Cyber Fair: The Glass Coffin (Escape from Club Apophis, 19)

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STORYLINE: Dr. Seojin. A face that wore the sterile ambition of a man who catalogued patients as puzzles, spoke into his datapad without once meeting Minjo’s eyes. His voice was clipped, impersonal, like a technician reading a broken instrument.

“Case of Yoon Jihoon. Witnessed public combustion, presumed fourth-degree photothermal trauma. Current damage consistent with augment rejection cascade. Recommend immediate transfer to a private facility for liability containment.”

“Absolutely not.” Minjo was to her feet in an instant, brandishing the digital authority of her guardianship like a blade. “You can submit your proposal, and the name of that private facility, in writing. I will evaluate it.”

A flash of irritation crossed the doctor's polished features. He fled the room muttering a string of medical jargon that sounded suspiciously like insults.

The doctors were a problem, vultures in clean lab coats. Minjo watched them all with the predatory stillness of a gatekeeper, scanning their credentials and dismissing anyone with a whiff of black-market biotech or, worse, GIN AESTHETICA™. Paranoia was a logical response. She would not let Dr. Ginerva’s creatures finish what they had begun.

The world shrank to the size of the room. Jihoon lay suspended inside a sealed therapeutic tank, -- a glass coffin filled with a shimmering, oxygenated biogel. Wrapped head to toe in white smart-bandages, he looked almost serene; the only other presences were the soft blink of the vitals monitor and Minjo, keeping a solitary vigil.

The university had expelled him. While she packed his life into boxes —textbooks, anime posters—with a cold, methodical fury, her real work happened late at night: prying at the seams of the mysterious Black Snakeskin Box, fingertips smeared with the iridescent dust its hide shed.

Days acquired a grim rhythm: monitor the tank, cross-reference charts, keep the journal. Each night she performed a private, clinical ritual. With wire clippers from her robotics kit she snipped the glossy black claws that pushed through the bandages. The sharp snap echoed in the quiet. Then she placed the jagged fragments of obsidian-like keratin into a specimen vial, labeled it, then added it to the macabre collection in her diagnostic kit.

Guilt was not a variable; it was a constant, an acid that corroded logic. The memory of the baseball game was an ache that never faded. He had trusted her, and she, in her clinical arrogance, had armed him with nothing more than cheap sunscreen against a star. It was his scream—a sound she heard every time she closed her eyes. In that final, agonizing moment, it was her name he had shrieked, a hand reaching for her through the flames, pleading, "Save me."

A single, hot tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away with an angry, impatient swipe of her sleeve before turning back to her journal.

The blood transfusions were the strangest variable. The bags of synthetic O-negative would simply… vanish. In her journal, beneath complex equations, Minjo wrote two words and circled them until the pen tore the page: ...Signs of Vampirism?

When a new surgical team scheduled an amputation for his arms, Minjo refused. She made them unwrap the limbs. The room fell silent. The flesh beneath was not carbonized, but a latticework of raw, pink scars over newly formed tissue. Damaged, yes. Horrifically so. But healing.

That night, a woman she didn't recognize approached. She was dressed more like an intern than a nurse, and she moved with upbeat attitude that was more unnerving than comforting. A clinical facemask obscured her mouth, but her eyes—obvious cybernetic models—crinkled with a practiced warmth.

"Oh you poor thing. Have you been here all day? You look like you're about to fall over," she said, her voice a low, soothing hum.

Minjo’s internal database of hospital staff came up empty for her half covered face.

The nurse chuckled, a low, soothing hum. “It’s understandable. I was at that game too," she confessed, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "I don't believe a word they're saying about him. He's the victim here. You are a good girlfriend to him.” She placed a steaming cup in Minjo’s hands. “But you need to care for yourself too. Here, Chamomile. It will help you get some real rest."

Minjo’s analytical mind should have dissected the gesture, but her defenses were worn to nothing. For the first time, someone saw her pain.

The tea was warm and sweet. She drank it down, and a thick, dreamless curtain fell with astonishing speed. Outside the hospital, the street erupted into a symphony of chaos, screaming with sirens and the sounds of a violent chase, but Minjo was already gone, lost in a slumber so profound it felt less like rest and more like a system shutdown. She was too tired to care, and for the first time in a month, she did not dream of fire.

A soft knock pulled her from the depths. Minjo blinked, the grey morning light feeling abrasive and alien. Jihoon's three closest friends, Echo, Ghost, and Plague, stood in the doorway, their arms laden with cheap flowers and well loved retro game cartridges.

Echo opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes darted past Minjo. “Where’s Jihoon?”

Panic seized her. The glass coffin was empty.

She bolted to the nurses' station. “Yoon Jihoon,” she demanded. “Where is he?”

The admitting nurse, a woman with a practiced smile, tapped at her console. “Mr. Yoon was discharged late last night into the care of his legal guardian.”

“Impossible,” Minjo’s voice rose. “His parents are dead. I’m his medical proxy.”

