Monika and I kiss.
It's the best kiss I've ever had.
Elizabeth was frankly pretty conservative when it came to kisses, but, like the flow of her poems, Monika's kisses were more freeform, not caring for any boundaries or barriers.
She gently rubs the palm of her hand against my face.
Despite everything, I feel great. I feel like anything is possible.
For once, I don't want to get out of this game.
I want to stay here.
"Xavier…"
I hear a voice in my head.
It's probably just me.
"No, Xavier, it's not just you. It's me."
This feeling doesn't feel like when Amazon gets into my head. It sounds like a voice is coming straight into my head…
It sounds familiar. Like I've heard it before. I can't quite put a finger on it…
I ignore it. Monika's all that matters.
My right hand is wrapped around Monika's back. With my free left hand, I grab Elizabeth's letter and try to rip it into shreds.
Elizabeth doesn't matter. Monika's my one and only now. I think.
"No! Pull yourself together, you idiot!"
I shut out the voice in my head.
"Monika…" I open my mouth.
Monika exploits the opportunity and slips her tongue into my mouth.
After a brief moment of contact with my own tongue, I move it towards Monika's mouth.
We lock into each other's throats in perfect sync.
Monika moves her legs over mine slowly, until she's basically sitting on my mouth.
I notice that my eyes have been closed. I slowly open them.
Monika's eyes are still closed.
The front door suddenly starts to open. I almost don't notice. I look up at the figure that stands before me in shock.
"Xavier, you're better than this." He says angrily.
He's a tall, blond-haired man with unkempt whiskers. His casual T-shirt is glittered with glitched pixels. His entire figure is corrupted with visual bugs.
T… T… T…
Tyler?
"Yes, Xavier. It's all coming back to you."
My eyes get watery. I thought you were dead!
"Xavier, I can read your thoughts now. Monika's brainwashing you! She's evil! You need to resist!"
No.
"Xavier!"
No, Tyler.
"Resist!"
Tyler, you're my best friend, but you're dead. I know this is an illusion.
"I'm not. Amazon thought they'd killed me, but I survived. I'm one with the game's code now." Tyler flaunts his glitched torso. "See? I'm not even stable!"
I ignore him and continue to make out with Monika.
"Look at yourself!" His voice rings in my head. "You've ditched someone you were about to propose to for a fictional character you just met five days ago!"
Tyler, Monika's not fictional. She's just as real as you or me.
"Xavier, neither of us even have mass! We're in a fucking simulation!"
Tyler, I've always taken your advice, but I'm gonna have to pass on this one.
"You bought a fucking ring for her already!"
Tyler, stop advocating for her. I argue in my head. She wasn't the one. This one's for Monika.
I rip the letter still in my left hand into shreds.
"NO!"
Tyler's glitches are increasing as he gets angrier.
"She was perfect for you, Xavier… Why do you have to throw it all away like this?!"
I get closer to Monika. Her breasts are squishing against my abdomen.
"Xavier! You're being a massive fucking dick, you know that? You exploit your girlfriend, lie to me, and fall in love with Monika, of all people?! Nothing can make up for what you've done, even if you are being controlled!"
A wave of silence falls between us. A tear ripples down Tyler's eye.
"Xavier… All I wanted to do was to help you… I'm this simulation's equivalent of a ghost… I just want to help you out with what I've got left in me…"
Well, I think. It seems like you're just being my extended conscience.
"I'm sorry…" Tyler cracks down. "I just want you to do what's right… You're my best friend, after all."
Tyler's corruption and glitching calms down. "Xavier, are you sure this is what you want to do?"
Yes.
"Do you really want to leave your girlfriend for Monika?"
Yes.
"Do you…"
What?
"Do you really want to stay here forever?"
Yes.
"I asked Amazon if I could go back to the real world, given that I don't disclose any information about their project. I'm going to do it, Xavier. Do you want to come with me?"
Without hesitation, I answer.
"No."
Whoops, I said it out loud with Monika's tongue in my mouth.
Monika breaks from the kiss. She immediately turns in Tyler's direction.
"Xavier, who is this?" Monika asks, confused.
"It's Tyler."
"Oh. I thought you died." Monika says bluntly.
"You thought wrong!" Tyler says while doing the Fortnite default dance.
"So you're going?" I ask, ignoring Tyler's stupidity.
"Yeah. Amazon even offered me a job and a few million dollars as a bribe to keep the secret, so I'll keep in touch."
"Anything else?" I ask.
"Oh yeah!" Tyler yells. "You gotta take this! That way I can talk to you telepathically!"
He hands me a grey, oblong pill.
I swallow it without water.
"Xavier, it goes down better with Mountain Dew."
"Shut up, Tyler."
Suddenly, the voice of an Amazon correspondent rings in all of our heads.
"Tyler, are you ready to go?"
"Yeah." He looks up at the ceiling. "Thanks a lot."
"Don't mention it. We need more employees on the job. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find people to keep an international world domination scheme secret from the entire planet."
"All right, Tyler. I guess this is it for now."
I nod and smile at him.
"See you all of a sudden."