Free Web NovelChapter 25: Silver streaks
Gabriel still hadn’t recovered from the shock when he had to lean against the bathroom wall to keep his balance.
His knees weakened for a second, as if the floor had turned liquid beneath his feet. The smart mirror continued to reflect the same impossible image. Those silver streaks were still there, refusing to disappear or fade.
He brought his face closer until he nearly touched the glass. They were bright strands, almost luminous under the cold bathroom light.
He tugged hard on one, pulling out a small lock. The sharp pain in his scalp confirmed it was real.
He ran a hand over his face, rubbing his eyes in frustration, and finally let out a low, broken laugh filled with disbelief.
"I’m going crazy..." he murmured.
He had experienced impossible events and had been constantly harassed by danger, fear, and hunger. And now he was waking up with physical changes that had no logical explanation.
He stayed there for several more minutes, staring at himself as if he were a stranger. The Gabriel in the mirror no longer looked like the same person.
There was a deeper shadow in his eyes, a weariness that didn’t come only from lack of sleep. And now this — white hair appearing overnight.
Half an hour later, he was back in his apartment. His hair was still damp, with a towel resting on his shoulders as he sat on the edge of the bed. He had taken a full shower.
The towel absorbed the drops running down his back. His gaze remained fixed on the neural helmet resting on the table like a cursed artifact.
Until recently, that device had represented an opportunity. A way to escape a miserable reality.
Now it was starting to look more like a door opened to something he didn’t understand.
Maybe the helmet was really defective.
The idea had appeared many times during the last hour. It was a somewhat reasonable, desperate explanation.
It all sounded better than admitting that something from the game was affecting the real world.
Gabriel let out a dry laugh.
He truly didn’t know what to think. Or what awaited him.
At that moment, his personal communicator vibrated on the table.
The sudden sound pulled him from his thoughts.
The screen showed a familiar name: Noel.
Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
Before he could decide whether to answer or not, the communicator vibrated again. And then again and again.
He finally accepted the call. freewebnøvel.com
The holographic image appeared in front of him.
Noel looked furious and worried.
"Gabriel! Are you okay?!"
The intensity of the shout made Gabriel pull the device slightly away.
"Hello to you too."
"You shameless bastard! You’ve been ignoring all my calls!"
Gabriel blinked.
"What?"
"Don’t play dumb!"
"Please, Noel, calm down."
"I’m not going to calm down!"
Gabriel observed his friend for a few seconds. He seemed genuinely upset, which managed to confuse him.
"Noel... what the hell is going on?"
"I should be the one asking that."
Gabriel let out a sigh.
"I’m fine."
"Are you sure? Completely sure?"
"Yes."
"You’re not hurt?"
"No!"
"You’re not trapped under rubble?"
"What?"
Noel stared at him with an expression that was difficult to describe. Gabriel recognized it instantly — it was the look Noel used on people he considered particularly stupid.
"Gabriel."
"Yes?"
"Where the hell have you been?"
Gabriel was surprised by the intensity. He tried to act normal, forcing a tired smile.
"Drugged in some dead-end alley?"
"What kind of question is that?"
Noel spread his arms.
"Because there was a damn earthquake that nearly brought the city down!"
"What?! Calm down, Noel. Relax. I’ll explain, just let me talk."
But Noel didn’t seem willing to lower his guard. His expression was a mix of anger and genuine fear.
"The emergency drones were flying around like crazy for hours!"
Gabriel was stunned. An earthquake? He hadn’t felt anything at all while he was inside the game. The virtual world had completely absorbed him.
"I was playing. With the neural helmet, I didn’t notice anything." he admitted.
Noel sighed helplessly, running a hand over his face. His wrinkled expression clearly showed his frustration. freewёbnoνel.com
"Kael was also playing during the earthquake. You two are idiots. One of these days you’re going to end up fried because of that thing."
Little by little, the tension left his shoulders. The fierce worry he had shown from the beginning began to dissipate.
The conversation started to soften, with Noel releasing the fear he had been holding back and his tone becoming lighter. He was glad Gabriel was okay, without any collateral damage.
Both let out a small laugh.
Finally, the conversation turned to everyday matters, like Kael’s upcoming birthday and the big surprise Noel was preparing. He complained, as always, about his brother’s obsession with the game.
They shared a few smiles, remembering old times. The call was about to end when Noel said with a mischievous smile:
"Nice streaks, you rascal. I guess you can’t stand being alone anymore and decided to dye your hair to get attention. I’d introduce you to my sister, if I had one."
He laughed as he ended the call.
Gabriel froze, communicator still in his hand. It wasn’t the joke that bothered him; it was the implication.
Noel had clearly seen the white streaks. That ruled out many theories.
He ran his fingers through his damp hair, feeling the silver strands. A cold sensation ran down his spine.
***
Minutes later, he was already dressed.
While preparing to go out, he opened the news on his communicator.
Everyone was talking about the same event — the earthquake. Several areas had suffered significant damage.
However, thanks to modern prevention and response systems, the consequences had been much smaller than initially feared.
Gabriel closed the terminal. The world kept moving, even if he felt disconnected.
His head was starting to hurt again. He needed to clear his mind and think about something else.
And for some reason, he ended up remembering an old conversation. One of the many stories he had heard over the years.
Coffee.
Scarce and unnecessary, it was now almost a cultural relic.
Natural plantations had disappeared generations ago. Only synthetic versions produced industrially remained.
Gabriel had never been able to afford one.
He left the apartment with some expectations, trying to relax.
With a certain curiosity, he ended up entering a small automated store. With precision, he finally found it.
Only synthetic packets of the dark, bitter substance remained. A testament to human resilience.
The price still seemed ridiculously high. But after surviving a traumatic experience... he decided he could allow himself a small luxury.
Back in his apartment, he observed the effects of the natural disaster. His district hadn’t been particularly affected, but social chaos still lingered hours later.
When he finally got home, he lay down directly on the bed without bothering to take off his clothes. The accumulated fatigue, both physical and mental, hit him like a lightning bolt.
He fell unconscious almost immediately, without even settling properly.
***
In his dreams, the giant statue opened its eyes once more. This time they didn’t shine with divine light, but with a reflected hunger.
Gabriel stirred restlessly in bed. His silver streaks gleamed under the dim light coming through the cracked window.
Outside, police drones continued their constant patrol over the broken city.