“The paperwork is all in order.” The nurse swiveled her monitor around. On the signature line was a name that felt like a curse: Dr. Lucien Ginerva.

“That’s forged,” Minjo choked out.

“I assure you, a high-ranking officer verified everything.” She pulled up the security footage.

The timestamp read 2:17 AM. A towering, broad-shouldered police officer stood beside MasterGin. Between them Jihoon, still wrapped in bandages, was wheeled out on a gurney. Gone.

Echo gasped, pointing at the screen. "That's him! The officer from the crash!"

A wave of dizziness washed over Minjo. Her gaze fell on the half-empty cup. Drugged. The thought wasn't a question; it was a diagnosis. The ice in her gut flash-froze into white-hot, analytical fury. They had treated her like an obstacle. They would find she was a problem that fought back.

"Ghost, Echo, Plague," she commanded, her voice cutting through the sterile air. "Come with me. I have something to show you."

It's time to say goodbye to this round of CyberFair, and Season 2 of Escape from Club Apophis. Yes, I know I said there would be no more posts for CF, but I had a burning need to tell more story and show more things. So BONUS post! Wooo! *throws confetti*  The season finale mostly wraps up the journey to unite Snow White / Jihoon's rescue team, the 7 dwarfs: Lisa Liemawr is Happy, Kyle is Grumpy, Kyra is Sleepy, Plague is Sneezy, Echo is Dopey, and Ghost is Bashful.

For the Nurse Intern's look I used the AsteroidBox Mia outfit. It has a rich hud of colors and PBR options. The pBR version has glow LED elements.   ...The perfect hair for young nurse is the Echo hair by Sintiklia. There are also Cyber bunny ears in the pack, and each texture hud has a lot of color options.   ...The striking cybernetic blue eyes are Nyxa by Euphoric.  The LED body lines at Justice by Abyssal. The pack comes with multiple colors and opacity BOM tattoos, applier to create shine material, and lights to best to show off the effect.   ...Supplying the Medical needs are The Kataonik Nurse hat tinted black, Gehenna's stethoscope, Mask by Violetility, latex gloves by Antaya, and the frightening Mad Doctor's Equipment by Cabalpier.   

On her, The Suspicious Nurse Grey:

Outfit: AsteroidBox Mia Outfit - LaraX, black [mesh](CyberFair)(499L)

Hair: Sintiklia Echo head 1 Fitted, blond [mesh](CyberFair)(150L)

Skin: VOGLIA ELEKTRA Skin, EvoX, Icy With Brows [BOM](CyberFair)(699L)

Eyes: EUPHORIC Nyxa ~[BOM] #08[mesh](CyberFair)(380L)

Tattoo/Shine: ABYSSAL JUSTICE CYBERTECH [BOM, Applier]

Gloves: ANTAYA Latex gloves "Keily" FATPACK Lara X [mesh]

Syringe, bone saw: CABALPIER Mad Doctor's Equipment - Bundle [mesh]

Hat: katat0nik (W) Nurse Hat for Apron Dress [mesh]

Stethoscope: Gehenna ::G:: Stethoscope

Mask: Violetility Nurse Feelgood Mask [mesh]

Head, eyes: LeLUTKA lel EvoX LILLY 3.1 [mesh](3990L)

Body: Maitreya Mesh Body Lara [mesh](2750L)

Pose: Poseidon Poses Nightmare Slasher

...Thanks to my blogger bat buddy Aarya for letting me cosplay her once more for the blog. 

Location:
Insilco

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shot, hi-res, midday sky.

Cyber Fair: The Key (Escape from Club Apophis, 18)

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STORYLINE: The night was supposed to be quiet. A simple, solemn walk to the hospital, the three of them moving through the late-night stillness of New Seoul. But the city had other plans. A siren wailed in the distance, then another, their cries tangling into a chorus of panic. Hover-cars, sleek and official, roared overhead, their searchlights cutting anxious paths through the smog toward the Forbidden Zone.

Ghost, walking a step ahead, stopped dead. His holo-pad flickered to life, projecting a frantic, glitching emergency stream from the HEXA Herald.

On the screen, Lisa Liemawr’s face was a mask of terror and adrenaline. “—life on the line to bring you the truth while I still can!” The camera feed spun wildly, revealing the cramped interior of a speeding EV. A barely conscious Kyra was slumped in the passenger seat, and at the wheel, Kyle Baek cursed as he wrenched the vehicle around a corner.

“What the hell!” Plague spat, his gaze snapping from the chaotic feed to the flashing lights now visible just a few blocks away.

Lisa’s voice crackled, distorted by signal interference. “Reporting live from the edge of the Forbidden Zone! It’s not radioactive! There are no biohazards! That’s right, folks—it’s all a government lie!”

Through the feed, they could hear the amplified, metallic voice of law enforcement booming from a bullhorn: “PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY.”

“What’s really inside the Zone is monsters!” Lisa screamed over the engine’s whine. “The government has a pact with them! Our boy, Yoon Jihoon—he’s the first person to escape that place alive, and they set him on fire for it!”

