The familiar, chilling drone of the trailer's soundtrack filled the room. The family fell into a dead silence, far deeper than the one in the kitchen. This was different. Seeing the trailer on a phone was one thing. Seeing it on a massive, high-definition television screen, with a surround sound system that made every creak and whisper feel like it was happening in the room with them, was an entirely different, overwhelming experience.
The camera's first-person view glided down the horrifyingly real hallway. The texture of the rot, the depth of the shadows, the palpable grime—it was all magnified to a terrifying degree. Nadia unconsciously pulled a throw pillow into her lap, clutching it to her generous chest. Vera's hand had flown to her mouth, her eyes wide above her fingers. Cathy sat rigid, her knuckles white as she gripped the edge of the sofa, her full lips parted in a silent 'o' of awe.
Bella and Emily were just frozen, their earlier shock replaced by a kind of horrified reverence.
The trailer played out its terrible beauty. The static-filled living room. The horrifyingly calm news report detailing the murder-suicide. The room decaying into a bloody nightmare. The distorted radio warning: "Don't touch that dial now, we're just getting started."
The final title card appeared: SILENT HILL: FIRST FEAR. Below it, the Meteor Studios logo. And below that, the stark, ticking countdown to release on the Vapor platform: `27:05:59`.
The trailer ended. A cheery jingle for a local car dealership immediately followed, the violent shift in tone almost jarring.
Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The only sound was the inane jingle and the frantic thumping of five hearts. The silence was finally broken by a low, reverent whistle from Vera. She slowly lowered her hand from her mouth.
"Santa María, purísima..." she breathed, her accent thick with emotion. "I… I thought that was a movie preview… That was a game?".
"That's what I've been trying to tell you! It's a game. And Sael made it. Every. Single. Bit. Of. It.". Emily finally emerged from her blanket, her face still flushed but now with a dazed sense of vindication.
The reality of it, now validated by the authority of mainstream television, finally crashed over them all. It wasn't a prank; it wasn't an exaggeration or just empty talks. The scale of it, the impossible quality, the immediate, massive public reception—it all coalesced into a single, undeniable truth. Sael, created this for real and seriously, he is not playing around or just a passing phase. Bella was the first to put it into words, her voice hushed with a new, profound respect.
"He's… he's not messing around, is he?". The sarcasm and disbelief were gone, replaced by pure, unadulterated awe.
She looked from the TV to the hallway leading to the bedrooms, as if seeing the very walls of their apartment differently. The mood in the room shifted palpably, the initial shock and fear began to morph, transforming into something else: a fierce, protective, and immensely proud possessiveness. They weren't just watching a phenomenon; they were the inner circle of the phenomenon's creator.
It was Cathy who moved first. The maternal instinct that had moments ago been concerned for Emily's well-being now sharpened into something far more pragmatic and protective. She turned on the sofa, her body angling towards Emily with a sudden, serious intensity. The softness in her blue eyes was replaced by a flinty resolve.
"Emily,". She said, her voice low and leaving no room for argument, the kind of voice when she was serious.
"Listen to me, Sweetie,… This is important… This is serious.". She glanced at Vera and Nadia, who both nodded in immediate, grim understanding.
"To anyone outside this family—to your friends, to your viewers, to anyone online who asks—you do not know who made that game. You only know 'Meteor Studios.' Is that crystal clear?". Cathy were dead serious.
Vera leaned forward, her ample bosom pressing against her knees, her expression stern.
"Muy, muy importante, mija," she added, her voice firm.
"Your mom is right; your brother's name had stay out of it… This is too big… This is…" She waved a hand at the television, now showing a weather forecast.
"This is becoming a storm... He needs to be protected from it until he's ready... You understand? No matter how much they ask, how much they offer, you don't know anything...". Vera emphasized.
Nadia didn't speak, but her expression—a mix of fierce pride and deep concern—said everything. She gave a single, slow, emphatic nod, her gaze locking with Emily's, imparting a silent, matriarchal command.
Emily looked at the three most important women in her life, seeing the united front of fierce protection. She swallowed, the gravity of the situation settling onto her shoulders. This wasn't just about keeping a secret; it was about shielding their golden goose, their beloved man, from a world that would now want a piece of him. She nodded, her own expression turning serious.
"Geez, I know, I understand… I won't say a word; Meteor Studios is a complete mystery… bro told me that, from day one…". Emily a bit annoyed with their excessive emphasized words.
Satisfied, the family's tension eased, but it was replaced by a new, buzzing energy. They didn't return to the kitchen, Instead, they all seemed to move as one. They resettled on the couches, but now they were hunched over, each woman pulling out her phone. The television was ignored. The world outside their window ceased to exist. They were now spectators to the digital explosion their Sael had triggered.
Cathy, her brow slightly furrowed in concentration, navigated to the Meteor Studios MeTube channel. She let out a soft gasp.
"Six million views,". she whispered, her thumb refreshing the page. "Six million, two hundred thousand… It's still climbing.".
Next to her, Vera was on Chirper, her eyes wide as she scrolled through the trending tab. "Dios mío, #SilentHill is number one… Number one in the entire city! 'What is Meteor Studios?' is at number three!".
Emily was monitoring her own socials, watching her follower count tick upward at a rate she'd never seen before. Donation notifications from her last stream were still popping up. She saw comments and tags from big-name streamers and influencers she'd only ever dreamed of interacting with.
Nadia, less tech-savvy but no less captivated, simply watched them, a serene, incredibly proud smile on her face. She looked from her daughter to her granddaughters, all connected by this incredible secret, this incredible boy, that is still sleeping inside of his room. For once, when it comes to Sael, they were not mopping or crying anymore. Quite a stark difference from before.
"You all, do that Internet stuff… I'll cook him some breakfast and coffee, don't want him to wake up and have all of us glued to a phone now, do we…". Nadia gets up and walked to the kitchen, with a smile on her face.