Double-Blind: A Modern LITRPG

Chapter 105

Golden light shined down through gray clouds. I squinted upwards, shielding my vision with a half-cupped hand. Synthesized pop blasted over a light-gray wireless speaker on the patio table, a kitschy, catchy beat perfectly engineered to be a hit before it ever hit the album. The opaque glass of the patio table caught a muted reflection of the emerging sun, blinding my vision.

There was an inescapable feeling, like I was in the middle of something critical and had been unceremoniously interrupted. For the life of me, I couldnt remember what it was.

Something shuffled beside me and I started, glancing down. Talia was sitting on the grass next to me, trying very hard to look respectable and aloof, despite the wagging tail and the way she kept shifting from side to side.

There was a clink on the table and the scent of freshly cooked meat filled my nostrils. Nick shoved the plate in front of me, and stepped back. He was wearing a striped blue-and-white apron along with his signature grin, then placed another plate gently on the grass in front of Talia. To the victors go the spoils.

Not sure Id call us victorious, Sae commented dryly. She was lounging in a poolside chair, dark hair done up in a casual bun, wearing a pair of designer sunglasses. We survived.

Nick stabbed a metal spatula at her that was still covered in char. We kept our heads, when everyone else was losing their shit. Cooperated with multiple guilds to get people working together. Three regions fortified. All of whichat risk of sounding self-servingput us on the Adventurers Guilds A-List.

Were still trapped in a dome, at the mercy of our anorexic overlord.

Gotta take the wins when they come.

I felt off, like I was missing something. Thats valid, but we really should be talking about next steps.

Nick looked at me, betrayed. Bro. You worked harder than anyone. Turn off your brain for five minutes.

Turn yours on, Jinny chuckled. She squeezed my shoulder gently as she passed to take a seat at the table, and glanced at me sympathetically. Matts got a lot to deal with. None of us were called out at the beginning of the transposition.

The majority of my anxiety faded the moment Jinny settled in next to me. Shed shed her robes for a casual blouse and jeans, and crossed one leg over the other, flashing brightly colored sneakers.

Everyone will be looking over their shoulder. Thats going to hurt you, when it comes to the infiltration stuff. Sae said blandly, as if she was commenting on the weather.

No one knows his face, and he has the mask. Nick argued.

Theyre not gonna stop there, Sae said. That shit the overseer pulled with the announcement? Name-dropping the existence of an Ordinator without going into detail? It was foundational. Laying the groundwork.

I nodded, ignoring the underlying unease for a moment. Ive thought about that. Assuming whoeveror whateverrunning this show knows what theyre doing, my existence is a fluke somehow. But they cant kill me directly. They want the ordinator gone, and theyre intentionally doling out breadcrumbs to make sure someone eventually does it for them.

If I didnt know you and saw the footage they were playing, itd make me more wary of anyone I met from that point onward. Saes mouth was tight.

Its odd, Jinny mused, This obviously isnt their first go-around. Assuming this sort of thing has been happening in other universes or realities for centuries or longer, I cant believe theres never been a benevolent Ordinator.

Which means theyre cherry-picking the footage, Nick realized.

Its not just about making people scared. Its almost like theyre trying to cast you as a villain. Jinny continued.

Sae took her sunglasses off. Not just a villain. The villain. We know from the footage that they keep records of the events. And theres no shortage of fucked-up shit that happened during the transposition. It wouldnt be hard to pin some of it on the Ordinator. Its just a question of what theyll go with.

My mouth dropped open. Fuck me.

What is it? Nick asked.

I put a hand to my forehead, suddenly nauseous. I might be completely off-base here.

Tell us, Jinny prompted.

I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. Its easy to see the entire event as meaningless chaos. But outside of one exception, it followed a certain degree of order. Generally, the level of opposition a region faced was based on location and population density.

Right. Giants and dragons in downtown, lizards and lesser monsters on the outskirts. Nick said. He pushed my plate towards me in something of a half-hearted manner, as if he knew I wasnt going to eat it before it went cold, regardless of what he did.

And the exception? Sae asked. But the grimace on her face indicated she likely already knew what I was about to say.

Region six. A heavy weight settled on my shoulders. The whole region was annihilated early in the transposition, in a way that didnt track with anything else that had happened. Id never stopped pondering why.

Youre saying they did that, so they could leave you holding the bag? Sae asked, raising an eyebrow.

Not exactly, I furrowed my eyebrows, lost in thought. Im not the center of the universe. There was probably some other reason. Maybe they needed to reduce the number of people, or the organism that took over mutated and went out of control. But if Saes right, and theyre recording everything, they already have footage of me in the aftermath. They wont show my faceif they could, they would have already. However, it wouldnt be a hard sell. Everyones hurting, looking for someone to blame.

You could ditch the Myrddin persona completely, Sae suggested.

Or at least pare down your usage of it, Jinny added.

Maybe. That didnt seem right, but it was an option.

Sure, you could go forward as Matt the Page, but what does your gut tell you? Nick asked. His blue-eyes seemed unperturbed, unbothered by the theoretical, as he waited for me to answer.

I doubt the greater powers would just leave me alone if I retired Myrddin and avoided using Ordinator abilities. A small smile crested my lips. And if they actually follow through, its a huge mistake on their part. Giving me that level of infamy. There are plenty of drawbacks, but just as many benefits. Leaning into itthe role of the villain, could pay off exponentially.

Hes making creepy faces again. Sae shivered.

I opened my mouth, then hesitated. If I was alone, Id probably play it that way. My main concern is bringing it home with me. To my family and you all.