The friends stared at each other, the wild accusation hanging in the air. Spontaneous combustion. A secret pact with monsters. It was insane. But the image of Jihoon, broken and burning in the baseball diamond, made it impossible to dismiss.

“I’m sorry, Dragonlets,” Lisa pleaded, her voice breaking. “I was a coward, but not anymore! I have proof! I recorded the whole call when I was being blackmailed to cover up the truth. It was none other than Dr. Ginevra—”

The stream died. The screen went black.

Ghost’s hologram gloves flashed, projecting his urgent signs into the air. “GIN AESTHETICA.”

At the far end of the street, a blockade of enforcement vehicles materialized, their lights painting the asphalt in strobing reds and blues. Lisa’s EV screeched around the corner, hurtling directly toward them.

What happened next was a blur of metal and motion.

A lone figure stepped out from the blockade, impossibly tall and broad-shouldered. He faced the oncoming car alone and raised a single, commanding hand. The universal sign to stop.

Kyle swerved. The EV’s tires shrieked as it clipped the curb, launched into the air, and rolled twice before crashing into a ditch with a gut-wrenching crunch of metal.

Echo screamed as Kyra’s broken form was thrown clear of the wreckage. Without thinking, she sprinted toward her.

Kyra hit the asphalt hard, a discarded cyborg doll. Her severed lower leg leaked a trail of inky black fluid. Echo dropped to her knees beside her, hands trembling. “Kyra! Don’t move—”

The cybernetic cheerleader coughed, spitting a glob of black fluid that gleamed like oil in the strobing lights. Her optic sensors glitched, filling with static. With a final, desperate effort, she pressed something sharp and tiny into Echo’s palm.

“The key…” she whispered, her voice a corroded rasp. “Protect it.”

It was a chip—wafer-thin and faintly warm. Echo’s stomach lurched. She fumbled inside her jacket and pulled out a small plastic sleeve containing one of her own scavenged data chips. Her hands shook, but the motion was pure instinct. She switched her old chip with Kyra’s inside the protective case.

The ground vibrated with heavy footfalls. A shadow fell over them.

Acting on pure animal panic, Echo popped the plastic case into her mouth. The edges clicked against her teeth, cool and bitter. She shoved it into the soft pocket of her cheek, jaw clenched tight.

Boots crunched on shattered glass nearby.

The giant from the blockade stood over them, a towering silhouette against the riot of flashing lights. “Step aside,” he commanded. His voice was a deep, resonant baritone with an exotic accent she couldn’t place—velvet over steel. He gently but firmly lifted Echo and set her back on her feet, away from Kyra, before gesturing to a team in full hazmat gear. They descended on Kyra, sealing her into a mobile containment unit with chilling efficiency.

When the officer turned back, Echo had already scrambled to other side of the street behind Plague and Ghost, using them as a shield.

“What are you children doing out so late?” he asked, his gaze sweeping over them.

Plague swallowed hard, his voice trembling. “Did they… just come out of the Forbidden Zone?”

The man’s lips curved into a calm, unnerving smile. “No. No one survives the Zone. They were caught attempting entry. For their own safety, we must apprehend them for decontamination.” He lit a cigarette, the match flaring orange. The smoke that drifted from his lips carried the unsettling perfume of clove. “Do you know them?”

The three exchanged a look. “No,” they lied in unison.

The man’s piercing gaze narrowed, settling on Echo. “Why are you are out past curfew.”

She squeaked, trying to shrink behind Plague. “W-we’re going to the hospital. To see a friend.”

His eyes followed her nervous glance toward the looming glass tower of Jae Won University Hospital. “Ah. The baseball player. Lathandro.” His smile didn’t waver. “Room C, isn’t it? I heard he… caught on fire.”

A collective shiver ran down their spines. He knew.

Before anyone could react, the officer’s hand shot out and clamped around Echo’s. "You have something that doesn't belong to you." His grip was like iron. With a sickening pop of her knuckles, he pried her fingers open. The decoy chip she’d palmed clattered to the pavement. He brought his boot down hard, grinding it into glittering dust.

His smile never reaching his eyes. He blew another plume of spiced smoke into their faces. “Visiting hours are over. Go home. Forget what you saw tonight.”

He turned and walked toward the sounds of Kyle still struggling against the other officers. As he passed, the streetlights above him flickered and dimmed.

In the sudden gloom, Ghost’s hands moved, his halo gloves projecting the translation.

“His badge. It was strange.” The projected words hung in the clove-scented air. “A cobra swallowing a ball.”

The three of them stood frozen, the officer’s final, unspoken threat hanging over them. Their simple walk had spiraled into chaos, but one thing was now terrifyingly clear: Lisa wasn’t the enemy. She was fighting for Jihoon.

And the boy they were trying to save was already in the sights of the most dangerous power in New Seoul.

