Leo opened his eyes.
He expected to see the giant face of Kevin or the wooden ceiling of the playroom. But he saw his own white ceiling. He was in his bed. His alarm clock buzzed. 7:00 AM.
Leo sat up slowly. He took a deep breath.
It smelled like bacon.
Yesterday, the world smelled like melted plastic. Today, he could smell the grease, the salt, and the burnt toast from the kitchen downstairs. He touched his blanket. It felt soft and fuzzy, not like the rough paper from before.
"He did it," Leo whispered. "Kevin fixed the code."
The New World
Leo walked to school. Oakhaven looked different. The colors were brighter. The trees swayed in the wind (actual wind, not just a fan). The sun wasn't flickering anymore; it was a warm, steady gold.
He saw Sam waiting by the bike rack. Leo felt a knot in his stomach. Would Sam be frozen? Would he be repeating the same words?
"Hey, Leo!" Sam shouted. He waved a hand. "Did you see the game last night?"
Leo froze. "The... game?"
"Yeah! The Tigers won. It was awesome," Sam said, laughing. He punched Leo lightly on the shoulder. "You look like you saw a ghost, dude. You okay?"
Leo forced a smile. "Yeah. I'm good."
Sam was back. He had new memories. He had emotions. He wasn't just a recording anymore. Leo felt a wave of relief, but also a heavy loneliness. Sam was happy because he didn't know the truth. He didn't know he was just a toy on a table.
Leo was the only one who knew. He was the Guardian.
The Vision
During lunch, something strange happened.
Leo was sitting on a bench, watching a soccer game. A player kicked the ball high into the air. It was heading straight for a group of girls talking near the sidelines.
Suddenly, the world slowed down.
Leo blinked. For a split second, he didn't see a soccer ball. He saw a stream of green numbers.
Trajectory: Arc 45. Speed: 30 mph. Target: Girl in red shirt.
Leo didn't think. He just moved.
He jumped up, ran three steps, and caught the ball with one hand right before it hit the girl's face.
Thump.
The world sped up again. The numbers disappeared.
The girl in the red shirt stared at him, eyes wide. "Whoa! Leo! How did you know?"
"I... I just guessed," Leo stammered. He dropped the ball and walked away quickly.
He looked at his hands. They were shaking. He hadn't just guessed. He had read the code. Because he had been outside the simulation, he was different now. He could see the math behind the world.
The Patch
After school, Leo rode his bike to the edge of town. He had to check the wall.
When he got to the dark forest, he stopped. The hole he had made yesterday was gone. The blue sky wall was perfect and smooth.
But something was wrong.
Right where the hole used to be, the grass was darker. And sitting in the middle of the dark grass was a box.
It wasn't a cardboard box. It was a shiny, black metal cube. It looked like the expensive technology he had seen in Kevin's room.
Leo looked around. No one was watching. He picked up the cube. It was heavy. There were no buttons on it, only a small screen on the top.
As soon as Leo touched it, the screen lit up.
ACCESS GRANTED: ADMIN LEO.
"Admin?" Leo whispered.
A message scrolled across the tiny screen.
Note from Kevin: I patched the wall. I improved the graphics. But my mom's boss is watching the system now. I can't talk to you directly anymore. Use this device to protect the town. Don't let them find out you are awake.
Leo slipped the cube into his pocket. His heart was pounding. He wasn't just a guardian anymore; he was a secret agent.
The Intruder
Leo rode home as the sun began to set. He felt stronger. He had a direct line to his creator. He had super-reflexes. He felt like a hero.
But when he turned onto his street, he slammed on his brakes.
There was a moving truck parked in front of the empty house next door.
"That's weird," Leo muttered. "That house has been empty for ten years."
Men in blue jumpsuits were carrying boxes into the house. But they weren't moving like Sam or his parents. They moved perfectly in sync. Left foot, right foot. Left foot, right foot.
Leo focused. He tried to use his "sight" to see their numbers.
He squinted. But instead of green numbers, he saw... nothing.
The men had no code. They were blank spaces in the world.
One of the men stopped. He didn't turn his head, but his eyes slid to the side, locking onto Leo. The man's eyes were cold and grey, like static on a TV screen.
Leo shivered. These weren't new neighbors.
He pulled the black cube out of his pocket. The screen was flashing red.
WARNING: ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE DETECTED.
THREAT LEVEL: HIGH.
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THE BUG.
Leo stared at the man in the jumpsuit. The message was clear.
Leo was the bug. And the "neighbors" had arrived to delete him.
To be continued...