The red hoodie he had worn at the start of the game had not respawned on his body, nor did Iliya’s shoes. That was going to be a fun subway ride home. Iliya pulled his hair down from its messy bun, and sniffed at its ends. He smelled of campfire.

Iliya’s phone vibrated.

Iliya decided he deserved a small breakdown before checking his phone. All the emotions he had pushed down during the game were fighting to surface. Fear of the unknown, triumph over winning, pity for the professor… The professor. Iliya sighed. He didn’t like the man, but Iliya hoped whatever punishment was, he hadn’t condemned the man to death. But, a small voice in his head argued, he did trick me into playing. And when he ran from the kitchen, he didn’t seem so beat up about possibly leaving me to some dangerous punishment. Iliya rubbed his eyes. Speaking of tricking people into playing the game, he thought of Dassi. What was going on with her? Was she safe? Iliya wasn’t sure if he would punch or hug her, if they got the chance to meet again.

After taking a few minutes to just zone out, Iliya finally looked at the notifications clogging his phone’s lockscreen. So his phone was back to normal, aside from the content of his notifications. He had some texts from his roommate, which he just couldn’t spare the brainpower for. Then there was a message on discord from Dassi, and some notifications from World Game Room. His scalp tingled. He wasn’t ready to play another game yet. Iliya opened discord first.

Iliya I’m so, so sorry. I got the gift from your registration. I’m about to go into my fourth game, then I’ll be gone. I know you’re going to make it. When you unlock friends, make sure to add me as Myrtle. I don’t want to have to fight against you in pvp. <3 See you on the other side.

Dassi’s message left more questions than answers. How did she receive her gift? What happens after your fourth game? Friends? Iliya could feel a headache coming on. At least there was a way to avoid fighting certain people. If he had to fight Dassi, he wasn’t sure he would be able to live with himself if he hurt her. Iliya snorted. In all honesty, Dassi would be insulted at his line of thought. Unlike him, she would have no hesitation in beating him down.

Bracing himself, Iliya opened the World Game Room app. There was a countdown on the opening page that started at two days, and had just begun to tick. Below it, there was the option to open one of three remaining games, or find another player who had opened one of those games. Iliya still had just under two days to pick, so he exited out of the main window. The menu he had seen earlier appeared, and there were no new tabs to unlock. The notification popped up again, this time within the app. It was a small window, telling him Peaches would like to be summoned! He exhaled in relief. Then he gathered up his things and made his way home to rest.

When he got to his apartment, Iliya closed the door behind him and exhaled in relief at the silence. It was a small space, as befitting a graduate student and two aspiring artists. The main room served as kitchen, living room, and dining room all together. The left-hand side of the space had a kitchenette, complete with a bare cabinet, refrigerator and freezer. The small gas stovetop had bits of charred unknown sticking to the top, and the less said about the filled, unclean sink, the better. The seating area was a less sorry state. The wide, tattered old couch didn’t have any jackets thrown on it- Iliya’s roommates weren’t home. Good. Iliya slipped off his shoes and went to his room.

When Iliya had moved into this apartment with his friends, he had promised to himself that he would keep his room clean. That had lasted all of two days. Pajamas and dirty clothes were strewn all over his desk chair, with some even falling off and carpeting his floor. The desk’s top was where Iliya’s considerably more empty backpack was placed before he flopped on his unmade bed with a groan. The only part of his room that had any semblance of an order was Iliya’s bookcase, which was organized with a system that only made sense to Iliya.

Laying back onto his nest of pillows, Iliya unlocked his phone and finally allowed Peaches to summon herself. He wasn’t sure what summoning would be like, if it would cost him any energy or points from some unknown system. When Peaches appeared, Iliya didn’t feel like anything had changed. He didn’t feel any more tired, or hungry. It was like Peaches had always been there, sitting up on his lap and staring at him, but Iliya just hadn’t been able to see her until he summoned her.

Peaches pressed one of her little paws to Iliya’s chest and pressed her claws in, making a displeased mrrp sound.

“Sorry I took so long to let you out, I had to head home,” Iliya offered. Peaches stood up and deliberately turned herself around, though she was still sitting on Iliya’s lap. “Don’t be mad.” She sniffed, and turned her head up. “I’ll get you some peanut butter?”

Peaches shot off his lap, and watched Iliya with bright eyes as he left his room and went into the kitchen. Thank god for industrial sized jars of peanut butter. Iliya unscrewed the cap, and was about to offer her a spoonful when he remembered that Peaches had also developed a taste for tin foil. Curious, he tore off some tin foil, scrunched it in a ball, and stuck it in the peanut butter jar. He offered the peanut butter tin ball to Peaches, wondering if she would be able to eat it in the real world. Peaches opened her mouth wide, but she was only able to open it as wide as a normal kitten could. She tried to fit it around the tin foil to no avail. Whining, she started licking the peanut butter off the tin foil ball.

“Guess you have to abide by the laws of biology when you’re not in a game, huh?” Iliya stroked her little head as Peaches went to town on the peanut butter. “I’ll get you some cat things in the morning?” Peaches looked over at him and huffed. Iliya hadn’t known cats could be so expressive. Her little face clearly read buy me a litter box and you die!

After Peaches had finished her treat, Iliya yawned and decided to head to bed early. He had a stressful day, and that was even before he was pulled into the game. There was a lot to digest. He needed time to question his reality and everything he knew about the world, so he took the time to have a panic attack in the shower. After cleaning himself, he collapsed face first into his bed. Curled up, with Peaches happily napping on his pillow, Iliya closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Iliya woke up at a much earlier time than usual. There was a notification on his phone that said Peaches had returned to wherever the hell she came from. Iliya blinked lazily at his phone, and the reminder that he had about a day and a half before… Something. He wasn’t sure if he would be forced into a game, or punishment. Feeling numb, Iliya sent off an email to his professor that he needed a mental health day. Then he closed his eyes and decided to sleep a little more.

His eyes snapped open.

Fuck it. Fuck it! He was just going to get these challenges done. He wasn’t just going to sit on his bed and sulk. Iliya wanted answers! He wanted respect from that damn game and he was going to get it even if it killed him in the process. Iliya pushed himself out of bed, determined. He went through his morning routine with a strange sort of fervor, brushing his teeth so fiercely his gums bled and yanking his arms through a t-shirt before grabbing his necessities and storming out.

Iliya stood outside his apartment building, panting. He unlocked his phone, pressed the World Game Room app, and began searching for a game to join.