Perdition of Reality

Chapter Two: The Server

Lev stared at the message for a long moment, his mind racing. Every instinct told him to back off, to stop whatever had drawn attention to him. But his curiosity gnawed at him. He wasn't the type to scare easily, and now that he was in this deep, pulling out didn't feel like an option. Especially with Tom involved.

"We need a plan," Lev finally said, keeping his voice low. "I don't know who these people are, but if they're tracking us, we have to figure out how they're doing it. Maybe we can trace it back somehow."

Tom nodded, but there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "And if we can't? What if this is some crazy powerful group? I'm not trying to mess with, like, secret agents or—"

"They're not secret agents." Lev cut him off, though the words felt hollow. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. "Look, they want me to stop because I'm onto something. Maybe that console connects to a server or network that's supposed to stay hidden. Maybe this is bigger than just a hack, you know?"

Tom sighed, rubbing his temples. "Alright, let's say we do this. What's our next move?"

Lev glanced around the library, then leaned in closer. "I have a friend, Marina. She's a genius when it comes to networking. She might be able to help us track down who's sending these messages and see how deep this goes."

"Marina? The girl from your systems class?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "You really think she can help with this?"

"Yeah. She's low-key, but she knows her stuff. Trust me, if anyone can help us, it's her."

Tom didn't look entirely convinced, but he nodded. "Alright. Let's talk to her. But if things get too sketchy, we bail. Agreed?"

Lev agreed, though he had no intention of bailing. He felt like they were standing on the edge of something big, and part of him was exhilarated. As much as he hated to admit it, this whole thing was a thrill.

They left the library together, the snowfall thickening around them as they trudged through the campus toward Marina's dorm. The campus was quieter than usual, with most students huddling indoors to avoid the storm. Lev's phone stayed silent, though the feeling of being watched never left him.

When they reached Marina's door, Lev knocked softly. A moment later, the door opened just a crack, and a pair of sharp green eyes peered out.

"Lev? Tom?" Marina's voice was cautious. "What's up?"

"We need your help," Lev said, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was around. "Can we come in?"

Marina hesitated for a second, then opened the door wider, motioning for them to enter. Her room was cluttered but cozy, with a row of computers and monitors against one wall and bookshelves crammed with tech manuals on the other. She closed the door behind them and locked it.

"Alright, what's going on?" Marina asked, sitting down at her desk. "You guys look like you're in some serious trouble."

Lev wasted no time. He explained everything—the console, the cryptic messages, the calls, the sudden shutdown. Marina listened intently, her eyes narrowing as Lev recounted the part about the encrypted messages and the threats.

When he finished, she leaned back in her chair, frowning. "That's... pretty wild. But I think I can help. If they're tracking you, it's probably through your devices. We'll have to scrub your phones and computers, but before we do that, I want to see if we can find out where these messages are coming from."

"That's what we were hoping for," Lev said, relief washing over him. "Can you trace them?"

"I can try," Marina said, already typing on one of her keyboards. "Give me a few minutes. I'll need access to the last message you got."