A breath in. 

A breath out.

William paused for a moment, allowing himself to absorb the bustling atmosphere of the restaurant. As the chatter of diners filled the air once more, he found himself lost in thought, reflecting on the meal he had just enjoyed.

Savoring the memory of his breakfast, William made a conscious effort to recall each detail, from the flavors dancing on his taste buds to the warmth of the sun filtering through the window. However, the lingering stares from the restaurant owner reminded him that time was of the essence.

Without further delay, William rose from his seat and made his way to the washroom. As he washed his hands, his gaze drifted towards the open window, the sunlight streaming in like a gentle caress.

'Should I?' 

No, Dine and Dash sounded cool, but he knew that the restaurant played another face in the night. Their connection to people who were on the higher echelons was evident, so there was no reason to add further burden to his already slumped shoulders. 

Turning away from the window, William approached the sink and splashed cold water onto his face, seeking solace in the refreshing sensation that permeated his weary body.

As he blinked away the droplets, his gaze met the reflection of his own face in the mirror.

His appearance was unremarkable, marked by a thick, unkempt beard and disheveled hair that mirrored the chaos of his thoughts. Yet, amidst the mundane features, his brown eyes glowed with an unmistakable intensity, hinting at a hidden strength and resilience that belied his outward appearance.

William's lips curved slightly, 'Isn't that always the case,' 

Mocking and undermining, William felt that he had fed his vanity fully, gurgled the water, spit it, and headed toward the counter. While headed to the counter, he saw multiple ladies who were serving dishes eyeing him with meanings untold. 

'Venemous vipers,' 

As William approached the counter, his expression remained impassive, betraying none of the emotions swirling within him. His gaze fell upon the restaurant owner, a pot-bellied man whose slick smile oozed with an air of deceit.

The owner's appearance only served to reinforce his shady reputation, with even a glint of gold tooth adding to the aura of dishonesty that surrounded him.

Without a word, William handed over the bill, his weathered wallet soon joining it on the counter. With trembling fingers, he opened the worn leather, revealing a cherished photograph nestled within its folds.

In the faded image, a younger William smiled alongside his family. An innocent-looking girl sat upon his lap, her laughter frozen in time. Beside them stood his mother, her radiant joy evident even in the aged photograph, and his father, a pillar of strength and stability.

As William gazed at the cherished photograph, memories of his family flooded his mind. His father, with his stern demeanor and unwavering presence, always stood just a breath away, yet his pride in William was unmistakable, even now.

The sharp bang on the counter table jolted William back to the present. He looked up to find the restaurant owner wearing an exaggerated smile, his arm adorned with ostentatious displays of gold—rings, bracelets, and trinkets that glittered in the dim light of the restaurant.

Sensing the tension in the air, William felt a ripple of movement around him, as other patrons turned their attention toward the commotion.

William gulped. 

Relieved that the situation had diffused without incident, William swiftly retrieved the necessary funds from his wallet and handed them over to the owner. As the owner counted the money, his smile gradually returned to its usual demeanor, and he offered William a polite nod of acknowledgment.

With the tension in the restaurant dissipating, William felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He seized the opportunity to make his exit, offering a brief nod to the owner before stepping out into the cool evening air.

As he made his way home, William reflected on the uneventful nature of his return journey. The streets were quiet, save for the occasional passerby and the familiar sights and sounds of his neighborhood provided a sense of comfort and familiarity.

No, there was only familiarity. 

There was no comfort.

Despite the narrow and winding streets that characterized his neighborhood, William navigated his way home with ease. The cramped roads may have posed a challenge to pedestrians, but they ultimately served their purpose in providing William with a path to his destination.

Upon reaching his building, William ascended the stairs to his apartment, retrieved his keys, and unlocked the door with a sense of familiarity. Stepping inside, he was greeted by the sight of his cluttered living space, a reflection of his disorganized lifestyle.

Amidst the chaos, his eyes fell upon a dusty laptop resting on a nearby table. Despite its poor unkempt appearance, William knew that the laptop was the only luxury that he still retained, its contents far surpassing its outward condition.

As William powered up the laptop, a sense of anticipation washed over him. Despite the disarray of his surroundings, the familiar hum of the laptop's startup process filled him with a glimmer of excitement.

His fingers danced across the keyboard, navigating to his beloved game: Warhammer. For William, this virtual realm held a special place in his heart, a sanctuary where he could immerse himself in epic battles and strategic conquests.

However, his enjoyment of the game had always been tempered by the financial limitations that prevented him from accessing the latest versions. Yet, even with outdated software, the allure of Warhammer remained irresistible to William.

This led William to inevitably become a pirate. 

Although William felt reluctant, the tantalizing gameplay had won over him. 

Even though many years have passed since the Warhammer trilogy had ended. William still had fun with the pirated version. But the most absurd and hilarious part was that when William installed Warhammer into his laptop, two thousand rupees had been transferred from his bank account. 

The notification scared the shit out of William, there was no further invasion of his bank account.

Only the game Warhammer that he pirated had taken his money away involuntarily. William tried to find the site, but the site he downloaded didn't exist anymore, and it remained an enigma to William. 

Anyway, remembering this stuff was not useful at all. William rubbed his hands as he started the game. 

Time passed so fast that William didn't feel any hunger or thirst. No, it was just that he didn't let his body feel hunger.

And finally, William moved away from the screen and breathed a sigh. He looked at his screen, his faction, The Empire, was denoted red in the map, and the red expanded far and wide. 

Which faction he could take, he took. Which faction he couldn't take, he razed it to the ground. 

He painted the whole map red. 

He dominated the whole world. 

Well, it was actually easy to do this. The only hard part of the campaign was till he got the missiles. When he unlocked heavy artillery, he could virtually steamroll everything. Especially when he knew which unit to put where on the battlefield.

Despite the diverse array of factions available in the game, William's allegiance to The Empire remained unwavering. He found solace in the straightforward tactics and formidable firepower of his chosen faction, using it to crush any opposition with ruthless efficiency.

It just showed that even though there were long-eared people who lived for at least 100 years and excelled in magic and archery, a missile to the face solved the arrogance they had. 

Even though you were the Vampire Lord which made you literally unkillable, and inexhaustible, a missile to the face solved every immortality. 

As William chuckled at his joke, he shook his head lightly before getting up to fetch a glass of water. The gentle routine of the evening continued as he prepared to retire for the night, his hunger ignored due to financial constraints. With a sigh, he settled into bed, hoping for a restful night's sleep despite the worries weighing on his mind.

As William drifted off into sleep, unaware of the events unfolding around him, his laptop mysteriously powered on by itself. The screen illuminated with the familiar interface of the Warhammer game, casting an eerie glow in the dimly lit room.

Simultaneously, a strange metaphysical energy surged through the entire solar system of Earth, capturing the attention of scientists and space stations in the Great Federation around the world. Panic and curiosity mingled as they scrambled to decipher the mysterious signal.

Unbeknownst to William, he was about to become part of something far beyond his imagination. As the metaphysical energy enveloped him, he was drawn into its grasp, joining the ranks of countless others who were similarly affected.

Little did he know, his ordinary life was about to take an extraordinary turn as he embarked on an unexpected journey into the unknown realms.

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