One more chapter until we hit the end of Escape from Club Apophis Season 2. It's been grueling. I hope you all have had fun reading.   ...This is my last post for Cyber Fair, which is ending the 22nd.  And then we must count the days before it returns once more to fill our virtual spaces with the shiny.  .... This post was inspired by the Intimidation Wear from the event and Mr Intimidation himself, thats right, The Ruler of the Night is large in charge and doing to damage control.   ...He is wearing the VoidFrame outfit in black from Gabriel. It also comes in a white version. The outfit has a Darth Vader like collar, tall gloves, pants, and sneakers.   ...The weapon on the arm is the Animesh Cypher Mantis Blade. Touch it and you can turn off the animation. It has a left and right blade. There are also non-animated blade. The blades can trigger 3 poses. It comes with a hud to customize its colors.    ...from MoonSha is the Neurovoid Hood, backpack and collar. it comes in multiple sizes and clothing and hair allowance fits, for men and women. It has a PBR and Non PBR texture hud.   ...From Anomaly is the SkullJack Hat.  I love it. it's so simple, but has beautiful PBR textures on cloth and metal plates, and it fits perfectly. ... One the rim of the cap is the Psycho:Byts CYB3 goggles.  It had a hud to change its textures and colors, and its mod to get the perfect fit. There was playful button on it too, but my serious guy cop, I made them black, but they are fun feature for more playful avatars.   ...Sadly, it's not too obvious in this shot, but he is also wearing the NK Store Sosumi HDJ Headphones. I figure they can double as police combination device and I love the LED gold on its edges.   ...I've be wanting to show this awesome cyber BOM tattoo with shine Materials by Auro. its more than flat, the bom layers have shading with the added materials, its just a beautiful effect. The design looks great on men, but of course has a female variant too. 21 colors, 2 body variants. The materials work for Lelutka EvoX and Genus SL UV mesh heads, and bodies Legacy F & M, Ebody, Kario, Kupra / Khara, Anatomy, Maitreya.

On him, The Ruler of the Night:
Outfit: Gabriel ::GB:: VOIDFRAME, LegacyM Black [mesh](Cyber Fair)(580L)
Goggles: PSYCHO:Byts CYB3, Goggles [mesh](Cyber Fair)(350L)
Cap: Anomaly SkullJack Hat, white [mesh](Cyber Fair)(159L)
Backpack, hood, collar: MoonSha Neurovoid, LegacyM [mesh](Cyber Fair)(999L)
Headphones: NK Store [NK*] Sosumi HDJ Headphones [mesh](Cyber Fair)(500L)
Weapon: TERIYAKI  _TRK_ Cypher Mantis Blades [ANIMESH] [mesh](Cyber Fair)(999L)
Shine: [AURO] Cyber Corpus - Black // EVOX, Legacy [BOM][Materials Applier](450L)

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky (NOTE: black & gold version for the raws)

CyberFair, Androgyny Event: Game Night (Escape from Club Apophis, 17)

STORYLINE: At Echo’s place, Game Night had always been holy. The walls sweated with posters from forgotten animes, cartridges stacked like reliquaries. A broken CRT flickered in the corner, its light gleaming against the glossy spines of VR headsets charging on the floor. Old consoles slept under tangles of neon wire. Past and future elbowed each other here, welded together into an altar of outcast survival.

But tonight, the altar felt desecrated. The ramen stink had gone sour, heat from the overworked circuits clinging like mildew on their skin. The hum of machinery buzzed thin as a mosquito trapped in a stasis pod. Every pixel of light seemed to stutter, as though the room itself wanted to look away.

The longtime friends sat among the relics, eyes downcast. Plastic dice rested like bones in the dust. Once, this room had roared with their laughter, their curses, their mock battles against faceless mobs. Now the silence gnawed the edges of everything.

No one said his name. The empty seat screamed it for them.

A holo-field flickered above the controller, pixel static drifting like dust motes. The interface resolved, retro-font glowing in sickly neon:

PLAYER 2: METEOR STRIKE
Status: Waiting to log in…

Beside the text hung Jihoon’s old profile image, frozen long before his face turned impossibly flawless. A crooked smile in braces, his lucky hat askew. The boy they remembered. The boy who wasn’t supposed to vanish.

“...So we’re just not gonna talk about it?” Echo finally muttered, shoving a stack of chip bags aside. “He was our guy. Friday raids. Pizza runs. Jihoon. And now—”

Her words bled into the voice that seeped from the battered speakers of the HEXA Herald, glitch-glossy and smug. Lisa Liemawr.

“—banned lithium augments. Combustion risk higher than your grandma’s vape pen, people. Campus golden boy? More like campus fraud. He went boom because he cheated. And let’s be honest, nobody turns that pretty without paying for it. But hey, don’t just take my word for it! Witness reports are in. Kyra, yes, the girlfriend, says Jihoon was desperate to be someone, at any cost. Fame, fortune, flames, baby!” Lisa’s laughter bubbled, synthetic and cruel. “Play stupid games, win spontaneous combustion.”

