After they left the Association building, Alex and Alexa drove home in silence. The car ride was quiet. Even the city noise outside seemed far away.
Alexa finally broke the silence. "Alex…"
"I know," Alex replied without looking. "There's no other developer. We made the game—just the two of us."
When they arrived home, Alexa went straight to the living room. She sat on the sofa and placed her hands on her face.
"I feel awful," she said quietly. "We were used…"
Alex sat across from her, watching her closely but not saying anything yet.
Alexa continued. "Do you remember? That black smoke figure who appeared in our dreams... the one who gave us the idea of creating a VR game?" Her voice was low and filled with guilt. "They told us to make something new. Something special. And we believed it."
