One Saturday night,
"I'm home..." Charlotte arrived from work with heavy shoulders and sore soles after her 3-day shift from the Bureau. She placed her things on top of the cabinet near the door. She took off her shoes, placed them on the doorstep, and went straight to the kitchen. "Markus..." She shouted, but no one replied. "That kid..." She opened the fridge and took something to cook for dinner. "I guess it's gonna be fish tonight," she said to herself.
A moment later, Markus got out of his room, rubbing his eyes while looking down, and went straight to the fridge to grab something to eat. He didn't make any sound as she passes by her mother standing before the stove.
"Ohh, Markus? How's your day?" His mom said in a soft voice trying to sound sincere. She was about to wear her apron and grabbed a saucepan. " Are you busy doing homework?"
Markus leaped back as he heard the voice. He didn't expect someone else inside their kitchen. He slowly scans the dim kitchen and said, "Mom? You're here?" the kid replied, fumbling his voice.
"Why? Did that surprise you?" she reached the switch and turned it on. "I believe I'm living here..." she replied with sarcasm and sighed. "Anyway, you should be saying "Welcome home" rather than "You're here"? Right? You're really as hopeless as ever, Markus" She stirs the soup she is cooking and walked towards Markus, reaching her son's head. "I'm feeling you're not even missing me when I'm gone." She leaned down to level her eyes with him.
The kid looked away.
His mom took a deep sigh, giving up the thought of starting a conversation with her son. "So, what are you up to? Why are you home early, huh?" she stood up and went to what she's cooking.
"It's Saturday. No class." Markus replied. He turned around, attempted to run back to his room.
Her mom noticed his escape and saw Markus holding a cupped-noodles in his hand. "He's having that for dinner?" She thought.
"Haven't you eaten dinner?" She asked with a weak smile, her heart throbbing. She followed her son towards the stairs and stopped on the first step.
Markus stopped in the middle of the climb and shyly replied, "Not yet..." looking down.
"Just as I thought, he is going to have that noodles for dinner." She thought again. "Anyway, just wait for a minute and that will be ready. Let's have dinner together." She said with a weak smile.
Markus turned around and stared at his mom when she said "Let's have dinner together" and felt a throbbing on his chest. It is something he hadn't heard for so long.
He missed her. He missed seeing his mom's eyes filled with compassion and love. He missed her form being a funny caring mother with her bun undone and apron untied. He missed the scent of her auburn hair when they sleep together. He missed her so much that he wastes his time playing computer games as a form of waiting and something that will make his mom notice him. He just wants attention. But his mom can't give him that because of the nature of her work. They only see each other a couple of times per week.
"Go prepare the plates now, it's better to eat it while it's still hot." she tasted her cooking for the last time and smiled towards her son. She fixed the table and placed their food on top of it.
Markus did as she had said, keeping his own smile as they took their seats together.
"Thanks for the meal." they both said but Markus had said it in a whispered voice. His mom noticed that Markus was not in the mood or he's tired. So, she managed to start another conversation.
"So, what's up with you these days?" She knows it's not that motherly but this the only way she knows how.
"Nothing really..."
"Nothing really... huh? What's that? Come on, Markus, it's the first time we have this dinner date for a long time and you will only give me that kind of answer?" she pointed to him with her spoon. "Don't be so mean to your mom." Charlotte pouted.
"What else should I say?" he continued to chew his food. "There is really nothing going on..."
"Say something like what have you done from school, or maybe you have made up with girls, things like that" Charlotte tried to sound lively but the kid felt irritated and raised his voice.
"Seriously? That's what you want me to say?" Markus exclaimed.
"I'm just giving examples..." She tried to take back what she said.
"Then your examples are out of this world. " Markus felt annoyed. "Moms don't really know how to start a good conversation." He stood from his seat and said, "Thanks for the meal". He went straight to his room with heavy feet and shut his door.
His mom wasn't able to keep him talking and that made her sad. They are way distant from each other though they are parent and child.
His mom gave off a big sigh and said, "What am I gonna do with you, Marky?" she stared at her plate with a blank mind hoping to have an answer to her question.
She stood up and cleaned the kitchen. She is still thinking about what she can do to make up for her kid. She went upstairs to rest in her room but she stopped at Markus's and left a bowl of nachos. She opened the door and saw what Markus was doing. As usual, he is on his computer playing games and surfing the net. After seeing that, she closed the door and said, "Good night".
"Good night...huh?" Markus repeated.
After his mom left his room, he stood and grabbed the nachos left on his door. He then immediately returned to the tab he is working with and continue what he was doing, researching cheats. He's made himself secluded inside his room and studied everything he can to make himself capable of fighting in ROA.
Two weeks later, the three decided to return to the café and fight against those thugs again. They want to fight with them, now with better cards and stronger builds.
