Chapter 15 – Back to Normal

A wave of something—an intense mix of nerves and something else, something almost comforting—washed over Madelyn as she heard her name spoken aloud by the voice. Her name. Madelyn. It fluttered in her stomach, making her heart race, but in a strange way, it felt right. Especially the voice that said it.

From the hallway, she could hear her father stumble over his words, clearly uncertain about what to say. The anxiety in her chest built as she waited, her ears twitching nervously. What would happen next? Was she ready for this?

Then, a voice broke through the tension, light but determined: "I need to go inside."

Madelyn’s ears perked up at the sound of footsteps—quick, purposeful steps coming closer. She’s coming inside! Panic flared, but before she could fully react, her father’s voice called out, a little alarmed. "Hey, wait!" he called after the girl, the surprise clear in his tone.

The footsteps didn’t stop.

Whoever was coming didn’t wait for permission. They were already on their way to her. Madelyn’s heart raced as the realization set in: Sarah—if it really was her—was coming to find her.

A girl burst into the room, her energy radiating off her in waves, but the moment she saw Madelyn, she froze mid-step, her eyes widening with shock.

Madelyn stood up, unsure of what to say or do, her mind a chaotic swirl of thoughts. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her tail, as if acting on its own, began wagging slightly behind her, betraying her nervous excitement.

The girl—Sarah—stood there, her gaze locked on Madelyn, clearly trying to make sense of what she was seeing. The room felt suddenly still, like time had stopped for the both of them.

Madelyn opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The awkward silence hung in the air, as Madelyn struggled to find the right thing to say. She didn’t know what to feel—relief, fear, joy. Everything was tangled together, but there she stood, exposed and vulnerable, with her tail swaying gently behind her.

The girl rushed forward, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. "Oh my god! Benjamin—Madelyn? What?! Oh my god?!"

Before Madelyn could react, she was practically tackled by the girl, her arms wrapping tightly around her in a whirlwind of emotion. "I was sooooo worried!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with relief and a thousand questions at once. "We all were! What happened?! Why didn’t you log in? What—how—?!"

Madelyn staggered slightly from the force of the hug, her mind reeling from Sarah’s reaction. The flood of questions overwhelmed her, and all she could do was stand there, frozen, as Sarah held onto her tightly, her words tumbling out in rapid-fire confusion.

It was everything Madelyn had feared—being confronted by her friends, by Sarah—but now that it was happening, it wasn’t rejection or anger she was facing. It was worry, relief, and an overwhelming sense of concern. Sarah was here, hugging her, desperate to understand.

"You are Benjamin, right?" Sarah asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.

Madelyn hesitated for a moment before quietly replying, "Y—Yes, but I—It’s Madelyn now."

"Oh, okay! Of course!" Sarah responded with a grin, as if quickly adapting to the new reality. "Oh my god, you have your game character's body? How though? You even have ears and a tail!" Her eyes widened with curiosity and excitement as she reached out without hesitation, already petting Madelyn’s head and scratching behind her fox-like ears. “It’s so soft!”

Madelyn felt a wave of unexpected bliss wash over her, her tail swaying happily for a moment as the sensation of Sarah scratching behind her ears sent a pleasant tingle through her. But just as quickly, she realized what was happening and blurted out, "Hey, Sarah, stop that! That tickles!" She pulled away with a nervous laugh, her ears twitching uncontrollably.

Sarah laughed along with her, clearly fascinated by the whole situation. "Sorry! But wow, that’s so cool!"

"Cool? Wh—?" Madelyn stammered, her mind still trying to process everything. "You’re not mad?"

Sarah blinked at her, confusion crossing her face. "What? Of course I’m not mad! My best friend is a cute foxgirl now!" she said with a playful grin. "Wait," she added, a bit more seriously, "you’re okay with this, right? I mean, being a girl and all?"

Madelyn’s heart skipped a beat as Sarah hesitated, clearly choosing her words carefully. "I mean... you always, uh... kinda..." Sarah trailed off awkwardly, her eyes searching Madelyn’s face for a reaction.

Madelyn blinked, trying to grasp what Sarah was hinting at, but her thoughts were too jumbled to make sense of it. All she knew was that her best friend wasn’t angry—Sarah wasn’t rejecting her. If anything, she seemed to have been expecting something like this.

"Yeah," Madelyn said, her voice soft but steady. "I’m okay with it. Actually, I feel a lot better in this body than I did before." She paused blushing furiously, her heart racing as she prepared for the next words. "It’s still all super overwhelming, but... I think I want to stay like this. It just feels so natural? Like this is who I was supposed to be all along.”

There. She said it. She had actually said it—to her best friend, no less.

Madelyn’s chest felt tight with a mix of fear and relief. She watched Sarah’s face closely, waiting for a reaction, unsure of what to expect. But now that the words were out, a weight seemed to lift off her shoulders.

"That’s so awesome!" Sarah exclaimed, her excitement growing. "The ‘human disguise’ skill makes so much sense now! Wait, you can use it here too, right?"

Madelyn blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"The skill! You know, to hide your ears and tail!" Sarah continued, clearly fascinated.

Madelyn’s eyes widened as she realized she’d completely forgotten about it. "Oh... I totally forgot about that," she admitted, feeling a bit flustered.

Madelyn heard her mom giggle softly from the doorway. "I’ll leave you girls alone for now. Looks like you’re going to be fine," her mom said with a warm smile. "I’m going to make some tea and grab some snacks."

"Thanks, Mom," Madelyn replied, feeling a little more at ease.

As soon as her mom left the room, Sarah turned back to her, eyes wide with curiosity. "Sooo, how did this all happen?" she asked, her voice full of excitement.

Madelyn shifted slightly, still unsure how to explain. "Oh, ehm... I’m not really sure," she said. "I was in the character creation when everything started glitching, and then I woke up as Madelyn in Astralyth Online."

Sarah’s eyes widened even further. "That’s wild!" she exclaimed, clearly fascinated by the strange circumstances.

They sat down together on the couch, side by side, and Madelyn felt a warmth wash over her as she realized how much she had been needlessly afraid. Her father had been right—this was Sarah, her best friend, the same person who had always been there for her. What had she been so worried about?

Madelyn’s tail swayed gently behind her, her ears perked up as she talked with Sarah, their conversation flowing easily. The smile on her face felt natural now, and for the first time since all the changes had happened, she felt like things might actually be okay.

Sarah’s cheeks turned a soft pink as she leaned in slightly, her curiosity clearly getting the better of her. "So, uh... do you have, like... feelings in your tail and ears?" she asked, her voice a little hesitant.

Madelyn tilted her head, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Sarah began, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, "you know how I’m an elf in the game, right? With long ears? It’s weird, though... I can’t really feel my ears. It’s hard to explain—it’s like they’re kind of numb or something. It's one of the limitations of Astralyth Online." She looked up at Madelyn, her blush deepening. "But you really have a tail and fox ears now, right? So, do you actually feel it when someone touches them, more than a numb feeling I mean?"

Madelyn blinked in surprise at the question, but then her mind went back to the moments when Sarah had scratched behind her ears earlier, and she realized just how sensitive they were.

Madelyn’s face burned as she struggled to respond, her voice barely above a whisper. "Ehm, yes... in the game too."

Sarah’s eyes widened in realization. "Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I just grabbed your tail without thinking in the game. I didn’t know you could actually feel it!"

Madelyn, feeling her face grow even redder, glanced away, embarrassed. "Oh, ehm, it’s okay," she mumbled. The memory of Sarah grabbing her tail and how it had made her feel left her flustered, her ears twitching slightly from the overwhelming mix of emotions. She tried to regain her composure, but her face remained a deep shade of red.

Sarah’s face was as red as Madelyn’s now, clearly just as embarrassed. Trying to ease the tension, she quickly changed the subject. "So... can you use your disguise skill? I mean, walking around with a tail and furry ears is definitely going to attract attention."

Madelyn paused, considering it. She hadn’t tried to use any skills outside the game yet. "Let me see," she said, focusing as she tried to open the game menu.

Nothing happened.

"Ehm," Madelyn said, furrowing her brow, "I can’t open the menu?"

Sarah let out a light laugh, still a bit flustered. "Oh... well, yeah, I guess that makes sense. We’re not in the game, after all." She smiled, shaking her head. "I don’t know what I expected."

"Maybe you just have to activate the skill or something? I don’t know," Sarah suggested, her voice tinged with curiosity and excitement.

Madelyn nodded, feeling uncertain. She hadn’t even used her skills properly in the game, but she decided to give it a try. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her body, imagining herself without the tail and ears. At first, nothing happened, but then she felt a strange, tingling sensation wash over her, starting from her ears and tail.

Sarah bounced in excitement beside her. "It’s working! It’s working!"

Madelyn looked down, already aware her tail was gone before she even checked. "It feels... weird," she admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "Like I’m missing a part of my body. It’s kind of uncomfortable, to be honest."

Before Sarah could respond, the sound of footsteps approached, and Madelyn’s mom walked back into the room, carrying a tray with tea. She paused at the doorway, taking in the scene: Sarah bouncing with excitement and laughing, while Madelyn stood there, visibly confused and missing her tail and ears.

"Oh, my," her mom said with a soft laugh, clearly amused by the scene. "I see you’ve found a way to hide your ears and tail."

Madelyn's mom placed the tray of snacks on the table, the comforting smell of tea and food filling the room. By that time, Madelyn had already decided to bring her tail and ears back, feeling a lot more at ease with them, even if they were a little inconvenient at times.

Her eyes drifted to the tray, and her stomach growled when she saw the slices of sausage. She instinctively leaned forward, her mouth watering.

"Ew, oh my god, you’re drooling, Maddy!" Sarah teased, bursting into laughter.

Madelyn blushed, quickly wiping her mouth as she realized Sarah was right. "I can’t help it," she mumbled, her tail swaying behind her. The smell of the food was just too good to resist.

Madelyn froze for a second as Sarah’s words sank in. Maddy. She had called her Maddy. A rush of warmth bloomed in her chest, and her stomach flipped, the nickname stirring something deep inside her. It felt... nice, more than nice, even.

"It’s kind of cute," Sarah added with a grin, clearly enjoying Madelyn’s reaction.

Madelyn’s face flushed bright red, turning into a shade that rivaled her fiery hair. She didn’t know how to respond, her ears twitching as her embarrassment grew. She could only manage a shy smile, her tail swaying lightly behind her.

The rest of the afternoon flew by. Sarah stayed for dinner, and they spent the time talking about everything and nothing. It felt normal—almost like the way things used to be before all the changes. Madelyn was relieved, knowing that even though so much had shifted in her life, her bond with Sarah hadn’t. Sarah was still Sarah—energetic, caring, and, above all, her best friend.

As they ate, Sarah made a point of reassuring her. "I promise, Maddy, the others will react the same way. You don’t need to worry." She gave her that confident smile, the one that always made Madelyn feel like everything would be okay. But Madelyn wasn’t sure. She wasn’t ready to face her other friends yet, not with all the changes she was still getting used to.

Sarah seemed to understand, even if she thought Madelyn was overthinking things. "You’ll see," she said lightly, taking a bite of her food. "They’ll love you just the same."

Madelyn nodded, though uncertainty still gnawed at her. Sarah’s acceptance had meant the world to her, but she couldn’t help but feel nervous about how David, James, and Lillian might react. The fear of losing those connections, of facing rejection from people who had known her as someone completely different, was still too fresh.

After dinner, they lingered a bit longer, chatting, laughing, and slipping back into the easy rhythm they’d always shared. Madelyn’s heart felt lighter, knowing that at least with Sarah, things hadn’t changed too much. They could still be themselves together, even with everything that was different now.

When it was finally time for Sarah to leave, she gave Madelyn a quick hug at the door. "Don’t worry, we’ll figure everything out," she said with a wink before turning to wave goodbye.

As the door closed behind her, Madelyn stood for a moment, feeling a quiet sense of gratitude for her friend. Sarah had always been there, and even now, when Madelyn’s world had turned upside down, Sarah remained a steady presence. She felt the warmth in her chest again, a feeling she hadn’t fully acknowledged until now—one that felt more than just friendship.

Madelyn’s ears twitched slightly, and her tail swayed gently behind her as she made her way back to the living room. Her parents were still there, sitting on the couch, sipping tea. For the first time in a while, Madelyn didn’t feel weighed down by the changes. There was still so much to figure out, but she had a small sense of peace in knowing that some things—like her friendship with Sarah—remained intact.

She still wasn’t ready to face her other friends, but today had been a step forward. One day at a time.

Madelyn’s parents smiled warmly at her as she walked into the room. "That went well," her father remarked, clearly pleased with how things had unfolded with Sarah.

"Yeah," Madelyn replied, a soft smile forming on her lips. "I’m so glad she’s my friend." She sat down between her parents, feeling a sense of comfort in their presence. Her mom reached out and began to gently stroke her head, the soothing motion helping her relax.

But then her mom’s tone shifted slightly, more thoughtful. "I was talking with your dad, and we’ve been thinking about what to do with school."

Madelyn jerked up, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest. School? She had completely forgotten about it. The reality of facing everyone at school as Madelyn hit her like a ton of bricks.

"We think it’s better if you go back to school," her mom continued, her voice gentle but firm. "We’ll keep you home next week so you have some time to adjust, but we don’t want you to miss too much. And now that we know you can hide your ears and tail…"

Madelyn’s heart raced, her mind spinning at the thought of going back to school as Madelyn. How would she explain it? Could she really pull it off, even with her disguise skill? It wasn’t just about hiding her ears and tail—it was about presenting herself as someone completely different from who everyone thought she was. She had barely managed to face Sarah, and that had been a small miracle. How could she face an entire school full of people?

Her mother’s hand continued to stroke her hair, as if sensing the anxiety rising within her. "We’ll take it one step at a time, sweetheart," her mom said softly. "You won’t have to do this alone. We’ll figure it out together."

Madelyn nodded, though the knot of fear in her chest didn’t loosen. The thought of returning to school as Madelyn was terrifying, but she knew her parents were right—she couldn’t avoid it forever.

Her dad cleared his throat, clearly thinking out loud as he continued, "We just need to figure out how to handle it, because you can’t go back to school as ‘Benjamin.’ It wouldn’t make sense." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "We’ve got a week to sort this out, and I’m sure we can find a way."

Madelyn listened intently, her heart still racing, but her dad’s steady voice calmed her slightly.

"Maybe," her dad suggested, "we could say that we had two kids—Benjamin and Madelyn—and for some reason, Madelyn hasn’t been able to attend school until now. It could explain why no one’s seen you before."

Madelyn tilted her head, her mind spinning. "But... what about identification?" she asked nervously.

Her dad nodded. "Yeah, we’ll need to figure that part out, too. We need some kind of documentation for you, especially if you’re going to enroll as Madelyn. I’m sure there’s a way, though. We’ll handle it."

Madelyn's mind swirled with a mixture of relief and anxiety. Her parents were trying so hard to make this work, but the idea of returning to school as a new person—as Madelyn—felt overwhelming. She squeezed her hands together, still unsure of what this would mean for her life.

Madelyn trusted her parents, even though the weight of everything was still heavy on her. She just nodded quietly, deciding to put her faith in them to figure it all out. Without saying much, she snuggled closer to her mom, who gently brushed her hand through Madelyn's tail and hair. The sensation, soft and soothing, made all the fear and uncertainty melt away, at least for the moment.

As her mom continued to stroke her hair, Madelyn's breathing slowed, and the warmth of the moment wrapped around her like a blanket. The comfort lulled her into a deep sleep, her mind finally finding a bit of peace amidst the storm.

Madelyn opened her eyes to the now familiar scene: the stark white hospital-like hallways stretching endlessly before her. The pristine walls and sterile atmosphere gave off an unsettling vibe, yet something about this place no longer shocked her. She had been here before, in her dreams, and the familiarity only heightened her sense of dread.

She stood in the middle of the hallway, her heart beginning to race. The memories of the last time she’d been here washed over her—seeing the woman in the tank, the strange voice calling out to her, the overwhelming feeling of wrongness.

The cold, clinical air made her shiver as she took a hesitant step forward. Was she being drawn back to the same room again? Was the woman still waiting?