April 1, 2024.

The alarm rang in a dimly illuminated room, waking its master. Groggily, I rose from my bed and shut off the alarm. Glancing at the clock ticking away at 6 a.m., I stretched my body.

One hour later, after finishing my bathroom routine, I went downstairs.

"Good morning, Anshu. Sit down for your breakfast," my mom said in a sweet tone.

I sat down at the table, watching my mother cook and my father read the newspaper while sipping tea.

"How are your preparations for the exams going?" my father asked in his usual gentle tone.

"The usual," I replied, still feeling sleepy.

"Don't worry too much. You'll do fine," my father said with a reassuring smile.

I didn't reply. My mother served an omelette with a glass of milk.

After taking lunch money from my mother, I slung my bag over my shoulders and headed to school.

The walk to my school was just fifteen minutes.

"You didn't sleep well last night? You look ill. You should seriously start jerking off less," my friend said, putting his bag on his desk.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, did you watch the web series I recommended yesterday?" I asked with a smile.

"I forgot about it. Though, why didn't you come online in the game last night?"

"I wasn't in the mood," I replied.

Eight hours later, at 4 p.m., I went home alone.

At 8 p.m., we had dinner, and I went to my room upstairs.

Sitting in my chair, lost in thought, I received a call. Picking it up, I asked, "You got the intel?"

"Yes. When do you want to start?" came the reply from the other end of the call.

"Tonight. Now. I'm coming."

I opened my window. Staring at the dark night sky, I vanished with a whoosh.