Edge Pt. 01

An alert in her Haloes faded in stating, “Kara has requested access to your location. Is this okay?”
Jenna reached for the “Yes” button, hesitated, anger making her pause. Her keyholder had left her behind. She’d cut and run, leaving Jenna at the mercy of some sick stranger, knowing that he could do anything he liked with her. She’d made the mistake of thinking that Kara was her friend in this. She had no friends. Don’t trust anyone. Her whacked out hormones, fueled by the Obsequium, the lack of sleep, the never-ending uncertainty, and the constant arousal brought tears to her eyes. Kara had her key, though. She wiped away the tears and tapped the button.
Jenna sat in the bathroom stall, sulking as she waited for Kara. She could see the other girl’s approach in her Haloes as a distance counter, and then the bathroom door opened, shut. There was a pause, and then Kara’s voice whispered, “Jenna?”
Jenna turned the latch on the stall, and Kara’s ashen face poked inside. Jenna wiped her hands over her eyes again and looked back, trying to project anger at the betrayal. Kara flushed, looked regretful, and said softly, “Come on,” and held her hand out. Jenna stood up and pushed past the other girl, went to the sink and washed her hands and face, blew her nose, and then walked out. A moment later, Kara followed her out, carrying Jenna’s shopping bags.
Kara nodded down the hallway, and Jenna followed her. After a moment of tense silence, Kara said, “I’m sorry. Did he… hurt you?”
Jenna shook her head.
“Jenna–”
“You left me!” Jenna spat.
Kara looked ashamed, and then she reddened with anger and snapped, “Look! I’m not your friend, Jenna. Before yesterday, the most time we ever spent together was that 9th grade science project we had to do. They assigned me to you.”
Jenna shrank back from Kara’s finger in her chest, her back coming up against the wall of the deserted hallway. Kara lowered her voice and continued, “It’s a shit deal. I get it. You didn’t ask for this shit. Well, I didn’t ask for it either! You’re not the only one who got the shit stick,” her anger seemed to flag, and then she sighed deeply and went on, “You don’t know… My keyholder… She isn’t like me. Consider yourself lucky in that department. I’m not some fucked up sadist that enjoys your Goddamn suffering, alright? If I rank up, I don’t need that fucking bitch anymore, and if you do the same, you don’t need me either. I’m not losing rank for anyone. Come on.”
She walked off down the hall, and Jenna followed, feeling guilty. It was difficult to think with her head so cloudy and her emotions such a tangle. Kara wasn’t wrong, though, she knew. Kara was just like her. The other girl had, so far, been like a lifeline, and that part of herself that wanted to be saved from this nightmare had latched onto Kara in some desperate longing for someone to share this torment with, someone who understood, and someone that could help. She’d barely stopped to let the fact that Kara was as scared and uncertain as she was sink in. Kara had a belt. Kara had a keyholder. She was just another game piece, giving some sick fucker a good laugh as the rest of them ran around in a fuck-craze, trying to follow a twisted ruleset, in a game they’d never asked to play.
“I’m sorry,” Jenna said, “I shouldn’t have said that.”
Kara shook her head as they exited the mall and made their way back to the car. Once they were driving away, Kara looked at her and asked, “You’re okay?”
Jenna nodded and answered, “Yeah. He didn’t really make me do anything. He just wanted to humiliate me and make me cum in the food court with people watching.”
Kara snorted and said, “Believe it or not, I’ve found that they’re not all evil fucks. From what I’ve been able to gather, the men have different rules, and they’re not forced into this. They’re invited. Some of us–the girls–are in it willingly, too. It’s not all bad, though, really. Everything has a reward, even when you lose. Rewards just get better as you rank, but the challenges get tougher.”
Jenna thought about that, and then realized that there was a small icon floating in the corner of her vision. It had been there for some time, but she’d been distracted. The icon looked like a treasure chest. She tapped it, and it swirled apart, the neon blue lines reconstructing themselves into a window. At the top of the screen it read, “Consolation prize deposited into account. Item shop unlocked. One free purchase available.”
“What is the item shop?” Jenna asked.
Kara brightened, saying, “Things you can use to make life easier on yourself, or harder for other players.”
“Like the cloak you used?”
Kara nodded, adding, “There are even items at the higher levels that have real world effects. Whoever put this fucking thing together has a lot of influence, and a lot of money. Just the cash rewards alone are insane. Multiply that amount by, who knows how many players, and that it’s going on all day, every day. This thing has the fortunes of entire countries revolving through it on a daily basis.”
Jenna nodded and looked at the item shop. All of the higher-level tiers were locked to her, but she could see that they went all the way to level 99, and then a final tier, just above this, labeled, “Epic.”
“What are you going to pick?” Kara asked.
“I have no idea,” Jenna admitted, and began to scroll through the available items.
She saw Kara’s Cloak of Concealment and considered that it could be useful. Then again, the hunter had been able to dispel it easily with that glowing orb. Jesus Christ! It was like her brothers’ fucking video games. Worry knotted her stomach, mixing with the growing arousal between her legs as the belt occasionally shot pulses of pleasure through her, wondering what she should pick.
Universal key: Unlocks any player’s belt for one hour. One time use. Forcible reattachment and chastity penalty applied if time limit is exceeded.
Hall pass: Opt out of any rank 1 challenge prior to completion. One time use. Cash penalty of $250.
Arrow shield: Shields the wearer from one physical projectile. One time use.
Sorcerous barrier: Shields the wearer from one magical projectile: One time use.
Jenna selected the Hall Pass, knowing that she couldn’t avoid taking challenges. If one got too tough, well, a loss of some cash was better than going through with something that was too hard, she figured. The item glowed and a new icon appeared, floating at the edge of her right eye. Inventory.