Brighting

Chapter 12: Some Things Are More Important Than Holograms

Emily leaned back in her seat, one hand on the wheel, the other tapping absently against the dashboard.

Her mother's urgent call at 2 AM had been enough to send her flying out the door in a hurry.

"Come home. Now. Be careful on the road."

That was all she got before the call ended.

No explanations, no details, just her mother's voice sounding way more serious than usual.

Emily had barely taken the time to grab her keys. She hadn't brushed her hair, hadn't even bothered with makeup—not that she wore much, but still.

As she sped down the highway, she caught her own reflection in the rearview mirror and sighed. She looked like she'd just crawled out of bed.

Not a great look when she was going back to a family that cared way too much about appearances.

She ran a hand through her hair, trying to tame it at least a little.

They weren't super-rich, but they were wealthy enough to care about their reputation. Even though she was adopted, she was expected to act the part.

She didn't care much for it, but picking a fight at 3 AM wasn't worth the energy.

She exhaled, shifting her grip on the wheel.

Her mother wouldn't call at this hour for no reason.

Maybe it was something serious.

Her foot pressed a little harder on the gas.

She'd be there in less than an hour at this speed.

As she drove through the quieter streets, something odd caught her eye.

A faint shimmer of blue light, rippling softly in the distance.

She raised an eyebrow.

It hovered just a little above the ground, like a thin sheet of water hanging in the air.

Her first thought was that some tech company was showing off their latest hologram.

Maybe some weird new ad campaign.

She smirked slightly. It looked kind of cool.

As she passed, she spotted another one—this time a deeper blue, its edges flickering faintly.

A small group of people stood nearby, pointing at it and talking among themselves.

She chuckled. "Alright, what kind of scam is this?"

She wasn't going to slow down and stare like some curious tourist.

Probably just a rich idiot's party trick.

She turned onto the main road and spotted a much bigger one hovering in the middle of an empty street.

A car passed right next to it, the headlights making the shimmer stand out even more.

Some people were staring, taking pictures, recording videos.

Emily clicked her tongue.

"Man, I'm really out of the loop. When did holograms get this good?"

She made a mental note to check the news later.

Right now, she had more important things to worry about.

She pressed on the gas, tuning everything else out.

Her mother needed her home.

That was the only thing that mattered right now.

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