Just as we were about to leave the amusement park, a small incident occurred. A woman dressed entirely in luxury brands, sitting in the cafeteria area right in front of our table, had her handbag snatched.

  Honestly, I felt it served her right. She had just yelled at a little kid selling flowers because she was afraid he might dirty her expensive bag. But Minh Thanh didn’t think so.

  “Thief! Somebody stop him! Thief!”

  Thanh jumped up the moment the woman screamed. She lightly vaulted over the railing separating the area from the lawn, delivered a beautiful kick to the back of the thief’s head, snatched the handbag back, and smoothly followed up with a kick to his knee. The series of movements flowed like water, so skillful that the surrounding crowd burst into applause.

  I was utterly stunned. Those were not moves an ordinary girl without martial arts training could perform.

  It seemed my crush had just as many secrets as I did.

  By the time we left the amusement park, it was already past noon. We grabbed some fast food and then watched a two-hour movie. I had wanted to see a romance film, but Thanh quickly chose a comedic action movie about DIG—a virtual reality game that had recently dominated the entertainment market. I didn’t have the courage to say no to her.

  Everything felt like a dream.

  The sun gradually set in the west as Thanh and I strolled through the park. A high-rise building’s massive 3D advertising screen was broadcasting a DIG battle. It wasn’t surprising that the game was so famous: the stunning visuals, the unique immersive virtual experience, and the constant drama of technological competition between major corporations behind the scenes always fueled endless discussions on social media.

  Thanh asked casually:

  “You know about DIG, right?”

  “Who doesn’t? They broadcast matches everywhere.”

  “What do you think? Want to try playing?”

  I answered without thinking:

  “It’s not like you can just try it on a whim, right? I heard DIG players have to meet really high standards. Either you need a lot of money to invest in equipment, or you have to sign with a tech company.”

  After that, we walked in silence for half an hour. I liked the silence, but I couldn’t shake the thought that our date was slowly coming to an end. We would say goodbye before nightfall, and tomorrow morning Thanh would tell me, “Sorry, I can’t date you anymore.”

  I even started thinking about kneeling down and begging for one more day with her. A child who has never tasted candy longs for it less than one who has already had a taste.

  Was today a mistake?

  Suddenly Thanh stopped and asked:

  “Do you want to stop by my house for a bit?”

  My eyes widened. What was happening? She was inviting me to her house, for what? Wasn’t it… too soon? Ignoring the wild thoughts bouncing in my head, I nodded.

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  The house Thanh led me to looked incredibly familiar. It was a luxurious three-story villa, but the locals always called it the “haunted house” because hardly anyone was ever seen going in or out. Instead of entering through the main gate, Thanh led me to a smaller iron door on the side.

  I swallowed the many questions that were about to spill out. It wasn’t polite to pry into someone’s family matters.

  “Y-Your parents aren’t home?” I finally couldn’t resist asking the thing I cared about most.

  Thanh paused.

  “My parents… yeah, they’re not home.”

  I swear, I didn’t want to think dirty thoughts. But wasn’t that a pretty obvious implication?

  She invited me into the living room and asked:

  “What would you like to drink?”

  I wasn’t really thirsty, but I replied:

  “Anything’s fine.”

  She went into the kitchen and came back with a glass of soda.

  “Here, drink.”

  I didn’t like carbonated drinks much. I smiled, took it, and set it down on the table. Thanh sat beside me, staring at me with those beautiful eyes.

  “You don’t like soda? I can get you some water.”

  “It’s fine, really. I’m just not thirsty.”

  Her brows furrowed slightly at my words, but they quickly returned to normal. I couldn’t tell if it had been my imagination. The atmosphere suddenly became strangely awkward.

  After hesitating for a while, I finally voiced the question that had been circling in my mind.

  “Do you… bring just anyone home this easily?”

  Thanh looked confused for a moment. Then she understood the implication behind my words. Her eyes darkened, the rims turning red, and she looked away.

  I panicked. Had I just insulted her?

  Suddenly, Thanh cupped my face in her hands and pressed her lips against my mouth, stopping me from saying anything more.

  Soft and sweet. I had never experienced anything so wonderful.

  The gentle moment passed quickly, and then the world around me began to spin. No. Don’t misunderstand. It spun in the literal sense. I felt the air being sucked out of my body. I couldn’t move. The ground beneath my feet seemed to disappear, and my entire body felt as if it were being lifted by a whirlwind.

  I didn’t dare open my eyes. Was this normal for a kiss? Honestly, it felt a little bizarre.

  Then, just as suddenly as it began, the spinning sensation vanished. I no longer felt Thanh’s hands or lips on me.

  I slowly opened my eyes.

  She was no longer standing in front of me.

  More accurately, there was no trace of the alley we had entered together.

  I was standing in the middle of a vast circular room with metallic walls. Around me were strange machines that looked like cameras fitted with a mess of complex wires. I looked down at myself. I was wearing a dark blue outfit with black stripes. A long coat that extended past my knees was tied at the waist with a belt. Underneath was a white shirt with a blue tie.

  Strangest of all, in my left hand was a massive sword.

  Was this normal for a kiss? It wasn’t just bizarre anymore, it was downright terrifying.

  I pinched myself. It hurt so much my eyes watered. So this wasn’t a dream.

  If I was here, then where was Thanh? If I’d been teleported like in the movies, she should have come with me—we were pressed tightly together!

  “Thanh! Minh Thanh! Where are you?!”

  I shouted at the top of my lungs. My voice echoed loudly off the walls.

  At that moment, the strange machines began to move, emitting harsh buzzing sounds, and aimed directly at me. A blue beam shot out from the machine opposite me, slicing past my face. Warm blood slowly trickled from the cut as pain spread to my brain.

  Damn it! Now I was truly panicking.

  Another laser streaked across at waist level, but I managed to dodge, leaving only a tear in my strange coat. A third beam shot in from the right. I instinctively raised my sword to block it. The beam struck the blade and instantly ricocheted like light hitting a mirror, shattering against the iron wall.

  The machines began firing at me. At first one at a time, but now three at once. After each volley, there was a three-second pause. If I could see them coming, I could barely dodge, but they were positioned all around me. There was no way to predict every angle. A beam sliced deeply into my left arm, along with several smaller cuts on my legs.

  The number increased again, four firing at once. Another shot hit my right leg, pain exploding through me so intensely I nearly fainted.

  In a panic, I scanned the room for an escape route. I spotted a door with a keypad panel on the far side of the chamber, nearly fifty meters away. Between me and that door were five machines blocking the path. I’d be riddled with holes before I ever reached it.

  There had to be some way to avoid these damn shooting machines.