It wasn’t the first time Liora had ventured into the Metadream, but it was the first time she came alone. Standing in the vast, luminescent expanse of the Cloud Plaza, her high-waisted light blue jeans and white tube top made her seem like a misplaced avatar in a realm of flowing gowns, floating armor, and holographic wings. She didn’t care. It was her style: simple, clean, and uncluttered—a small rebellion against the overwrought aesthetics of the dream-weaving elite.
Liora adjusted the delicate band circling her neck, a faint warmth emanating from the dreamstone pendant nestled against her chest. It wasn’t just an accessory; it was her anchor, the only thing tethering her consciousness to her terrestrial body back in the real world. Her long, wavy hair floated slightly around her shoulders, as though buoyed by some unseen current of data streaming across the Metadream.
“You’re late,” a voice drawled from behind her. She turned to see Kade leaning casually against one of the gleaming pillars of Cloud Plaza. His avatar was polished as always, a sleek, tailored suit with lines that shimmered faintly like starlight. Yet, his smile was lopsided—faintly amused, faintly irritated. His eyes, a deep violet that shifted shades in the strange light of the Metadream, searched hers.
“Traffic in the login grid,” Liora said with a nonchalant shrug. “Or maybe I just stopped to admire the scenery.” She gestured at their surroundings: a cityscape of impossible angles and translucent skyscrapers that seemed to drip upward into infinity.
“You don’t come here to sightsee.” Kade stepped forward, his tone softening. “Why’d you bring the pendant? You know it makes you traceable.”
Liora arched an eyebrow. “You bring yours,” she countered. “Besides, I needed the anchor.”
“Not the same thing.” A flicker of concern passed across Kade’s expression. “If someone pulls your ID from that, they’ll know you’re in the Cloud unauthorized. You’ll be putting yourself at risk, and… me too.”
She sighed, unsure whether the tightness in her chest was guilt or defiance. “I had to come, Kade. You’re the only one I trust to help me find it.”
“The file,” he said flatly. It wasn’t a question.
Liora nodded. Ever since her sister’s disappearance three months ago, she had been digging. Tracing fragments of corrupted data, hacking into corporate archives, following whispered rumors through dark layers of the Net. The journey always ended the same way: nowhere. Every lead erased, every connection severed, every trace of her sister gone.
But two nights ago, she found a clue—obscure, fragile, but unmistakably her sister. A blinking file embedded in the forgotten database of an outdated connection node, labeled “NEBULA_ALT02.” She couldn’t access it; the encryption was too deep. But she recognized the watermark: GenDox, one of the most secretive megacorporations in the world.
“Do you realize what you’ve stumbled into?” Kade whispered. “GenDox doesn’t lose files like this. If they’re letting someone even sniff it, it’s a trap. You think you’re hunting them, but they’re already watching you.”
“Then let them watch,” Liora said with quiet fury. She clenched her fists. “If they have her, if they’re behind this, I’m not stopping.”
Kade stared at her for a long moment, then reached into his pocket and produced a sleek silver disc. “This is a Tesseract Map. It’s illegal to use, and highly experimental—frankly, we shouldn’t even have it. But it’ll let me trace the file’s location through multiple encrypted layers without leaving your signature behind.”
“You’re helping?” Liora blinked, surprised.
“Oh, I’m helping,” Kade said with a wry smile. “But only because you’re reckless, and I’ve grown weirdly attached to having you alive.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Liora quipped, but the warmth in her voice betrayed her gratitude.
They sat down near the edge of a data waterfall, its liquid light cascading into digital nothingness. Kade placed the Tesseract Map between them, symbols blooming and rippling across its surface. As he worked, his practiced fingers weaving through translucent data threads, Liora felt a strange calm settle over her—until the air around them crackled with static.
Kade froze. “We’re being traced.”
Liora’s heartbeat spiked. “Can you block it?”
“Not in time—” Kade began, but before he could finish, a shadow loomed over them. A form emerged from the ether—a sleek, faceless avatar draped in black armor, the insignia of GenDox glinting faintly on its chestplate.
“Liora Arvendale,” the figure intoned, its voice a cold monotone. “Surrender the pendant and log out. We won’t ask again.”
“Who are you? What have you done with my sister?” Liora demanded, her voice trembling but defiant.
The figure didn’t answer. Instead, it began to advance. Kade, with a curse under his breath, activated the Tesseract Map, launching a spherical energy wave outward. It slammed into the black-armored figure, sending it stumbling, but only for a moment.
“Run!” Kade shouted, pulling Liora to her feet. Together, they fled through the sprawling labyrinth of Cloud Plaza. The Metadream’s shimmering vistas blurred into chaos, every turn a desperate gamble. The GenDox agent followed them relentlessly, its cold presence an unyielding specter of dread.
As they reached the edge of the Metadream, Liora turned to Kade. “We can’t keep running.”
“You’re right.” He gritted his teeth and handed her the Tesseract Map. “Take this. Find out what’s in that file. I’ll hold them off.”
“No, you can’t—” she began, but he interrupted her with a rare, genuine smile.
“You made me care, Liora. Now make it worth something.”
And then he pushed her toward the portal.
The last thing Liora saw before she vanished from the Metadream was Kade standing his ground, a gleaming blade of code in his hand, as the GenDox agent closed in.
When she opened her eyes, she was back in her threadbare apartment, the pendant cold against her chest. The Tesseract Map rested in her hand, its surface etched with flickering coordinates: the location of her sister—or maybe something much darker.
She didn’t know yet if Kade had survived, or if he ever would. But for the first time in months, Liora had a direction. And she wasn’t going to stop until she saw this through, no matter who or what stood in her way.
The source…check out the great article that inspired this amazing short story: Effortless Chic: Master the Art of Minimalist Fashion
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