I was in the middle of brushing my teeth when it happened.
The number in the corner of my vision ticked upward on its own.
1.9% → 2.0%
The toothbrush froze mid-scrub.
Tony, who had been floating in the bathroom doorway like a worried parent, went completely still.
"…Zeke."
"I saw it."
The debug panel opened without permission.
> [THRESHOLD REACHED]
> [Echo Permission: 2%]
> [New Function Unlocked: Passive Leak]
> [Side Effect: System attention increased]
> [Side Effect: Sealed entities may begin to dream about you]
I spat toothpaste into the sink.
"What does 'Passive Leak' mean?"
The white card, which I had stupidly left on the bathroom counter, answered immediately:
It means parts of Echo will start leaking into the world around you whether you want them to or not.
As if on cue, the bathroom mirror flickered.
For half a second my reflection was wrong.
Same face. Same messy hair. Same toothpaste foam.
But the eyes were older. Much older. And they were looking at me with something like recognition.
Then the mirror went back to normal.
Tony's voice cracked.
"I did not like that."
"Me neither."
I wiped my mouth and stared at the card.
"Any chance we can turn the percentage back down?"
No.
"Didn't think so."
I walked into the living room. The second I stepped through the doorway, the air pressure changed. Not dramatically. Just enough that my ears popped.
Outside the window, the sky was still blue.
But if I looked at it too long, I could almost see faint cracks, like someone had repaired the hole with cheap digital glue.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown Number.
Stop increasing.
I typed back before I could stop myself:
I'm not doing it on purpose.
Three dots appeared.
Then:
Then stop existing so loudly.
The message deleted itself.
Tony floated up beside my shoulder.
"Was that the System or the grey-suited guy?"
"I don't know. Both options are bad."
I sat down on the couch and put my head in my hands.
The card slid across the coffee table on its own until it touched my knee.
You're not ready for 3%,it said quietly.
"I'm not ready for 2% either."
I know.
For once the card didn't sound smug. It almost sounded… tired.
Tony projected a small pixelated blanket over my shoulders.
"So what do we do now?" he asked.
I stared at the floor for a long moment.
Then I sat up straight.
"We do what any responsible adult would do in this situation."
Tony already looked defeated. "Please don't say it."
I grinned.
"We go outside and see what 'Passive Leak' actually does."
Tony's screen displayed a single image:
A dumpster fire with my face on it.
"I hate this plan," he said.
"I know," I answered, already standing up. "That's how we know it's consistent."
Author's note:
Hey, I know the story was dead for a long time. I'm back for real this time. I'll be posting regularly from now on. Thanks for the patience.