How had it come to this?

Alaura asked herself the question as though she didn't know exactly how and where she had screwed up. Eight days ago, she had answered a personal add posted online. The add requested a beta tester for a new game, a dating sim made to be played on the phone. The add appeared harmless enough at first glance, but Alaura had recognized the telltale signs of something not quite bona fide. An unsolicited promise that the game developer was not some Internet creep, vagueness where more information would be required, then too many details where no explanation was necessary: all classic diversion and persuasion tactics. Alaura eagerly composed an answer to the add.

Within half an hour, she received a reply. The so-called "game developer" sent her a file to download onto her phone, choosing to communicate through his own messenger app. Very suspicious. More unsolicited promises, followed by extremely questionable requests. It was clear the man to whom she spoke was eager to have finally found a subject gullible enough to submit to his dubious instruction. Soon after her exchange with the mysterious app developer, Alaura concealed her real phone, her trusty Swiss Army knife and a well-worn Xippo lighter etched with the silhouette of a crow in the secret pocket of her outfit: a little, ruffled chiffon sundress patterned with Carolina jasmine. She prepared herself and her outfit in the hopes that she might project an air of naivety whilst simultaneously disarming any men she might encounter with a calculated portrayal of virginal charm.

In retrospect, it was a bit funny that she never suspected it would be his charm disarming her.

Mimicking the bright, wide eyes of an innocent young girl with a sheltered childhood, Alaura met a strange man (notably not the man she had spoken with over the phone) at the established rendezvous and permitted herself to be blindfolded and driven to a secret location without much inquiry. (She had to inquire a little, or else she'd seem suspicious.) In addition to the blindfold, it was clear the driver was taking a circuitous route, likely in an attempt to further addle her sense of direction as they progressed. After a certain point, all she knew for certain was that they had been in the car for hours and had been going uphill for some time. When she was sure she was being taken to the most remote location imaginable so that she might be violated, murdered or both, the car slowly came to a stop and she was met with the voice of the man she'd met over the phone.

"Welcome. I've been waiting. Welcome to this wonderful place. It wouldn't have been an easy decision to come here… Thanks for trusting me."

"Unknown?"

"You knew who I was by just listening to my voice?"

Yes, it was the same voice. It was an agreeable voice indeed, soft and somewhat melodic. She could see how even the shadiest suggestions might sound agreeable in those lyrical tones. Still, she felt assured that she would not fall prey to his persuasion.

Of course, that was before she saw his face.

"Yeah, it's me. Username Unknown. Didn't you think Unknown was a funny name? It was a default name because I didn't set up a username. No special meaning."

Too many details.

"My name is Ray," he said. "Thanks for coming all this way. I really want to show you around. I prepared a few things here and there while waiting for you. Oh, don't take off the mask yet. You can't take it off until you reach your room."

Alaura reluctantly lowered her hand, feeling vulnerable but determined to keep up her act. She pretended she was oblivious to the red flags.

"Here, let me help you," he spoke kindly, taking her hand gently in his and guiding her out of the vehicle. She stumbled, a completely unintentional blunder, making her wonder, for the first time, whether she might be in over her head. The man who called himself Ray caught her in his arms and steadied her, and she could feel her face burn with embarrassment as he led her to the next undisclosed location.

"You have no idea what a relief it was when you said you'd help," he spoke as he ushered her through a door and along the halls of a large building she could not see. "I'm so glad it worked out. You'll be a big help."

"What were you going to do if I said no?" she said, keeping her tone playfully curious.

"Ah, well… I don't want to think about it," he said. "I suppose we could have delayed the game release date. On the other hand, it could have just been a disaster. Who knows? But you said yes, so we don't have to worry about that!" At last, he released her hand. "We're here! Let me take that off…" She felt his hands now reaching around to the back of her head, deftly untying the blindfold obscuring her vision, and she had to suppress a gasp.

He was… beautiful. It occurred to her that it was an odd word to describe a man, but no other word seemed appropriate. The man before her had soft white hair with pink tips, bringing to mind the Jane Magnolia blossoms she associated with her hometown. In fact, much of his appearance projected a delicately lovely quality akin to the exquisite beauty of a flower. Even his eyes, an ethereal shade of cyan, conjured images of forget-me-nots and blue asters. Alaura had to blink several times to dispel her initial astonishment. Fortunately, Ray did not seem to notice her discomposure.

"Hi!" he said excitedly. "First time seeing each other face-to-face, isn't it?"

"Hello…" she said. "Nice to meet you." With some difficulty, she made other observations. Overall, he was on the smallish side. Alaura herself stood at about five-foot, three-inches tall, and he couldn't have been more than four inches taller than she. He was lean, not muscular, adding to his effeminate appearance, and his clothing choices… The first word Alaura would use to describe them would be… "Victorian." He wore a long fuchsia coat trimmed with gold over a double-breasted vest, a white dress shirt and an impressive ruffle cravat. In keeping with his floral appearance, he also wore a decorative blue rose in his lapel to round out the ensemble.

