SHERBURN

Artanaro Sherburn is a household name in the capital city- Descended from a long line of law enforcement and police and detectives, it's well known that if you go to a Sherburn for help, the criminals will be met their justice. [break][break]

before

Artanaro was no exception- He excelled in school, and rose through the ranks of the academy with ease, serving as a police officer for a few years before angling towards detective work. [break][break]

He wasn't the type of person to have friends- Artanaro was work focused, believing himself to be the sole thing between good people and bad events. He fixated on his job, always cases back to back. He wasn't a man for hobbies, or social calls, or anything that wasn't early morning and late nights hunched over his desk, or sitting in a stakeout car. It was lonely, seeing people only when his family called for a get-together, but he never saw it that way.[break][break]

This was his duty, after all. His calling to protect others.[break][break]

personal

Artanaro stepped away from the pressure of the living room under the guise of getting a drink. He moved through the kitchen with purposeful steps, pausing at the fridge to get a glass of water. He took a sip, and left it abandoned by the sink as he moved next to the stairs, quietly taking them two at a time.[break][break]

Syli was the latest in a vicious string of kidnappings and disappearances- children and young adults vanishing from their homes and dimly-lit cafes. No witnesses. No evidence. No trace. Syli was twelve, and the thought of something happening made his blood sear, Artanaro making his way over to his young cousin's room and easing open the door.[break][break]

It didn't look like anything important. It didn't look special, or notable, or anything else to denote that she had been one of the nearly hundred children stolen away. Artanaro wasn't naive enough to think every case connected, but most of them likely were, and he intended to find the thread before anyone else lost their family.[break][break]

The bed was simple, a twin covered in a puffy purple comforter, the trailing edge of a quilt peeking out from under it. Artanaro's sister had sewn it, in college, and had sworn she'd save it and give it to her first daughter. The bed wasn't disturbed at all, and neither was the gauzy cover trailing down from the ceiling. It could be drawn and fully sound the bed, but the sheer fabric offered little protection from prying eyes. Artanaro eyeballed it, and kept going.[break][break]

Syli's desk was a white card table, splattered with errant drops of paint. There were stripes of paint with one straight edge, showing where she'd taped down paintings. Artanaro ran a finger lightly over one of the stained marks. Her painting supplies were still out, but had been half-put up. The pain was sealed, the paintbrushes pulled out of the water. Someone had cleaned up- Maybe Syli, maybe someone else- but she had been here before it had happened.[break][break]

On the other side of the desk was her laptop, a faint pink-bronze color shell adorned with various stickers from shows she liked watching. Most of the others had computers in their room, or had been in areas with free-use computers… Artanaro drifted towards it, tapping the mouse gently to brighten the screen. The password was easy- He loved Syli dearly, but she had the same password for everything- sherastan. The computer flicked open, revealing a pastel background and a flurry of disorganized icons.[break][break]

Artanaro frowned, eyes flicking over them, finding little out of the ordinary for a girl her age- saved screenshots of tv shows and gifs with hearts overlaid. He pulled up the computer window, and that's when he saw it- There was something in the CD drive, which was odd enough on its own- who used CDs nowadays? In fact, she'd had to purchase an external drive for her laptop… But stranger still was that the CD had no name. Just a blank space next to the icon. Artanaro paused. He had no idea what the CD would do… at best it was a lead, at worst…. It could fry the entire laptop.[break][break]

But he had to know, didn't he?[break][break]

The screen instantly went dark, the laptop going silent. Artanaro swore, rising from where he had been half crouched. He should have pulled out the CD and brought it for the police to look at, not-[break][break]

His thoughts were cut off as the laptop's fans started to scream under the strain, Artanaro glancing at the laptop again. The screen was black, with white text printed clearly.[break][break]

You're in the final mile of a marathon, but the last stretch is exhausting! What will you do?[break]
> Hang in there and finish![break]
> Stop running.[break]
> Find a shortcut.[break][break]

Artanaro blinked at it, curious now. What did this all mean? Was this some sort of code the kidnapper used to speak to Syli? Would it matter what he did next? But what he needed to do next was obvious- He needed to take this in and report it. The police would handle things, and with any luck they'd get some information from the disc.[break][break]

But that's not what happened- His body sat down in the little desk char, and he scooted forwards, and very carefully typed out a response.[break][break]

> Hang in there and finish![break][break]

There was always just one more question, one more, and then he would turn this in- Artanaro realized, distantly, the strange power that was being leveled over him, the lack of control while still feeling like he held the cards. What was this? Finally, the screen went blank again, and Artanaro let out a shaky breath, then jerking to his feet. Whatever this wass… he needed to go.[break][break]

The computer beeped again.[break][break]

You appear to be… Brave. You have a strong sense of justice. You hate evil. You will take on any opponent. You are truly a hero! Go forth! For justice… For peace on earth… Fight the forces of evil! If I’m wrong, work at becoming a true hero! A brave person like you…[break][break]

Artanaro.[break][break]

He felt his body run cold. There it was, white serif text on black, flickering softly. It was his name- He had never given it. This wasn't his computer. How-[break][break]

You are about to embark on a journey unlike any other. Enjoy yourself and make friends, but be wary of your surroundings. There is a darkness in the world that threatens the very existence of your world and mine. Your actions have consequences, but don't think twice. Take the leap, and we will follow.[break][break]

The computer fell silent and dark again. Artanaro just stared at it, thoroughly shaken. This was well beyond his means. He dug out his phone, putting it to his ear as it dialed, eyes locked on the small laptop.[break][break]

"This is Alearnith-"[break][break]

"Iserith. I'm in Syli's room. Get a team over here now." His voice was calm and even as ever.[break][break]

"Why? What's happened?"[break][break]

"I found something, it-" He jerked to a stop as the computer suddenly lit up, far brighter than it should have, Artanaro moving to shield his eyes. The cellphone slipped from his hand, falling mutedly onto the carpet below.[break][break]

"Artanaro? Artanaro!"

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