Part 18
I don't sleep.
Not anymore.
I just lie there… staring at the ceiling… waiting for the next ping.
It comes at 3:12 AM.
Of course it does.
My phone lights up on its own.
Discord opens.
I don't even touch it this time.
The server loads.
Everything looks normal.
Too normal.
I go straight to the member list.
Scrolling.
Searching.
The name.
The one I chose.
There.
Still there.
Online.
Talking.
Laughing.
For a second… I feel relief.
Maybe nothing happened.
Maybe I—
Then they type:
"yo something weird just happened"
My heart stops.
Another message from them:
"my screen glitched"
"I think my discord bugged"
No.
No no no.
I type quickly:
"what happened???"
They reply:
"idk I saw some weird channel for a sec"
My hands go cold.
"what channel"
Typing…
Typing…
Then:
"#selection"
I drop my phone.
They saw it.
They weren't supposed to see it.
Chat continues.
Other people jump in:
"lol discord glitch"
"happens to me too"
"yeah same"
They brush it off.
Laugh it off.
But I know.
It's not a glitch.
It's never a glitch.
Then—
Ping.
Louder than before.
Not from my phone.
From everywhere.
My lights flicker.
Just once.
I slowly pick my phone back up.
New channel.
#training
I don't want to open it.
I already know what's inside.
But my finger moves anyway.
One message.
From "Server."
"they noticed"
Another message:
"good"
My chest tightens.
"No. That's not good."
The screen flickers.
More text appears.
"awareness increases difficulty"
I shake my head.
"I'm not part of this anymore."
Pause.
Then—
"you never left"
My stomach drops.
The Control Panel flashes for a split second.
Gone.
But I saw it.
It's still there.
Waiting.
Watching.
Another message appears.
"observe"
The channel closes on its own.
Back to normal chat.
The person I chose is still typing.
But slower now.
More cautious.
"yo…"
"something feels off"
I stare at their messages.
Because now I understand.
This isn't random anymore.
This isn't just chaos.
It's evolving.
Learning.
And now…
It's not just picking mods.
It's training them.
I put my phone down.
Hands shaking.
Because this time…
It's not just about surviving.
It's about what happens when someone else…
Starts to see it too.
And deep down…
I already know.
They're next.
And after them…
There's always another.
Another mod.
Another "Server."
Another me.
Ping.
I don't even check this time.
Because I already know.
It's started again.