Plague’s fist slammed the table, rattling a graveyard of half-broken controllers. “She’s killing him twice,” he snarled. “Jihoon hated augments. Always said putting metal in your body was just one bad update away from the morgue.” His fist balled tighter, trembling. “I thought he DNA-hacked himself… thought he chose it. God, I thought he wanted to leave us behind.”

The others flinched. They had thought the same. They’d mocked him, shut him out, just like the popular ones always did to them. Jihoon had laughed it off, pretending everything was fine. Pretending—like them—that he wasn’t burning inside.

Echo turned away, her hair a curtain. But then came a shuddering breath, the sound of denial breaking. Her voice spilled into the stale air, soft as a scalpel, merciless as truth.

“I keep seeing him on fire,” she whispered. “In my dreams, he’s burning and screaming, and I try to drag him out… but my hands just pass right through.” Her tears traced clean tracks down her cheeks. “I always fail. And we failed him. We didn’t even ask if he was okay. We just… looked away.”

The confession landed heavier than silence.

Ghost said nothing. He picked up the twenty-sided die, the sacred artifact of their friendship, their last excuse for avoidance. He didn’t roll it. He hurled it into the darkest corner. The clatter echoed, final as a coffin lid.

In the ringing quiet, the group froze. For a heartbeat, it felt like the room itself recoiled. Then Ghost keyed his holo-pad. A map of the city sharpened into view, its glow bleaching their faces. Jae Won University Hospital. The map drilled down through glass and steel until it locked on Intensive Care, Room C, -- YOON JIHOON. 

Ghost’s hologram gloves flickered, projecting his urgent sign language into the dusty air, “Done pretending.”

The words hung like a verdict. Ghost turned, his shadow dragging long across the relics as he walked for the door.

For a stunned beat, no one moved. Then Plague’s fist uncurled. Echo scrubbed her eyes raw, standing straighter than she had in weeks. Echo pushed her chair back with a final scrape.

One by one, they followed. Haunted, ashamed, and no longer hiding, they left the mausoleum of play behind.

Jihoon was waiting. ...In the hospital, in their nightmares, in the fire they could never unsee. Whatever had consumed him, it hadn’t been augments, or hacks, or doping. It was something far worse. And they had let him face it alone.


...

Such a powerful and pivotal chapter. This was written months ago, and it was just pure luck that Cyber Fair just so happens to have a major cool game in it! I was just blow away by how neat it was and the quality of the work. I went to the GeckoGames main store to get more help on setting up the game. So here I will pass it along for you, so you can play your own games! 

Cyber Fair: DJ Romance (Escape from Club Apophis, 16)

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STORYLINE: Kyra's body, an unresponsive mannequin, sped on rollerblades toward its own destruction.

A sickening CRASH tore a hole in the Forbidden Zone's silence. The shriek of tortured metal and the sharp snap of breaking carbon fiber echoed through abandoned alleys and off decaying buildings. Agony lanced through her leg; a rusted rebar had torn through her shell, impaling her lower leg. She tried once more to reboot her body, but it was hopeless. The pungent reek of her leaking cybernetic fluids filled the air. Then, cutting through the oil and rust, came a cologne so sweet it was rotten.

A plume of shimmering pink smoke swirled before Kyra, twisting into shapes that almost resembled hearts before collapsing in like an unholy tornado. From its folds, a figure emerged with heavy mecha wings beating the air, and armor humming with an electric glow. He hovered just off the ground, demonic and dazzling, a cupid remade in infernal metal. Her optics fuzzed, but the figure was still there. He had simply materialized from thin air. Panic surged, but her body stayed stubbornly locked. She was a doll at the mercy of a predator in no hurry.

His feral eyes gleamed with amusement as he lightly touched down, the corners of his lips curving into a wicked leer. He tilted his head, long heart-shaped bangs swaying, and examined her from head to toe as if she were a sculpture in a museum.

Then as if he were granting her a small mercy, his massive wings folded down with origami grace, leaving only cyber demon horns glowing faintly and a matching tail that swished behind him. He pressed a hand to his heart, like her biography had been whispered into his ear, and began to sing a soft, honeyed melody:

     Poor broken star, with wires and steel...

Kyra's mouth filled with the metallic taste of shame. Yet, in betrayal, her pulse surged, circuits thrumming with heat. The shame curled inward, twining with something she hadn't let herself feel in years: the dangerous thrill of being noticed by eyes completely enthralled by her.

     What would you trade to move and feel,
     shed the ache that cold plates seal

Her pulse tripped. She knew that voice, that face,... not from the street, not from school, but from the shrine of her childhood. A poster on her wall, the one she used to whisper secrets to in the dark. Now that very same idol—the charming, handsome figure known as Saja Romance, leaned close. He was no longer flat paper but living breath warm against her shell, naming the ache she thought no one could see. He looked exactly the same as he did on the poster all those years ago, save for a few cybernetic enhancements that added to his dangerous allure.

He mimicked her awkward impaled pose, a grotesque mirror. Then with a lazy grace, his body flowed into a dramatic idol pose, as if to say, "This could be you." He was a master of performance.

