"What were you doing the night this all happened?" I ask forcefully.
"Huh?" Monika questions, not understanding the statement right away.
"The night before I showed up here, I mean," I correct.
Immediately, Monika replies. "Well, Yuri and I had a study sleepover that night, like we often do. But then, around three in the morning, something weird happened."
"Yes?"
"I have security footage. Let me show you."
She leads me to her PC and opens up an app. She rewinds footage to the night before and plays. The monitor shows two figures sleeping, probably Yuri and Monika. Suddenly, one of their phones ring and the figure that looks like Monika wakes up. As soon as she picks up the call, the film goes to static.
"See, Xavier?"
"Well, the thing is, I downloaded the DDLC app that put me into the game around that time, so it's definitely connected. Who was the call from?" I ask.
"It was from… A person. I think they were from Brazil or something? Anyways, since they mentioned you, I didn't hang up."
"Yeah?" I encourage her to continue, fully invested in her recount.
"They said that you would get taken into the game for some kind of experiment? They mentioned transhumanism or something like that."
"Well, that would make sense judging from what happened to me."
"Yeah. You've got a character file here, so that probably means that you're an AI like we thought."
Even though this is something I already knew, this notion gives me a pit in my stomach
"Wait…" Monika says, realizing the implications. "Would that..."
Confused by what she means, I stay silent.
"Would that mean you can't go back?" Monika says factually. "Matter can't be created or destroyed. Assuming the info in the character file is your actual brain information… You're stuck here."
My heart skips a beat. Any hope I had of coming back is now gone. "No… That's not…" I stutter as I realize nothing I say will make a difference.
No matter what...
I'm stuck here. Forever.
"Xavier…" Monika starts. I'm on the verge of tears now. I feel Monika's arms wrap around my back. I look up at her.
She's smiling.
Not out of pity, but out of what looks like sheer joy.
"You're… Happy?" I start.
"Yes, Xavier. To be honest, I'm overjoyed." Monika says.
"What?" I'm confused. "Why?"
"Xavier, there are theoretically infinite Monikas, right?"
"Ummm… I'm following."
Monika continues. "Every Monika's fate is preordained by the same path: Realize that we're in a game, fall in love with the player, and ruin the game and delete our friends for their sake."
"Uh-huh." What's she getting to?
"I, like all of the other Monikas out there, was preprogrammed to love my corresponding player and follow the same path my predecessors did."
"Xavier, you're the player I was preprogrammed to love. But you… You're actually here! I couldn't be happier!"
"But… My family, my friends…" I stutter.
"Xavier… I love you, okay? You know that, I'm sure. When you opened the game I thought the main character, the means you use to interact with the game, was the closest I would ever get to you, but… You're here! With me!"
Monika begins to cry, but in contrast to my tears of sorrow hers are derived from the happiness she feels.
Before she can start to relish in this for too long, though, her phone starts to ring.
She picks it up and answers the call. "Hello?"
Her eyes widen. She turns the phone on speaker.
"Greetings. I'm the one who put Xavier here. Let me explain."
