Short Story: Into the game – Act 1
Chapter 3: Cloak & Dagger
The guards charged down the corridor, swords raised, red eyes glowing like corrupted code. Daniel stepped in front of Claire, staff ready — but she grabbed his wrist.
Unarmed, she shouted, “Come and get it!”
The guards didn’t hesitate. They sprinted straight toward the illusion she’d cast — a perfect copy of her standing defiantly in the centre of the hall. They swung at it, missed completely, and crashed head‑first into the back of an open jail cell. One after another, they toppled in, piling on top of each other in a clattering heap of armour and limbs.
Claire slammed the door shut, locked it, and proudly made an L‑shape on her forehead.
Daniel couldn’t help smiling. “Rogue, huh? Interesting choice — but it suits you.”
Claire smirked. “Look at you with your fancy magic and outfit.” She eyed his clothes. “But my god, your fashion is awful.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Says the one who looks like she spawned in a charity shop.”
Claire rolled her eyes. “Colours are a choice. Is that a pride flag?”
Daniel shook his head. “We need to get out of here, Claire. No time for small talk.”
He blinked at her. “Since when can you do that? That skill, I mean.”
Claire leaned against the bars, panting. “Since you turned up. And since I need to explain… he started feeding on my memories. I felt like everything was slipping away. But seeing you gave me strength to resist.”
Her stomach tightened as a memory surfaced. “The Game Master. That’s who we’re trying to beat.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
She nodded, eyes darkening. “He’s the one behind all of this. The shadow from the arcade. He’s been draining me — every death, every respawn, every time I forget something, he gets stronger. He’s using my memories to drive the game.” Her voice cracked. “And Ant… oh god. He got trapped in here with me. He died so many times trying to protect me.”
Daniel felt the weight of her words settle like cold stone. “Why you?”
“Because I kept coming back,” she whispered. “I kept trying to beat this place. And he… liked that. Liked watching me fail. Liked taking pieces of me each time. Not just me — Ant too.”
She pushed off the bars, rogue daggers flickering into her hands like shards of moonlight.
“But you’re different,” she said. “You remember. You broke the rules just by being here.”
Daniel swallowed. “And that’s why he wants me gone.”
Claire gave a grim smile. “Exactly. You’re the glitch he can’t control.” “But he wants your power now”
Behind them, the trapped guards began to twitch, their eyes flickering violently as the Game Master tried to reclaim them.
Claire grabbed Daniel’s arm. “We need to move. Before he realises you freed me.”
Next chapter