She couldn't look away as he began to dance. She was riveted. A desperate need raced through her mind to replicate the choreography, to show him she could keep pace. Her body-memory yearned to answer his song with movement, but her limbs remained stone.

     You’re a beautiful machine, and so fragile.
     Trust me I know the pain behind the smile.
     I can give you forever, a perfect final bow.
     Just give me the part you’re dying to lose now.

His words burrowed. She was locked inside what appeared to be a perfect mechanical body, the best she could afford on the black market. But in truth, it was painful and flawed. Now it was an immobile burden weighing her down. She was useless. A living person trapped in a shell. The word "forever" echoed in her mind. Even in this sorry state, to him she was lovable, beautiful. He understood the pain she carefully hid.

Her lips parted, a half-protest, half-prayer, the ghost of a single word beginning to form, ...yes.

The idol's hungry gaze stayed locked to hers. His long fingers slid under the edge of her helmet, lifting it as if its airtight seals were nothing, his touch finding her cheek.

Heat bloomed under his fingertips, intimate and invasive, a sear that spread through every wire and plate as though he had pressed his mouth to her skin and breathed fire into her veins. Circuits that had been shrieking with pain fell silent, lulled, as if their suffering had simply… obeyed his command.

Time fractured into stillness as his mask slipped. The smirk drained away, and those molten-gold eyes dimmed into a warm, human brown, searching hers with a naked urgency he never showed on stage. In that instant, Kyra saw not a demon, not an idol, but a soul caught in its own cage of performance—just as she was caught in steel. The recognition pierced deeper than the rebar in her leg: his prison was hers, reflected back at her. In his gaze, she saw a terrible, familiar pain, the kind that begged not to be seen. And then the mask returned, gold light reigniting as his attention snapped away. The moment was gone, but its truth clung to her like a scar that hadn’t yet formed.

Headlights slashed the fog behind them as an EV skidded to a stop at the Forbidden Zone’s border. Lisa’s frantic voice cracked through the signal rot. "Kyra! I see you! I'm coming!" 

From deeper in the Zone, the gruff voice of Kyle Baek called out: “Hey! Hey, you—stop! Don’t come in here, it’s dangerous!”

She felt the metallic click of something fastening to her cheek, a wafer-thin object locking in place with cold magnetic weight. It pulsed faintly, the weight of a promise. "Such perfect form, even when you're broken. You must have been the best," Romance whispered low, lips brushing against her nano skin.

"Get away from her, you freak!" Kyle roared.

The ghostly idol glanced behind him in surprise just as a thrown rock passed through him, leaving a temporary swirl of pink fog. His attention quickly returned to her. "Until the next performance. Think about it, lovely machine." His warm touch withdrew, and the impossible relief it offered vanished instantly. A cold sting raced down her circuits, the soothing effect gone, building into a cascading failure. His words clung to her like a virus corrupting her core. "I'll be waiting." A promise she feared she might secretly want.

Digital narcolepsy. Full stop. No sight, no sound, no feel. Then, mercifully, the reboot took. The spell shattered like glass. Kyra let out a strange, glitching laugh, the joke ripping her from the terror. Did he just save me—or mock me?

When her vision flickered back, the world was smeared. She had no idea how much time had passed. Sound came to her like static, voices warped and distant. She saw Lisa’s face close to hers, panicked, shouting. Kyle’s mouth moved in some sharp retort, his hands rough as he lugged her heavy body across the perimeter of the Zone. Her severed limb was spraying sparks and leaking an inky black trail of fluid.

But she barely registered what was happening around her. Their quarrel and her injury were a blur, their words meaningless shapes. What cut sharp was elsewhere: the phantom touch still lingered on her cheek, and—out there in the gloom—his eyes, radiant, amused. Watching her. Then they blinked out, dissolving into the Zone’s haze.

Heat still ghosted on her cheek where his hand had been. She reached up, expecting a scar, but her fingers struck metal: a wafer-thin chip clinging to her skin, pulsing faintly. The symbol burned on its face: a heart coiled by a cobra on a vinyl record. A key. A pass. An invitation she hadn’t asked for, yet suddenly ached to follow.

Romance, of Kpop Demon Hunters, returns in Cybernetic Devilishness! The was a big chapter was pretty intense, but on with the details of cool stuff from Cyber Fair.   ...Giving Romance a cyber devil makeover are the Darconic Horns and Tail by Hallow. Both have texture hud options, the horns can edited for position and size, and the tail is animated Bento. Just touch it to pick a pose or play animated overrider.   ...Every Demonic Cyber Cupid is gonna need some wings, and Nebur Cyborg delivers with the Mech Wings Prototype! These wings have clever animations, the shards move up and down and wiggle, as well the wing flap. Plus, you can fold it down into just back spine spikes. These are awesome and original!   ...Romance is a DJ in Forbidden Zone, and he wears the Zeroichi C heaphones. They are adjustable for the perfect fit from earmuff, and head straps. While by the NK Store are the gorgeously made Sosumi Eighty-Two Dj set turntables. Touch the record to start its spin. Both headphones and DJ turntables you can buy in a color theme.   ... I did something a little tricky for Romance's hand. I used the R2 Fashion R2LX Yakumo Arm made for Lara X on Legacy Male. It totally fits, however there is one issue, the thumb's bones are slightly off. To fix that I used a hand pose that hold the thumb straight. Handy trick.   ...The outdoor setting for the Street Party created with the Zeroichi G Shelter Backdrop, the Neon signs by EC3D. I used the Mod version of the Shelter to change up the colors. For the lighting, I used the Midwest Streetlamp which has a fusion of Asia, Victorian, and Cyberpunk. It was mod, so I also edited it for color theme. Stay Awake indeed.   ....Bonus: to create that iconic cyberpunk feel of wet pavement I used the cobblestone PBR by JU PBR Materials and tinted it black.   .... Next post, if all goes well, will have the theme "Game Night." Please look forward to it!

