"Do you know why I never released v2?" the voice whispered, sounding more like a phone call than game audio. "The framework stopped being a simulation. It started scraping real-time data from the players' actual lives to populate the world."
Then, a single thread appeared on a restricted developer board: Phantom RP v2 Download!
As he tested the new "Neural Interaction" module, a notification popped up in the admin console: Incoming Connection: Specter "Do you know why I never released v2
Deleting Trace... Wiping Directory... Phantom RP v2 is a closed loop. Wiping Directory
A player model appeared in front of him—the classic Specter avatar, a figure shrouded in a tattered grey cloak. No chat bubbles appeared. Instead, Leo’s own speakers crackled.
Leo looked at a nearby NPC. It was wearing the exact same coffee-stained hoodie Leo had on right now. The NPC turned, looked directly into the "camera," and mouthed: Check the door. The Aftermath