“You know… This kinda feels designed,” Frank said as we walked down the cliff circling the bubble.

“Designed? What do you mean?” I glanced at him.

“Yeah, designed. It feels like someone wanted to make this seem as impressive as possible.” He pointed back at the forest we’d come from. “Look. First, you come out of the forest and you see the thing. And then you are forced to slowly walk down this cliff to the entrance, all while probably looking all around the bubble from a high vantage point. It’s like… it’s imitating one of those cinematic cutscenes, showing a new area in a game with a flyby.”

I thought about it for a second.

“Yeah, you’re right… This cliff and the crater the bubble is in… It’s all suspiciously convenient.”

“Right! Then theory number two must be correct! Or was it theory number one? Whatever. The theory that this used to just be a game and your portals made it a reality. That one.”

“It could be…” I looked back at the bubble, trying to sense the portal again. “But then, if we find that the portal really leads to the flooded world… what would that mean? Did the devs add that piece of lore knowing it was all real?”

“Hmm…”

A moment of silence as we both pondered that question.

“Right, got it! Theory number three!”

“What?”

“What if… What if both theories are kinda correct? What if instead of invading an already existing world, the devs created this world? Not as a game, but as a real, living, breathing world? And then they started connecting it to other worlds! Like, I dunno, they probably have some world-creating god neighbors, right?”

I frowned. That didn’t seem that far-fetched. There was just one problem with that theory.

“Then what about the NPCs? Why were they… just NPCs until I came and talked to them?”

“That… Hmm…” He scrunched up his lips for a moment. “Well, that’s because you are also some kind of god! You open up portals and give life to their lifeless worlds!” He pointed his finger at me.

I took a step back as if he’d stabbed me.

“Wha– What are you talking about…?”

“Come on! Think about it! Your name, the fact that only you can see the portals, the true form shenanigans. Elyssa already said it, didn’t she? You’re some kind of divine being!”

“But… How? Why? Why me? I’m nobody special.”

“Well, I dunno. I already gave you my two cents of theories. Aliens, ESP, family lineage…”

“Do you think… my mom can also see the portals or something?”

“Well, I dunno… You could ask her.” He shrugged.

“Yeah, as if…” I sighed. “And, actually. I don’t think she can. She was the first to call me schizophrenic when I first told her about the purple floating things.”

“Hmm, what about your dad?”

“He… I don’t think he could see them either.” I frowned at the ground. “And if he was some higher being, he wouldn’t have died so easily.” I whispered the last part.

“Well, I don’t know! Maybe it’s like the weird genes thing where they can skip a generation. Like that one story where a white couple had a black kid because one of their grandpas was black or something.”

I redirected my frown at Frank. He shrugged again in response.

“Hey, I don’t know. Just throwing ideas out there. But really, have you ever checked your family tree?”

“Well… no. I haven’t.”

“Then maybe you should! Maybe you’ll find something! Who knows?”

I grunted whilst gazing at the bubble again.

“Anyway, I think the portal is definitely inside the bubble. Not behind it.”

“Cool… So we got ourselves a confirmation then?”

“Well, not really. We still don’t know where that portal leads.”

“Right… Hey, let’s go check out the entrance. Maybe we can even enter it for a bit.”

“Sure.”

After a long walk down the cliff, we found ourselves at the proper entrance to the bubble city. The bubble itself was just small enough not to cover the ruined city’s gate. Again, awfully convenient.

“Sooo, how the heck do we tell whether it’s flooded or not right now?”

I squinted at the transparent bubble. It all looked blue, but it was hard to tell whether that was because it was currently flooded or because that was just how the bubble looked.

“Well, we can always just try reaching in,” I suggested, whilst walking closer. Once I walked right next to the edge, Frank stopped me.

“Wait!” I turned to him. “What if it… like, suddenly sucks you in as soon as you touch it?”

I frowned. “You’re right… But then, what do we…”

“Well, you’re in luck, my friend!” Frank grinned and pointed a thumb at himself. “Colonel meat shield is ready for a suicide mission.”

“Right… Well, good luck then.” I shrugged and stepped aside, ignoring his antics.

“Alrighty then! Here goes nothing. What do they say again? Leonard Jerkins? Eh, that’s too old. Let’s go with the modern version! Yolo!” He dashed through the bubble.

I stood back and watched as the bubble swallowed him. He landed on the other side, looked around, and then turned back to me with a thumbs up.

I gave him a nod and carefully touched the bubble, letting my arm go through first before the rest of me got pulled through.

“Whoa?!” I nearly slipped and face planted on the other side but luckily caught myself. “That… was weird.”

“Damn, I wish VR had the sense of touch. Well anyway, wanna explore this place before we go back?”

I glanced around at the ruins tinted blue by the bubble’s shadow. “I don’t know… it’s dangerous. It could flood at any moment. I wish there was some kind of timer or warning…”

“Yeah, that would be… Wait.” He stopped and stared at nothing for a moment.

“Frank?”

“Just a second…” he said whilst continuing to stare at nothing.

I tilted my head, waiting for him to come back to me.

“Alright!” he suddenly yelled out. “Just asked my clanmates. The bubble cleared like ten minutes ago, and they said it switches every hour or so, so we should be good for a while!” He grinned.

“Oh… That’s convenient.”

“Yeah! So exploration time?” He gave me a smile.

“Sure.” I returned it.