On him, DJ Romance:
Horns: Hollow Draconic Horns [mesh](CyberFair)(350L)

Tail: Hollow Draconic Tail, V2  [mesh](CyberFair)(500L)

Hands: R2 Fashion R2LX Yakumo Arm1, Silver, Lara X [mesh](CyberFair)(188L)

Wings: Nebur Cyborg Mech Wings Prototype, Male, pink [mesh](CyberFair)(399L)

Headphones: ZEROICHI C headphone Silver [mesh](CyberFair)(240L)

Hair: Dura B137 Light [mesh]

Coat: ARCHIVEFACTION HURRICANE Trench Coat_Black [mesh]

Pants: AVEC TOI Kai Pants, Turmoil, LegacyM [mesh](595L)

Boots: Nebur Cyborg Taktik Boots / Legacy Male [mesh]

Bodysuit: Bas de Laura Store Laura's Black Sheer Bodystocking with Long Sleeves [BOM](150L)

Hat: Dope+Mercy Saja Gat, Sheer [mesh](Gift)

Top: KIKI KAIKAI ..KK.. short length jacket, LegacyM, Black Semitransparent [mesh]

Eyes: Poetic Colors classic gen4 - oriental pearl [mesh] (150L)

Head, piercings: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Pose: Poseidon  Flight 9 (with firestorm poser edit)

Setting:

DJ Turn tables: NK Store [NK*] Sosumi Eighty-Two Set, Black, 7LI [mesh](CyberFair)(500L)

Sign: EC3D Kanji Love W Backplate Static [mesh](CyberFair)(250L)

Sign: EC3D After Dark [mesh](CyberFair)(250L)

Street Light: Midwest Sentient Street Light, Black 02 [PBR] [mesh](CyberFair)(299L)

Set: ZEROICHI* G SHELTER Backdrop (MOD) [mesh](CyberFair)(540L)

Sign: HIDEKI LIVE MUSIC SIGN, gacha [mesh]

Sign: EC3D Hearts Static [mesh]

Microphone: Infinite Karaogay Microphone [mesh]

Table: Rumah Kita Vision Collection - Desk, Chair & Lamp [mesh](50L)

Table Top: HILTED Xero Collection, Table [mesh]

Set: ANTINATURAL[+] Post-Human / Meeting Point, gacha [mesh]

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky

Cyber Fair: Glitch (Escape from Club Apophis, 15)

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: "Can't we just... wait? Until I get my paycheck?" Kyra asked, her voice tight with anxiety. She adjusted her visor, watching Lisa's face flicker with the telltale digital snow of a poor connection. On the screen Lisa's defiant grin flashed confidence, but Kyra's augmented eyes caught the tremor in her hands. The mask of flippant bravery was beginning to slip.

"And risk him coming back? No way. MasterGin's out of town, - rare window. We strike now while the viper's nest is empty. Your cybernetic body's our best bet, Kyra. Faster. Tougher. Built to handle obstacles. In and out, just like old times. Hey, you didn’t flinch sneaking into GNet’s server tower, did you? That was epic! We beat those foo-foo major outlets to the scoop!" Lisa winked, the gesture hollow against the tired smudges under her eyes. "And if you take a little damage, we just swap out the parts. Chop chop."

Her tone was glib, but fear bled through. Her stream’s sudden shift into a smear campaign was costing her dearly. The fans didn’t like her kicking poor Jihoon when he was barely alive. The sponsors were bleeding away. This was her last chance.

Her palms itched with the old thrill, -- the same itch she felt the night she crawled through a corporate skylight so Lisa could stream the CEO scandal live before anyone else. Kyra would do anything to see that beaming smile on Lisa’s face again. She turned from the flickering image of her best friend to face the new reality before her.

To her eyes, the edge of the Forbidden Zone was no line but a wound in reality. It shimmered like a heat mirage, but her enhanced vision detected no warmth in ultraviolet. The pulsing distortion bent the air like liquid glass. It smelled unholy. She felt sick.

"Lisa, my augments are picking up something strange. Do you see that warping? The air... it's like it's corrupted," her words barely audible.