"Yeah, it feels great to talk to you in person," he said, more charming than ever now that she could see the sincerity in his eyes. "Thank you again for taking a chance on me and coming here." He gestured around the area. "This is your room. I've tried my best preparing all this…" For the first time, she took in her surroundings. They stood together in what looked a lot like a fancy hotel suite with a rosy pink and gold color scheme, complete with a sitting area and a bed that looked far more comfortable than the one in the little apartment she'd left that morning. "But please, let me know if there's anything else you need. And you're free to go wherever you like, as long as it's on this floor. If you want to go anyplace else, you'll have to ask me first. That's because… Ah, I don't have to explain, right?"

"Because it's forbidden!" Alaura said dramatically, as if this was the most fun an exciting circumstance she had ever found herself in. "I feel like I'm in a fairytale, or something!"

A smile spread across Ray's face and Alaura's heart fluttered in spite of herself.

"I'm glad you think of it that way," said Ray. "I know it could be frustrating, but these precautions are more for your safety than anything." He walked over to the sitting area and indicated one of the pink upholstered chairs. "Would you care to sit?"

Alaura tentatively approached him and sat, suddenly feeling very much like a princess in a fairytale. Of course, whether this fairytale was more Beauty and the Beast or Bluebeard, only time would tell…

Ray took a seat across from her. "I still have time before I have to get back to work," he said. "Allow me to explain a bit about the game."

Ray proceeded to describe the premise of the game. She was to play the part of an outsider who mysteriously gained access to a private messenger app developed by an organization known as "R.F.A.," or "Rika's Fundraising Association." Her objective would be to convince potential guests to attend an elegant fundraising party whilst romancing the NPC of her choice. He explained that the NPCs in the game would initially be suspicious of her, and emphasized that she must not reveal anything about her location or him, the "hacker" who granted her access to the R.F.A. messenger.

"What happens if I tell them the truth?" Alaura asked.

"Game… over?" answered Ray, somewhat ominously. "I know it's silly, but I'd be pretty disappointed if you get a game over right away, so please don't tell them any of that stuff. Remember, how you got the app, your location and all that, it should be kept secret. Oh yeah, and definitely don't tell them that they're NPCs."

"Of course not," said Alaura. "That's just rude."

Ray grinned at her joke and she felt warmth creep into her cheeks.

"I know you're joking," he said, "but I made them to be very realistic. I'm actually worried I might have made them too realistic. Maybe I made it too difficult, but you should be okay as long as you keep those details secret. Oh, and if they don't accept you into the association easily, tell them that Rika sent you to hold the party."

"Who's Rika?"

"She's another character within the game. The NPCs will tell you more about her as the story progresses.

"Do you think you have a pretty good idea of what to do now? Would you like me to download it onto your phone?"

Alaura nodded, handing over what he did not know was her backup phone. He began the download, his eyes flickering back and forth between the screen and her face.

"I expected you to be a foreigner," he commented, "because of your name and your accent. But I didn't expect you to be so… gorgeous."

Alaura didn't have to feign the bashful expression she made, turning her gaze downward to avoid his eyes. Surely this flattery was little more than a means to a mysterious end and not an honest compliment. It's not that she thought herself unattractive. With her large, kind eyes and diminutive yet curvaceous frame, she knew she possessed a very girlish appeal, but she'd never consider herself to be in the same league as Ray.

"I'm sorry," said Ray. "I didn't intend to make you uncomfortable."

"Oh, you didn't!" Alaura replied quickly. "I'm embarrassed because I was thinking something similar… about you."

"Me?" said Ray, looking genuinely surprised. "I'm not anything special. Anyway, here's your phone back." He handed it back to her, and his gloved fingers brushed hers, causing his face to turn a delicate shade of pink. He withdrew his hand hastily.

"Um… How long will I be staying here?" asked Alaura.

"I don't know an exact date," he answered. "You'll have to stay here at least until the test is over. If you end up wanting to stay longer, you're welcome to. Will that be a problem?"

She shook her head. Ray looked relieved.

"That's good. Once more, before I go… keep the secrets. Please don't try to get a game over. Promise me that, please?"

Alaura hesitated. His request was odd. Even he must know how odd he sounded?

"Um… They're really NPCs, right?" she asked.

"No doubt," said Ray. "It'll be obvious once you realize they're not nearly as interesting as me."

He was flirting with her again, and it was working. She needed to get a grip.

A few minutes later, Ray had left Alaura alone in the fancy room. Once he had departed, Alaura inspected the room as thoroughly as she could without seeming too shrewd to anyone who might have an electronic eye on her. Once she determined that there were no detectable cameras, Alaura withdrew her primary phone, her knife and her lighter from the inside of her flimsy dress. Using her knife, she cut a hole in the side of her mattress nearest the windows. She then stowed her contraband inside the gash.

She had taken a huge risk to get there, and she was prepared to make many more. She hadn't known what exactly to anticipate, but she was savvy enough to anticipate danger.

Falling in love was something she had not anticipated.