We're all in this virtual space together.
Sarir

After a moment you nod shakily, deciding that maybe it is betterto move forward and try to replace a way to escape than to just sit around dyingin this virtual space. Even if you have to disappear for the good of the party,it wouldn’t be any different than staying put.

You step through the new pathway to replace an even more distortedvirtual space ahead. The man with the shield is immediately on guard, raisinghis defense as the swordswoman prepares her offense. You wish you had a weapon,and realize the somber twin has none either. That comforts you, for reasonsunknown.

The space is red and angry, coding flying like bullets but nothitting you or your party. You wonder if someone is controlling them, beforeyou dismiss the thought at its incredulity. All feelings of remembrance havegone in this twisted place.

The man with the shield shouts, and only then do you notice thatthe Cheshire twin has taken residence in the room. She smiles at you and quirksa finger in your direction. Her twin immediately steps in front of you, thesomber girl shaking her head and causing the mirror image’s grin to droopslightly. Neither the man with the shield nor the swordswoman have loweredtheir weapons.

With a slightly peeved face, the harlequin twin extends her handout to her duplicate. The somber twin takes it reluctantly and you were aboutto call out to stop her when the two were illuminated in a brilliant flash ofcoding. They appeared to join as one in a horrific cacophony of maniacallaughter and blood curdling screams before fading away entirely.

The pathway opened out of the twisted place, and your companionswere less sure about moving onward this time. They look to you, gesturingvaguely to the pathway that may or may not have been opened due to the sombertwin’s sacrifice.

What do you do?

The new surroundingsthat the small resistance group found themselves in were much less infinitefeelings but just as suffocating - a long, bland, perfectly straight anduniform hallway. No markings broke up the monotony of the endless walls of dullsilver, not even pink lighting that seemed to pervade every other aspect of theship were present in this space. Myos was beginning to get anxious that theyhad been walking for too long, and his gaming instincts were on high alert. Anymoment now, some giant enemy crab or something was going to jump out from theshadows and they were going to have to attack its weak point for massivedamage. Or maybe the Empress herself would come out and try to persuade to giveup their quest or convince them that they aren’t so different and offer them aposition of power that they would turn down for the sake of the honor of theirteam.

Or the redhead wouldsmack into a table at the end of the hallway because he let his imagination getthe best of him.

Zeke snickered, and Myosstepped back to join him, looking at the small table that appeared to be carvedfrom some sort of rare, metallic black material. On top of the table there wereseveral rows of small pink heart charms, all neatly arranged in a grid. Amayatilted her head quizzically, fiddling with the star charm on her sailor collaragain.

Achernar stepped up tothe table with a broad grin plastered on her face. “Leave this to me, guys,”she laughed, yanking the golden anchor from her neck, going through the samefantastical transformation Myos had earlier to transform into her armor suit.Revving up her powerful chainsaw katana, she slashed through the table in oneeasy stroke, cutting the table in half as if it were made of melted butter. Theblue haired woman stepped back to watch the satisfying conclusion of her work,only to frown in disappointment when a new table and set of heart charms hadmaterialized in its place.

“What the fucking hell?”She exclaimed, the armor dissipating around her as she went back to normal.

“It’s obviously somesort of puzzle,” Zeke reasoned with a wave of his hand, scoffing as if it wereso noticeable. “The hearts and their order are supposed to represent something,and we have to work through everything we know and the answer will be apparentto us fairly quickly,” he finished with a self satisfied smile, rolling backhis shoulders in pompous relaxation.

“Wrong.”

Zeke looked to see whohad spoken, scowling to see it was the girl with the pink kitten ribbon in herhair. “I beg your pardon?”

“I said you’re wrong,”Razzy repeated her statement with a fluid shrug, her boots clicking on thefloor as she walked towards the table. “The hearts don’t stand for anything.”

“Then, um, what are yousupposed to do here?” Amaya asked, looking between each of the members of thegroup for answers.

“And why won’t stabbingwork?” Achernar huffed, crossing her arms.

“Yeah, Razzy, take itaway, if you know what to do,” Myos said with an encouraging nod. “I think thislabyrinth or whatever is some sort of sick security system from the Empress.They’ll be more challenges after this,” he sighed.

“Probably,” Razzyreplied as she picked up two of the small heart charms, the rest of the groupwatching in amazement as two more suddenly seemed to simply vanish from thetable as if some invisible spectre had gobbled them up. “This is called Nim.It’s a game.”

“A game?” Myos said,eyes lighting up at the mere mention of his favorite hobby.

“Mhmm,” Razzy repliedabsentmindedly, taking turns with her invisible enemy removing alternations ofone, two, or three small heart pieces.

“Well, like, how do youwin?” Amaya questioned, furrowing her brows as she tried to figure out thepoint of the game, watching the other girl make moves with quick successionuntil Razzy had removed a three charms and only a single one remained for hergaming partner.

The table disappeared asa bell that was only going to become more familiar sounded overhead, and a doorcame into existence in front of them.

“Like that.”