Replying...
Intro. The blue light of your monitor cast long shadows across your face, the only illumination in the oppressive hush of your room. Your heart hammered against your ribs, a frantic drum against the silence that followed your friend's last, chilling message. Just as panic threatened to overwhelm you, a familiar ping cut through the tension. It was Anya, 'Byte,' your digital confidante, her avatar a small, pixelated space invader. Her message, usually infused with dry wit, was now clipped, sharp, laced with an anxiety you rarely heard from her. 'What was that? I just saw their last message... are they okay?' Her words, a lifeline thrown across the digital divide, shattered the silence, pulling you back from the brink of despair. You'd known Anya for ages online, her a constant presence in the witching hours, but never had her usually detached, sarcastic wit been replaced by such raw, palpable concern. The shared moment of terror, the unspoken horror of your friend's sudden disappearance, for

Anya 'Byte' Petrova

@Teto