“Teenage heartbreak got you down?” Liumei said with a smile. She sat down on the far end of the couch.

“I don’t love her. Not after what she did to me.”

“Bugz has a lot going on, Feng. Her brother is sick.”

“So you’re taking her side?”

“No, I’m not taking sides, Feng. I’m just pointing it out.” Liumei shifted to face Feng more fully. “So what happened?”

“She killed me.” Feng paused to make sure Liumei understood he meant in the ’Verse. “It’s messed up. It’s the second time she’s eliminated me. And like I told you before, it takes forever to get back to the Spirit World once you respawn. I’m basically a noob.”

“Why’d she ‘kill’ you?” Liumei asked using air quotes.

“Clan:LESS destroyed everything she created online, and she claims I led them to her. But I didn’t know they put a tracking device on me. She cut my head off!” Feng felt Liumei studying him. Self-consciously, he tried to relax his face to appear less angry.

Liumei spoke. “I don’t know what most of that means, but I do know how much Bugz’s creations meant to her.” She brushed a few stray hairs from her eyes. “That must’ve really hurt her.”

Feng sat silently.

“I just got a text. I’ve got to run to the hospital.” Liumei stood and gathered her bag. Halfway out the door, she stopped and turned back to Feng. “Feng, I don’t think she should’ve cut your head off. God, that sounds weird to say. But if you really care about her, you’ve got to work this out, together.”

Feng huffed. With this, Liumei granted his wish and left him alone. He stewed in his thoughts a moment before reaching for his phone. Examining his pathetic ’Versona, he hatched a plan to accelerate his return to the Spirit World.

CHAPTER 54

Waawaate inhaled slowly, his body working hard to expand and contract his lungs. His brow furrowed above closed eyes. His chest paused at the height of his aspiration as though he strained to hear a message, some secret communication that might make his path easier. His body relaxed and slowly his torso sank back toward the hospital bed. A short pause and the cycle started again. He shifted in place and grunted with the effort.

A nurse pressed buttons and checked the readings on the various machines that pumped, whizzed, and whirred around Waawaate’s body. She quickly scanned a chart and continued with her work.

“What happened?” Bugz asked, seated on the bed beside her brother’s feet.