Youve been playing this game before the rest of us even knew there was one. Like youd even get caught, Helpline. Youre too much of a sneaky fuck for that. Sae rolled her eyes.

She stood, left her sunglasses on the beach chair, and jumped into the pool. The resulting splash spattered the rest of us with water. Everyone at the table cringed and sputtered. Nick hurled an inflatable beach ball at her head when she emerged.

Jinny removed the towel hanging off the back of her chair and dabbed water from her face, shooting Sae an irritated glance. Flippant as she is, Im inclined to agree. If anyones equipped for that particular task, its you. But more importantly, are you okay with that? Theres no telling how long youd have to keep it up. And playing that role like that for an extended time always comes with a cost.

I shook my head. It doesnt matter if Im fine with it. Its the optimal play. Anything less would turn a potential advantage into a problem. And I have enough problems already.

Jinny smiled sadly. She rose from the table, taking her empty plate with her. Now that I thought about it, Id never seen her eat. Theres more to life than optimization. But were with you. Whatever you decide.

The sliding door to Nicks house opened and shut. I idly watched through the window as Jinny made her way through the house. Through the dusty glass, she almost looked transparent, like she wasnt there at all.

Nick cleared his throat. I know Im the leader, but Jinnys right. This is your call, Matt. I wouldnt wish it on anyone.

A long silence passed between us, augmented by splashing as Sae began to swim laps. Suddenly, I was overcome with the need to express something to Nick. Something Id never said before. It was completely unlike me, but I couldnt shake the feeling that, if I didnt, I might never get the chance again.

The first time we met. In the hospital. I started.

Nick rolled his eyes. God, you were such a dick. I didnt even know it was possible to be that much of a dick to someone on crutches.

You wouldnt leave me alone.

Nick glared. You were there all the time and you always had your nose in a book.

I was studying.

And Im a social animal man, what was I supposed to do?

I stopped, considering whether to finish my thought. Again, that feeling that I might not have a chance again pushed me forward. There were other people there you could have bonded with. People that would have made more sense. I saw more than a few athletes with injuries when I came to visit you later on, people

Like you.

Nick nodded. There are other folks I would have had more common ground with, sure. Youre asking why I singled you out?

There had to be a reason. Like you saw something in me. Or sensed that I could be useful.

I cant answer that, Matt. Nick sipped his water, oddly sage.

Why?

Because you dont know the answer. And if you dont know, I cant tell you. Because this is all happening up here. Nick pointed to his head. The moment the words were spoken, the scene of the barbecue seemed to fade in color. Slowly, the sun receded back into the clouds. Nick looked at me, his face uncharacteristically stoic. Youre spinning too many plates, my friend. Its only a matter of time before they all come crashing down.

Its already happening, to some extent. But what am I supposed to do? I said angrily, pushing the plate away, only noticing it was bare after Id moved it, nothing left on the off-white surface but a picked-over bone. I cant drop anything. Every goal I have is vital.

Nick shrugged. The suits are dangerous. And I know youve dealt with iffy people in the past, but this is way out of your league. I was naive. I made this mess. It wouldnt be unreasonable if you left me in it.

I promised. And I dont promise often

Because your promises are iron-clad. I know, I know. Youre a stubborn bastard. Nick lounged back in his chair and let out a deep breath. Look. If youre really committed to this, its time to go.

I looked around at the facade. A fairy-tale land where Jinny never died. Where Id found either the courage or foolishness to confide my secrets, and instead of breaking us apart, itd only brought us closer together. Was that even possible?

Probably not. But it was a nice dream.

Can I just stay here for a minute? My voice sounded faraway, abstract.

Do it already.

What?

/////

Do it already.

Various sensations returned slowly. A brutal throbbing in the back of my head. The smell of sweat and fear, followed by the cold steel of a knife pressed against my throat. Frigid air from a vent brushed freely across my face, no longer restricted by the stuffiness of the mask. Moments later, I realized why.

They took it off.

I cant. He helped me. And hes just a kid.

Mantles voice. I kept my eyes closed, trying not to mentally calculate exactly how bad this was, and failing.

Silas. The gruffer voice from further up spoke again. They only need a little more. We pull this off, your region is solid, well be heroes, and we leave this probationary bullshit behind. Not to mention, this mask is going to sell for a fortune.

Look at him, Kyrin. Hes the same age as your son. Probably younger.

Doesnt matter.

Why cant we just stop the car and drop him off on a sidewalk somewhere?

He saw your face. All our faces, right before I put his lights out. And have you looked around? Leaving some unconscious asshole on out in the middle of this would be cruel. Hed be eaten alive, or worse. Putting him down is a mercy compared to that.

There was a beat of silence as the SUV took a hard right turn.

Kyrin spoke again. People are dying in the street by the hundreds. No ones going to look twice if some random kid ends up dead. But if he lives and finds you somehow? Raises a stink about what happened here with the guild? It compromises all of us.

Fuck this. God fucking dammit, Silas said. I could tell from his voice that Kyrin had persuaded him. Now it was just a matter of working himself up to it.

By my count, there were three of them. Kyrin, Silas, and an unnamed driver I reached out blindly with aiming for the drivers side, picturing what I wanted. The throbbing in my head grew more intense, almost to the point that I lost consciousness again.

A third voice chimed in. Brakes are acting up.

What the hell? Kyrin asked. Silas, nut-up and do the kid for fucks sake. If we have to ditch the car, hes not coming with us.

Silas leaned down far enough that I could feel his breath, and whispered in my ear. Sorry.

There it was again.

I snaked an arm upwards, knocking the knife away and grabbing the back of Silass neck. Surprise registered in his face, his mouth opening in shock, just before I drove my thumb into his eye.