Page 266 of Light Leech

“No. I won’t have the option to retreat. It’s the risk of attaching myself to you. I’m not going to be a present entity as far as they’re concerned.”

“Are you sure about doing this?” Naoma asked. I was glad she voiced her concern.

“It’s worth the risk to me,” Ralia said. “Me or the world? I choose the world.”

“But that’s not the same, Ral,” I said. “I can just go alone if I have a safe way out.”

“A safe way out, but not a sure way to success. Love yah, Pet, but you need my expertise. If this Pure Knowledge is as all-encompassing as Kalacia says, then maybe we can unlock our mod blocks.”

“You’re really sure?“ I asked.

“No. I’m not sure about one zegging thing except that you need to trust me. Every day we’ve played life or death games of chance and by the Light, our luck hasn’t run out. I would take this any day over facing Nichley again or going to that fetal god. It’s a test of knowledge and together we outsmarted Sanna-Kalacia. You plug?”

“I trust you, but I’m not comfortable.”

“Comfort died when Deleon found you. Boyband, you ready?”

“Hit it.” he said.

“Petya,” she said.

“Yes. Send it.”

“Zeg, I can’t see anything!” Boyband gasped.

”I told you, BB. Keep your hand on the zegging set. Let me know when you get the admittance approved, Pet.”

A message flashed onto my neurospace interface.

Assignment complete. Please enter the Standardized Test.

I read the message aloud. “Ready when you are.”

“Can you see now, BB?”

“Yeah, everything is booting up, but I think I’m good. You heading out?”

“We’ll still be here.”

“Right. Split minds. I plug.”

“I’m merging over, Pet.

A new message appeared.

User Ralia Esparai is requesting link access. Accept or Decline?

I selected accept.

“Oh, Pet, the urge to wander around your neurospace is almost too hard to resist.”

Boyband scoffed. “All you’ll find his storages full of are fixes and anything and everything to do with the Neon Idol.”

I was glad to be in my neurospace where I didn’t have to face Naoma after that comment. Everyone, including me and her, knew there was something between us, but that something was yet to be defined. Our instalove had evolved into something more patient. I wanted to be with her. I thought she wanted to be with me, but she needed time. My only worry was that my time alive would end before she was ready.

Ready for what?

I decided to flip Boyband off, hoping my hand pointed towards his voice. I got that he jabbed me with comments about fixes to keep me off of them, but it didn’t help constantly bringing it up to the group. Perhaps it did, to keep me in check, but I still wondered if they saw me as something lesser. I hadn’t used as many socitabs this week as the weeks before, but the desire to satiate my vain need for affirmation was ever present. Still, it wasn’t as loud as the growing anxiety that called to worrytabs, regardless of their withdrawals.