The kitchen was dim, the flickering fluorescent light casting a cold, sterile glow over the cluttered table. Breakfast dishes sat abandoned, relics of a rushed morning. Dinner, too, was a lonely ritual, one Xiao had grown used to.
The room felt cramped and suffocating, every corner filled with remnants of a life slowly unraveling.
On the fridge, a photo clung under a sunflower magnet, its details lost in the shadows. Beside the fridge, the sink overflowed with dishes, a monument to chores left undone, too heavy to face.
From the dining area, the muted television in the living room cast a soft, flickering light that danced across the walls. Shadows played over the worn-out couch and threadbare carpet, the silent news anchor's lips moving without sound.
The light from the TV contrasted sharply with the kitchen's dimness, creating an eerie yet familiar backdrop to Xiao's evenings.
Xiao hunched over his meal, listlessly pushing mashed potatoes around his plate. His father was working late again, a common occurrence since the promotion that brought more hours but not much more money.
Two years had passed since his mother died, but the void she left still echoed through their small house. The empty chair at the head of the table stood as a stark reminder of her absence, a symbol of their incomplete family.
With a sigh, Xiao picked up his phone and began scrolling through Discord. His mind wandered as he flicked through channels and messages, his eyes glazing over the familiar usernames and inside jokes.
The blue light from the screen highlighted the weariness in his eyes.
Life had become a series of monotonous days, each one blending into the next. Once a lively child full of curiosity, Xiao now felt worn down by the years. School had become a blur of half-hearted efforts and distant friendships.
His father, once a source of comfort, had grown distant, consumed by his job and his grief. The house, once filled with laughter, now felt like a hollow shell, echoing with memories of a time that seemed like a distant dream.
Xiao's thoughts drifted to happier times. He remembered his mother's warm hugs, her laughter filling the house and brightening even the darkest days. She had been the glue holding their family together, and without her, they had slowly unraveled.
Xiao's attempts to reconnect with his father had been met with polite indifference. Eventually, he stopped trying. The house, once filled with love, was now a shell of its former self.
As he scrolled, a particular server caught his eye. It was a large gaming server he had heard about but never joined. The game had piqued his interest recently, promising a welcome escape from reality.
The server boasted thousands of members, a bustling community alive with activity. Curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to join.
The server was massive, with channels dedicated to every aspect of the game, from strategies to fan art, off-topic discussions, and more. Xiao felt a flicker of excitement, a small spark he hadn't felt in a long time.
He navigated through the welcome messages and rules, feeling a sense of anticipation building within him.
This could be a new beginning—a chance to find connection in an increasingly isolated world.
For the first time in a long while, Xiao felt a glimmer of hope. He hesitated for a moment, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. Gathering his courage, he typed out a simple greeting in the general chat.
"Hey everyone! Just joined, excited to be here." He hit send and waited, watching as messages scrolled by.
One minute passed, then another.
The chat was a whirlwind of activity, but his message went unnoticed, quickly buried under a flood of memes, strategy discussions, and greetings to other newcomers.
A pang of disappointment settled in his chest, his initial excitement fading away. He tried to join a few ongoing conversations, adding his thoughts and questions, but each attempt was met with silence.
With a resigned sigh, Xiao shifted his focus to the other channels. He browsed through guides and tutorials, watched videos shared by enthusiastic players, and read pages of fan fiction. Hours slipped by unnoticed, the world outside fading into the background.
Yet, with each passing minute, his motivation dwindled further.
Just as he was about to log off, something caught his eye. In a channel dedicated to server advertisements, countless posts vied for attention. Each server boasted active communities, promising events, and welcoming atmospheres, with reactions and comments flooding in.
But one post stood out, starkly different from the rest. There were no reactions, no comments, just a lonely invitation link that seemed to have gone unnoticed.
The poster's name was Epiphany, with the intriguing title "Ancient Jade Ancestor."
Xiao felt a strange connection to the silent post, seeing a reflection of his own ignored messages. Despite the peculiar name, he felt a twinge of empathy, a sense of kinship with this overlooked server.
He clicked on the invite link, but it was expired or broken, adding to the sense of abandonment.
Curiosity and a hint of pity drove him to send a direct message to Epiphany. "Hey, I saw your server invite in the ad channel. It looks interesting, but the link isn't working. Can I still join?"
He sent the message and leaned back, staring at the screen. Would this too be met with silence? Minutes ticked by, each one stretching longer than the last.
Just as he was about to give up and go to sleep, he saw a new notification pop up, a reply from Epiphany.
"Greetings, fellow cultivator. Your interest in our humble sect is noted. However, before you join, tell me this: What are your thoughts on the cycle of Samsara? Are you prepared to break the chains of mortal existence and embark on the path to true enlightenment?"
Xiao blinked at the screen, momentarily taken aback. Was this guy role-playing, or did he genuinely believe he was some ancient cultivator? The message was so out of the ordinary that it caught Xiao off guard, but it also piqued his interest even more.
He hesitated, fingers poised over the keyboard, before deciding not to rush his response.
He reread the message, a faint smile forming on his lips. The oddity of the situation intrigued him. The immersion into this pseudo-ancient world felt like an invitation to something different, something that might bring a spark back into his monotonous life.
But it was already four in the morning. His eyes were heavy, and he knew he needed rest. With a final glance at the screen, he decided to sleep on it.
Tomorrow, he would think about how to reply. Maybe this could be the new beginning he had been yearning for.
He shut down his computer and trudged to his room, thoughts of ancient sects and the cycle of Samsara swirling in his mind.