"Are you sure about this Markus? We're gonna face those thugs with what we have now?" Ken asked in doubt. "I'm still unsure."
"Why? have confidence." Markus faced Ken. "We're better than before right?"
"C'mon Ken, let's give it another shot. Markus will put on a good fight now." Brent added. "Right, Markus?"
"Yeah," He exclaimed and smiled at the two. "Besides, you have been researching for cheats this whole two weeks, too, right?" Markus said.
"Of course, but, I don't know if this will pull through." Ken hesitantly responded. "I mean, they're high schoolers and we're just us."
"What was that about? Are you looking down on us?" Brent pouted. "That's rude."
"We'll never know unless we try." Markus said confidently "Right?"
"I wonder, and I guess I've heard that before," Ken muttered. "What are our levels?" he brought his card out and showed it to them. "I'm at level 10."
"9" Brent replied, showing his.
"11," Markus said without batting an eye. He crossed his arms and grinned.
"Whoa..." the two said in unison and awe.
"You never stop amazing me, Markus." Ken said, pretty pumped up.
"Yeah!" Brent exclaimed. "That was awesome! I can't wait to see that!"
"Not that so much of a big deal," Markus said confidently. "I've been leveling it up since 2 weeks ago."
"We, too," Ken said. "But, it turns it will be harder to level up when you've reached high levels. I just barely made to 10, tho."
"I'm still stuck at 9." Brent sulked.
"Don't be so sad, Brent. " Markus said. "After this match, you'll sure to level up."
"Really?!" Brent's eyes glimmered with excitement.
"Now now, we have 2 Templars and 1 untitled. " Ken pointed out.
"Sorry for being Untitled, tho. " Brent sulked again.
"Just do what we always do and we'll pull through it." Markus encouraged and they went on their way. "I'll still lead the way."
"Please do."
They walked through the city and reached the Sunny Go and upon opening the entrance door, they immediately saw those guys sitting on one of the lanes of the computer shop, facing the entrance.
"Oh, so you're back losers..." Kirk welcomed them with a stern eye. He stood from his seat, walked towards the kids, and leaned on the counter. "You came for a revenge match, right?"
Markus handed their IDs to the counter attendant. He didn't listen to what Kirk had said.
"Don't be so cocky, kid." Kirk has gone nearer and brought his face near Markus' ear.
"I'm not being cocky," Markus replied without looking back at him. "We'll settle everything inside the ARENA. That's the rule, right?"
"Tsk." Kirk turned his back and went back to his seat. "Do as you please." he gestured the way where the kids' units were located. "I'll wait for your invite code," he exclaimed.
"Ahh."
The scent of sweat and used computers in a cramped place waved at them as they pass through the hallway towards their rented units. They felt unease as they walk between people who seemed to be staring at them and murmuring things. They reached their place, turned on their units, and inserted their account cards. They were connected to the game and Markus immediately sent the invite code to Kirk's team.
With them accepting the code, they were now connected in a single network where they can hear what the others say and view their stats.
"This time we will put on a fight," Markus said over the network. "You see, I don't play a losing game."
"Don't talk so confident kid. Your audacity will bring you despair, huh! We'll gonna beat you up again like our previous game." Kirk's friend said.
"I don't know about that..." Markus said and replied on the network chat.
"If that's how confident you are, why don't we put something on the table?" Kirk proposed.
"Like a bet?" Markus replied. "Sounds good with me."
"Then, why don't you give your account cards when you lose?!" Kirk exclaimed.
"That won't do!" Brent exclaimed. "A person here in Aurum is only entitled with 1 account card. You cant register again because the cards were monitored and that has become your identity both in Virtual and Reality."
"Ehhh, these kids are well learned, Kirk. I'm impressed." Lev, Kirk's friend muttered. "Then why don't you give all your items instead?"
"You're pretty confident that you'll win," Markus said with a grin.
"And you're pretty confident that we won't." Kirk raised an eyebrow.
They all settled as they sat on their seats, facing their own computer units.
The bystanders felt the tension between the two teams so they tried to see the outcome. People were gathering around their units and muttering comments about them.
Hey look, these kids have challenged Kirk's group!
Wait, what? Are they insane? Those kids are pretty good in ROA, not to mention they've cleared some dungeons in this server even if they're just Exorcists.
Why won't they? They have a bunch of tricks under their sleeves.
And look at the challengers.
Ahh, I know, they're just Elementary students, right?
Not to mention the other one is still Untitled.
I've heard they challenged Kirk about 2 weeks ago.
Really? And?
They lost of course. In a matter of seconds.
That's hilarious.
I know.
Hearing all those from their surrounding, it made Ken and Brent self-conscious. But, Markus did not seem to care.
They put on their Ori-Glass, a headgear created by ORION that transforms statics and computer commands into stimulus recognized by the brain that produces images and sensible things making the person enter a VIRTUAL WORLD.