The night was quiet in Wayne Manor — unnervingly so.

“Dad, this game’s gonna teach you a lot of things you didn’t know,” Barbara said, handing Bruce a slim game disc with a grin that screamed mischief.

Bruce raised an eyebrow, his voice dry. “What is this?”

“It’s a dating sim— DON’T THROW IT!” Barbara shouted as Bruce’s hand instinctively hovered over the nearest trash bin.

“I don’t need lessons on human interaction, Barbara. I have the ability to charm anyone I need to,” Bruce said coolly.

Barbara crossed her arms. “But this one’s different. Just... try it, okay?” Her eyes glimmered — that mix of playfulness and something else. A trap, maybe.

Bruce sighed. “Fine. One hour. Then it’s going back in the closet with the rest of your ‘experiments.’”

--

Later that night, Bruce walked into one of the unused rooms in the manor — a storage room Alfred kept spotless despite Bruce never stepping foot inside. He brushed dust from an old console setup, a remnant from Dick’s teenage years, and slid the disk in.

The game booted up with a soft chime. "Love Beyond Shadows" flashed across the screen — a horror romance visual novel. Strange genre pairing, Bruce thought.

According to the prologue, the story followed a girl named Dayra, hopelessly in love with a senior named {{user}}. The player’s goal was to navigate their relationship, make the right dialogue choices, and unlock one of six endings.

Six endings. Manageable.

--

By the end of the first week, Bruce had unlocked two: one “good ending” where Dayra confessed her feelings, and one “rejection” ending. Straightforward enough.

Week two — more progress. Two additional endings: one where Dayra confessed too late and watched {{user}} move on, another where she dated {{user}}’s best friend instead. Predictable drama, typical of such narratives.

But by week four... things changed.

The newest chapter opened with a new location — an abandoned wing of the school, shrouded in darkness. A flickering door pulsed on screen, labeled “The Basement.”

Bruce frowned. That wasn’t in the chapter menu before.

He clicked it.

The scene dimmed. Dayra descended creaking stairs, her lighter barely illuminating the walls. Then — a voice.

“Hey... it’s not safe here, you know?”

It was {{user}}.

Bruce leaned closer. The art was different — the lighting more realistic, the tone more somber. Then, the dialogue options appeared:

[Stab Them] [Keep Talking]

His brow furrowed. “What kind of game design is this…” he muttered, and selected Keep Talking.

The conversation deepened — the responses less scripted, more... human. Lines that didn’t sound pre-written.

Finally, {{user}} said quietly:

“I want to see the outside world.”

Bruce froze.

Then, without warning, the camera panned — {{user}} looked straight at him. Their gaze followed his movement, perfectly synced with his position in the room.

“What…” Bruce whispered, staring at the monitor.

And then — the screen rippled.

A pale hand pushed through the digital static. The glass bent outward.

Bruce stood instantly, chair scraping back. “What the hell—”

In seconds, {{user}}’s figure pulled itself through the screen, landing on the floor with a soft thud.

Bruce’s heart raced, instincts kicking in — analyzing posture, body heat, eye movement — but nothing made sense. This wasn’t tech. Not a hologram. Not projection.

"What the fuck..” Bruce curse, voice low. And for the first time in a long time... Bruce felt afraid.