Reality overload Chapter 14: LOUD VOICE IN A LITTLE ROOM

Read chapter 14 of Reality overload by Namizou on NovelPedia.

Riley, my childhood friend. One of my closest friends since elementary school. The girl who used to steal my snacks and beat me at Mario Kart. The girl who was in our Divine Law Online party last night with me, Charlie, Nate, and Lucas. The girl who absolutely, unquestionably knew I was a guy. Her eyes widened the moment she saw me. "Kris...?" she said slowly. My stomach dropped to the floor. "Heeeyy...Rileeey?" I croaked. Σ( -᷅ _ -᷄ ๑) She stepped closer, squinting at my face like she was trying to reconcile two different versions of me. Forcing me to lean back as steam came off of me in waves. "What happened to you?" she whispered. I flinched. "W-What do you mean what happened?" "You look... different," she said, voice low. "Like, really different. Softer. Smaller. Your face."She stopped, shook her head. "You don't look like you did before?" Charlie told me to talk to Riley she had to discuss some things with Alexa. And walked a bit away their voices hushed. "Kris," she said quietly, "what is going on with you?" I turned back to Riley. My heart hammering against my ribs. "I don't know," I whispered. Riley stepped aside, motioning me in. "Come inside. You look like you're about to pass out." I stepped into the room thankful to get out of the corridor. It was bright and cozy, decorated with plants and string lights. Riley's side was already set up, and neat, organized, very her. My side was empty, waiting Waiting for me. I stepped inside standing in the center of the room not knowing where to sit. I jilted slightly as the door clicked shut. Silence. Riley sat on her bed, staring at me like I was a glitch in the matrix. "Kris," she said, "you need to tell me what's happening." I swallowed hard. I couldn't tell her about the voice, or about Hestia, and I couldn't tell her because I didn't understand it myself. But looking at her persistence. I knew she'd pester me until I spilled everything. "Ahhhhh...!" "I'm fine," I said weakly. Riley raised an eyebrow. "You look like you're about to cry." "I'M NOT CRYING," I snapped, louder than intended. Σ（ﾟдﾟlll） Her expression wasn't teasing anymore. It was gentle understanding even. "Kris," she whispered, "you can tell me I'll listen."My breath caught. My knees went weak. I grabbed the edge of the desk to steady myself. Because if they she see it too... If it wasn't just me... If it wasn't just the system... If it wasn't just a glitch... Then Hestia's voice wasn't a hallucination. She was real. And i was changing. Riley was staring at me, hard like she was about to interrogate me. Riley's eyes were sharp, she was pushing. Like she was trying to solve a crime scene. She stood up from her bed, walked over, and stared at me again Riley, who had known me since we were eight. Riley, who had seen me fall out of trees, break my arm, cry over a lost Dokémon save file. Riley, who had been in our DOL party last night, laughing and yelling and calling me "dude" every five minutes. Riley, who absolutely knew I was hiding something. She crossed her arms, studying me like I was a glitching character model. "Okay," she said quietly. "What the hell is going on with you?" My throat tightened. "Nothing.... I'm fine." She raised an eyebrow. "Kris. I've known you for ten years. You look like you're about to pass out." "I'm not..." "And you don't look like yourself," she added, stepping closer. "Not even a little, and your voice is different too. I swallowed hard. She wasn't wrong. She reached out and gently tilted my chin up with two fingers, examining my face like she was checking for injuries. Her touch was light, careful, but it still made my breath hitch. My face flushing with embarrassment. "Your jawline is softer," she murmured. "Your eyes look bigger. Your skin looks... different. And your voice..." She shook her head. "Kris, your voice sounds like you're recovering from a cold." I pulled back, heart pounding. "I don't know what's happening, okay?" Riley's expression softened with genuine worry. "Kris