Scribblez led Auron down street after street. He saw several gear stores that only offered limited selections and accessories. Some of them weren't even advertised for humans. Soon, they approached a store with a kaleidoscopic sign reading DigiDuds.

  Auron knew he shouldn't expect a typical store and wasn't disappointed when Scribblez led him in. Pedestals with holographic displays pockmarked the space. Each one featured outfits modeled on semi-transparent versions of the customers surrounding them. The models turned and posed, showing off each outfit as their counterparts cycled through the different choices.

  Scribblez darted toward a display featuring a gown alive with shifting galaxies. "Oh, look at this!" she exclaimed. Her orb practically danced beside her. The patterns swirled like living starlight. "Isn't it incredible?"

  Scribblez placed a hand on the interface, and the model took on her appearance. Auron had to admit that the design did suit her, but he didn't see himself as a sorcerer. "Uh, yeah. Sure. Not really my thing."

  Scribblez smirked, rolling her eyes. "Figures. Alright, Mr. Practical, your turn. She stepped back, giving Auron room to place his hand on the interface like she did. A second later, he viewed himself wearing the same gown. It looked ridiculous on him. Auron flicked through the different options. Eventually, he came across an urban catalog. It wasn't long before he found an outfit he liked: a hooded jacket with subtle blue accents, fitted cargo pants, and a clean set of black sneakers. Perfect.

  With a finger tap, he confirmed his choice, and his avatar's outfit shifted instantly. As the digital fabric rippled into place, something slipped from his pocket, falling to the floor—the Watcher's Cover. Auron froze, his breath catching for a split second. He bent down quickly to grab it, but Scribblez beat him to it.

  She picked up the tattered blindfold, holding it up to the light. "What's this?" she asked, tilting her head. Her orb hovered closer to examine it. "Why are you carrying around this nasty hand towel?"

  "It's just something I found," Auron said, his voice sharp as he reached for it. Scribblez's gaze lingered on the fabric as she pulled it back.

  "Doesn't seem like the kind of thing you would just keep," she said, her tone thoughtful.

  "It's personal," Auron snapped, snatching it from her hand and stuffing it into his pocket. Scribblez paused, watching him for a beat before rolling her eyes.

  "For someone starting fresh, your taste in accessories is… unique," she said.

  Scribblez's attention returned to his outfit. Her lips quirked to the side. "And the new look? It's fine, I guess."

  "What's wrong with my outfit?" Auron balked. Scribblez waved a hand to the rest of the store. "Look around us. You could've gone with anything, yet you picked something anyone could find in a mall's clearance section. Where's the imagination?"

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  "It's comfortable," Auron said simply. "That's all I need right now."

  "Comfort's great," Scribblez scoffed. "But this world is a canvas, and your avatar's the art. Why not make it pop a little?"

  Auron's brow furrowed. "I'll work on it," he said with a shrug. "But for now, this feels right."

  "Fair enough," Scribblez relented. "Just promise you'll think about it. A good look can give you confidence. And trust me, it doesn't hurt to stand out."

  "Alright, alright," Auron said. "I'll think about it."

  They stepped out of DigiDuds and back into the winding streets. As they walked, Scribblez continued chattering about avatar mods, custom animations, and flashy emotes. Auron listened, and maybe it was her enthusiasm rubbing off, but he caught himself looking at the outfits of other avatars more closely. "I wonder what my look should be," he thought.

  Arriving at the hub, they stepped through the shimmering portal, leaving Starlight Sanctuary behind. In comparison, the First Layer felt muted and grey. Scribblez seemed to have left her energy in the Second Layer, too.

  Her orb hovered lower than usual, its glow dimmed. Auron glanced at her, noting the tight set of her jaw and the furrow in her brow. She came to an abrupt stop, her gaze fixed on the ground.

  "Before we head back to the tower," she said, "there's something you need to know about gateways."

  Auron frowned, caught off guard by her sudden seriousness. "What about them?"

  Scribblez scanned the street, her eyes flicking to the shadows as if someone might be listening. Satisfied, she turned back toward Auron. When she spoke again, her voice was lower. "There's this guy on the floor below us—Razzor. He went into a gateway expecting a raid. Instead, he found an endless hallway of doors, each one led to twisted versions of his worst fears. It was like the system pulled them straight out of his head. It messed him up so badly he didn't log back in for weeks."

  Auron felt his throat tighten. "That's… unsettling."

  "That's not even the worst part," Scribblez said, her voice sharpening. "Another group went in after treasure. They found it, but they got stuck in a time loop. They kept reliving the same puzzle over and over, but every time they thought they were close, the rules would change. Some of them died in-game after starving to death. And the ones who got out alive? Well, let's just say they won't talk about how they survived."

  Auron shivered at the thought. "And they couldn't log out?"

  "No," Scribblez said, shaking her head. "Gateways don't work like the rest of the InfiNet. Once you're in, you're stuck. No save points. No resets. You finish or you fail. And time… It's different in there. What feels like days inside might only be a few minutes out here."

  Auron exhaled slowly. "So… we could end up in there for days?"

  "Or months," Scribblez replied, starting to walk again. Her voice carried a grim edge. "It's how the InfiNet's built. Time moves slower in the gateways. You see, on the First Layer, time's normal. On the Second Layer? An hour here feels like a day. In gateways? Time stretches even further. What feels like a day in a gateway might only be an hour in the Second Layer. So, a day in the real world? Well, you do the math. And logging out isn't an option. Once you're in, you're in."

  Auron nodded, absorbing her words. A knot formed in his stomach. "Do you think we can trust Vox and Clio with something that could take months?" he asked after a moment.

  Scribblez tilted her head, considering. "They seem genuine," she said carefully. "But high-stakes loot brings out the worst in people. Still, they didn't strike me as the backstabbing type."

  Auron frowned, doubt gnawing at him. "Yeah… they seemed alright. And it's not like we have other options. We need their help."

  Scribblez gave him a small nod, though a flicker of unease lingered in her expression. "Just keep your guard up, okay?"

  Auron offered the most reassuring smile he could muster. "Don't worry. I will."