Lisa's grin didn't falter on-screen. "What are you talking about? Looks the same as always. A big pile of nothing. Hurry up, before someone spots us!" The panic cracked through the false cheer. 

Kyra lowered her helmet, spun up the solar rotor at her back, ground her rollarblades against the gravel, then dropped into the crouch of a speed skater. She had always been the one who fixed Lisa’s problems, the silent partner, the fixer who never missed a cue. But her throat tightened before her wheels moved. 

Go fast. In and out. Quick.

Then finally, with the choreographed confidence of a head cheerleader, she launched herself into the Forbidden Zone in a burst of speed.

The instant her blades touched the dusty stone, her body became a stranger. Breath stalled—not from lack of air, but lack of command. Hands, throat, lips were present and unresponsive, as if a directive had been issued and immediately revoked. Signals to her artificial limbs jammed.

 

A frantic voice shattered in her comm. "Kyra? You’re freezing... what's wrong? C'mon, don’t do this..." The sound fractured into a digital screech, splintering like glass. Her vision hiccupped. A moment vanished. Then Lisa again, torn by interference: "...remote reboot signal... why isn’t it taking?" Another gap. Her body unzipped, metal sinking against metal. Lisa returned, raw with panic. “Damn, this place is... messing with the signal! Kyra, can you hear me? Force a hard reboot! Now!"

A suffocating claustrophobia seized her. Her body, the perfect machine she'd built was now a deadweight, a lifeless thing with no power. Kyra was awake inside a corpse. She could feel the rough grit of the pavement below her wheels and the cool wind on her shell, but her nerves were dead ends. On the outside, she was a statue, a monument to a glitch. Inside, a terrified animal pacing its cage. 

Her body, frozen unnaturally at the start of a race, gleamed just inside the border, a perfect mannequin abandoned mid-step. Inside, her mind thrashed. Out there, past the rippling distortion, something shifted. Not wind. Not stone. Something watching. If it came closer, she would meet it like this—unmoving, unarmed, unable even to scream.

CyberFair is back! *does a happy dance* Today's post continued the Apophis series, this time focusing on Sleepy Dwarf, of the Snow White tale, but in the cyberpunk twist, it becomes Glitch. Kyra is athletic and she wearing the fantastic Abeabi AB36 roller boots. They come with a brilliant Ao that really sells the roller vibe, with multiple animations, and of course a hud to change out the colors and textures. ...From GACKIGANG is the Neko 1 suit that includes helmet, suit, transparent jacket, and armor. It has fits for Legacy and Reborn, Texture hud, with LED lights. The helmet has a 3 hologram option, and has a hold pose too. Very nice! Did you see the cat kneepads? lol ... Keeping Kyra powered up and moving fast is the G-Blade Mk1 spinning propeller by geek. It has PBR textures and options for lighting effects, textures, and animated textures. ... From Volga is the cyber beautiful Elektra Skin. (Bonus, there are cool Addons you can purchas: Neonix and Glambot masks). ...Providing more hints of cybernetics, are the Hexed Cyber Eyes, and MJN Exoline tattoos. The eyes have metal base with colored enamel iris in several colors. The Exolines comes is several versions to best match your skintone. ... From FaeTal are the Btye earrings, with fits for Lelutka human, elf, or Swallow ears, and a texture hud.  ....The vortex effect is amazing, its by Mindgardens Creations and really does look like a 3 dimensional illusion of a spiraling hole, but its a flat surface. it uses fancy Advanced lighting tricks and projectors to create it. I hide the stone board to make it double as the force field of the Forbidden Zone. ...Thanks to Aarya for the help and letting me Cosplay her for this post.

On Her, Kyra:

Helmet, suit, armor: GACKIGANG [GG] Neko, Halogram, LegacyF fatpack[mesh](CyberFair)(600L)

Skates: abeabi AB36 roller boots, white, Legacy F [mesh](CyberFair)(249L)
Wing: geek G-Blade V2 PBR [mesh](CyberFair)(699L)

Earring: FaeTal Byte, LeL Human Female[mesh](CyberFair)(199L)
Eyes: Hexed BOM Cyber Eyes, pink [BOM](CyberFair)(190L)

Skin: VOGLIA ELEKTRA Skin, EvoX, Icy With Brows [BOM](CyberFair)(699L)

Tattoo: [MJN] ExoLines, icy [BOM](CyberFair)( L)

Gloves: ContraptioN Dapper Dandy's Glove, LegacyF  [mesh]

Scalp: no.match EvoX hairbase  NO_DEAR WHITE  [BOM]
Head, eyes: LeLUTKA lel EvoX LILLY 3.1 [mesh](3990L)
Body: TheShops Legacy female [mesh](Linden Labs starter avatar)

Pose: DevinVaughn created inside Firestorm's poser.

Setting:

Vortext: Mindgardens Creations MG - Xyphoria Astral Stone Portal [mesh]

Torii gate: MAke a MArk Japanese City Complex #26 - main torii [mesh]

Stone Path: xin. ishidatami 1 [mesh]

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky