Raina Carter stood in front of Wexford Academy's massive black iron gates, heart pounding like a drumline in her chest. Her fingers tightened around the straps of her backpack as the reality of what she was about to do settled in. The elite school stood tall before her, its towering glass windows reflecting the early morning sun, its reputation as one of the best mixed academic institutions in the country looming just as large.
But she wasn't here as Raina Carter.
She was here as Ray Carter - her twin brother.
Her dead twin brother.
Raina swallowed hard and adjusted the collar of her slightly oversized uniform blazer, her cropped black wig barely brushing the collar. The blazer still smelled faintly like her brother's cologne - a crisp, clean scent that brought a pang to her chest. He should have been the one walking through these gates. Not her. But fate had ripped him away, and with it, the only dream he ever had: to compete on Phantom Core, Wexford's nationally ranked gaming team.
"For you, Ray," she whispered.
The plan had been mad from the start.
She forged documents, memorized his speech patterns, practiced lowering her voice, changed her walk, even trained herself to think like a teenage boy. It was crazy, dangerous, possibly illegal. But it was also her promise to Ray - to make it to Wexford and join the team that meant everything to him.
And she'd already cleared the first hurdle: acceptance.
"You must be Ray Carter," the receptionist said as she entered the front office. "You're one of the new boarders. Here's your dorm key. You're in Dorm 5B... with Zayne Rivers."
Raina blinked. "Zayne? As in... the Zayne Rivers?"
The woman chuckled. "Yes, yes. Our star player. You'll be roommates. Good luck. He doesn't exactly... warm up to people."
Great. A roommate. With him.
She took the key with trembling fingers and thanked the woman before making her way through the winding halls. Her heart thudded like crazy, especially as she passed by clusters of students who barely gave her a glance. A few girls turned their heads, curious smiles playing on their lips. One even waved.
Oh no.
It had begun.
Dorm 5B looked pretty normal from the outside. Inside? It was chaos. Loud metal music played from a speaker on the desk. There was a gaming setup that looked like it belonged on a spaceship, and a tall, dark-haired guy leaned back in his chair, feet on the desk, eyes glued to the screen.
Zayne Rivers.
Wexford's top player.
She recognized him immediately. Piercing grey eyes. Strong jawline. Raven-black hair that looked like he didn't care enough to brush it - yet it still looked like perfection. His hoodie was halfway on, halfway off, and his long fingers danced across the keyboard like it was part of him.
He didn't even look up when she entered.
"You my new roommate?"
His voice was low. Icy.
Raina cleared her throat, trying to deepen her voice. "Yeah. Ray Carter."
He finally looked over, his eyes scanning her face for a moment. Something unreadable flickered across his expression, but he only gave a lazy nod. "Bed's on the right. Don't touch my side. Don't unplug my gear. Don't talk to me while I'm in a match."
With that, he turned back to his game, completely uninterested.
So much for a warm welcome.
Raina slowly made her way to the right side of the room and placed her bag down. Her hands were still trembling. Zayne hadn't suspected a thing... yet. But the weight of the lie was heavy. One wrong move, one slip, and it could all be over.
As she unpacked, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. The wig was secure. The uniform straight. Her voice practice had paid off.
She could do this.
"Hey," Zayne said suddenly, and she nearly jumped.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "You got a headset?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
"Tryouts for Phantom Core are next week. You want in? You better be good."
A pause.
"I'm not dragging dead weight."
Raina met his gaze, fire flickering in her chest. She straightened, her eyes sharp.
"Don't worry. I'll carry you."
For the first time, Zayne actually turned his head.
And he smirked.
"We'll see."
And just like that, the first level of the game had begun.
Not in pixels.
But in lies.