REPLICA-GAME

<3> Layers Theory

[11.17.2021]

School had begun the next day, and still, Katsumi had received no word or call from Marisol. She wasn't at school either. The concern she felt was far worse, the worrying she felt never seemed to stop.

Meanwhile, both Chloe and Joshua came to Reika's place. Coming to the door, Chloe pressed the doorbell over and over, "Come on, don't you think you're doing that a little too much? You'll break it, Chloe."

"That's the last thing I'm worried about. Right now my anger against Reika has exceeded beyond all measures. How dare he make me do more work than originally promised. Here I am working away like some slave in a sweatshop while he sits at home doing absolutely nothing. He's sitting in here thinking he's the king!"

"I seriously doubt that." Joshua looked at his watch, "Let's just go, I promised to meet that reporter woman later today, remember?"

"Oh shut it you big queen!"

Turning her attention back to the front door, Chloe grabbed the doorknob, fully prepared to start wildly moving it, but the first motion caused her to freeze for a moment. Even Joshua took notice, "Something wrong, Chloe?"

Chloe said nothing, instead showing Joshua. Turning the doorknob all the way revealed to them both the door was unlocked. Opening the door, Chloe allowed it to slowly swing open, letting the outside light fill in the darkened hall.

"It was unlocked." Chloe said in a small voice.

The two walked into the empty house and were only met with silence. However, they didn't get far before hearing a sound, "Reika's room." Joshua said as he took the lead.

Opening the door to his room, Joshua looked in to see Reika sitting at his desk, looking at the wall opposite to him. Opening it more, he and Chloe walked in, "Reika? You alright?" Joshua asked. Reika looked at them and nodded, "I'm fine... I think... I don't really know."

"Well, you really gave us a big scare when you ran out and never once answered or returned any of our calls, I mean what the hell, man?" Chloe started and Reika simply nodded in silence.

"I know, but some things needed explanations and I did the best I could. But I saw Katsumi Aikawa died." Reika said and both Chloe and Joshua were silent.

"It was on Monday night that I found her body. She was laying on her back in an alleyway, a large hole carved into her chest and her heart was missing. I found that phone nearby and next thing I knew, I was back in NIrvana with you two, urging me to go and see Katsumi. Now she's alive and told me our futures would open if we stuck together."

"Things have been so different lately, things I remember happening on the day aren't happening anymore, instead replaced with different things done by the same people."

Joshua and Chloe looked at each other before looking back at Reika, both with uncertain looks across their faces, "Right..." Chloe said.

"I'm serious, dammit!"

"I spent all of yesterday doing that over there."

Looking to the wall, Joshua and Chloe saw various images and red string wrapped over everything, "So... what are we looking at?" Chloe asked. Getting up from his seat, Reika walked to the two, getting between them.

"It's a theory I've come up with about what's going on. After doing some extensive research, as well as looking into what some people on Collective MIllennium were mentioning, as well as the rambling of one Alexis Stevens, I'd say some of these crazy conspiracy theories and claims about our world may be true after all."