it was some time in the evening.

I was sitting at my desk, making a mod of a game for my friend. it was a game about cats.

when we were younger, we would spend time playing video games together after school. she loved cats. since I was good at coding, I thought I would make a mod for one of her favourite games. about cats.

I decided to use a piece of AI software from some company called Opalsoft, since I thought it would help to personalize the experience more.

within a few minutes... I didn't know where I was.

all I could remember before then was the computer fan getting louder and louder, as the AI took over more and more.

my monitor was getting brighter. my keyboard started getting hot. so did my cognitive VR implant.

it came out way later that these products were already recalled... I had no idea at the time.

there is no concept of 'time' in this phase world, as I've taken to calling it.

and to tell you the truth... there's no end, either. everything is just a loop. the same things happen over and over again. we keep making the same mistakes.

at some point during a cycle, my friend started showing up here, too. did the software get to her as well?

she isn't here very often, though.

but you.

you could do something about this.

we won't see our real world ever again. our bodies are likely already dead.. but you're here, reading my story. that means something, right?

I don't know how I managed to do it, but I hope it makes a difference.

there is still hope.