Key Story (1) - Chapter 4
Fayne sat at her desk, the familiar hum of the classroom fading into the background as she absently stared at the door. The minutes ticked by, and with each one, her eyes flickered up, waiting for any sign of him. Raxian hadn't been to school in days, and though no one had outright asked, his absence hung in the air like an unspoken question.
She didn't know why she cared so much. Raxian wasn't exactly a friend—they barely talked outside of the occasional passing comment. Yet, there was something gnawing at the back of her mind, a feeling she couldn't quite place. Was it worry? Curiosity? She wasn't sure. But she couldn't shake the need to see him.
The bell was set to ring in a few minutes, the classroom buzzing with the usual chatter of friends catching up, notebooks being flipped open, and the shuffling of backpacks. Raxian's usual group was already there, laughing and joking like it was any other day. But Fayne's eyes stayed glued to the door.
Then, just as she was about to give up, the door creaked open.
Raxian stepped inside, his familiar swagger in place, but there was something different about him—something off. He flashed a grin at his friends, gave a few casual nods, and strolled to his seat as if nothing had changed. But Fayne saw it. The way his shoulders were just a little too tense, the smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. His confidence felt hollow, like it was held together by fragile threads.
His friends greeted him with their usual energy, laughing and slapping him on the back. Raxian responded in kind, his voice steady, his laughter timed perfectly with theirs. But Fayne, from her seat across the room, couldn't stop watching. She knew enough about him to tell something was wrong. His interactions felt forced, his movements too calculated, too... controlled.
She narrowed her eyes, trying to understand what had shifted. Was it just her, or was there a heaviness to his presence? The carefree, competitive Raxian she knew wasn't there. Something had changed, and whatever it was, he wasn't letting anyone see it.
But Fayne saw it. She always saw more than people realized.
The bell rang, and the teacher entered the room, but Fayne's attention stayed on Raxian, her mind racing. What had happened to him? And why did it feel like she was the only one who noticed?
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The bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson, and the classroom erupted into its usual chaos. Chairs scraped against the floor, students grabbed their bags, and everyone spilled into the hallway, eager for a few minutes of freedom before the next class.
Fayne packed up her things slowly, her mind still on Raxian. All through class, she'd felt her gaze wandering back to him, watching the way he seemed to disconnect from everything around him. He had laughed along with his friends, nodded when the teacher called on him, but it all felt... wrong. Like he was acting.
As the crowd of students moved toward the hall, Fayne hesitated, unsure whether she should do something. Normally, she wouldn't think twice about leaving him alone. After all, they weren't close. But something tugged at her. You don't seem like yourself.
She stood up, her eyes scanning the hallway. Raxian was a few steps ahead, walking slowly, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. His friends had scattered in different directions, and for the first time today, he was alone.
Fayne didn't stop to think. She weaved her way through the crowd, her footsteps quickening until she was walking beside him.
"Raxian," she called, her voice louder than she intended.
He glanced at her, surprised but not entirely interested. "Yeah?"
She opened her mouth, the words she'd been rehearsing in her head suddenly jumbled. She wasn't good at this—at checking in, at being concerned—but something about his detached demeanor made her push through the awkwardness. She cut straight to the point, her voice blunt.
"You okay? You don't seem like yourself."
Raxian's expression shifted, his face tightening for a split second before he plastered on the same tired smile he'd been using all day. "I'm fine," he said, his tone dismissive. "Just tired."
But Fayne didn't buy it. She stood there, watching as he turned away and kept walking, his shoulders tense under the weight of whatever he wasn't saying. Her chest tightened, the unsatisfactory response leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She didn't know why she expected more—after all, it wasn't like they were close. But still...
Something's wrong.
She stood in the hallway for a few more seconds, watching him disappear into the crowd of students. The normal thing to do would be to let it go, to go on with her day and stop worrying about someone who probably didn't even think about her. But as she walked to her next class, Fayne couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this. More to Raxian's tired smile, his forced laughter.
What's going on with you?
She let him walk away this time, but her concern lingered, gnawing at the edges of her thoughts.
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The rest of the day dragged on, each class blurring into the next. For Raxian, everything felt off.
It was like he was watching the world happen around him but wasn't part of it—just an outsider, going through the motions.
His friends kept up their usual energy, laughing and tossing jokes his way, but every laugh felt hollow, every smile forced. Raxian nodded, grinned, and even made a few half-hearted jokes himself, but it was all an act. No matter how hard he tried, the frustration gnawed at him, a constant weight pressing down on his chest.
Why can't I get a grip?
Every little thing grated on him. The loud chatter of students, the squeak of sneakers against the tiled floor, the way the teacher droned on about things he didn't care about. It all felt so pointless. But most of all, the pressure in his own head was what really tore at him—the pressure to get back to normal, to fix things, to figure out why nothing felt right anymore.
His mind kept circling back to the same thought. I'm losing it. I'm losing everything. The game, school, my friends... The same questions haunted him over and over: Why can't I win anymore? Why do I feel so out of control?
Raxian let out a sigh, sinking deeper into his seat as his friends carried on with their conversation, barely noticing his withdrawal. They talked about their plans after school, throwing out suggestions for what to do over the weekend, but Raxian barely registered their words. It felt like he was trapped inside his own head, his frustration building with every passing minute.
Across the room, Fayne watched him quietly, her eyes narrowing as she observed the subtle shifts in his demeanor. He wasn't fooling her—not with those tired smiles, not with the way he barely responded to his friends. He wasn't the Raxian she knew, the one who usually dominated conversations with his confidence and bravado. Today, he seemed like a shell of that person.
She watched as his friends laughed at something one of them said, but Raxian's reaction was barely a flicker—a faint smile, nothing more. His shoulders seemed to sag a little, like the weight of the world was pressing down on him.
What's wrong with you?
Fayne's concern deepened, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what could have caused such a drastic change in him. She'd never seen him like this—so distant, so detached. It wasn't just tiredness; it was something more, something darker that he wasn't letting anyone see.
Her fingers drummed anxiously on the desk as she thought about how to approach him again.
The last time she'd tried, he'd brushed her off, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. The question wasn't whether she should try again—it was when.
The rest of the class passed in a blur, but Fayne's eyes kept drifting back to Raxian, watching the way his hands clenched and unclenched, the way he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his mind clearly somewhere else.
You're not okay, are you?
As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Fayne felt her resolve hardening. She couldn't leave it like this. She had to try again. She had to figure out what was really going on with him—before it was too late.
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The cafeteria was a chaotic mix of chatter and the clatter of trays, but Raxian barely noticed the noise. He sat with his usual group, staring at his food, absently picking at it with his fork. His friends were deep in conversation about something—weekend plans, a game they were all playing—but it all blurred together in his head.
He wasn't in the mood to join in. He wasn't in the mood for anything.
I need to get a grip, he thought again, for what felt like the hundredth time that day. But no matter how hard he tried, everything still felt wrong.
Across the cafeteria, Fayne spotted him. Her stomach knotted as she watched him sitting with his group, but something was off—again. He was usually at the center of things, throwing out comments, making people laugh. Today, though, he was barely part of the conversation. Just like earlier, he seemed... absent.
She bit her lip, hesitating for only a moment before squaring her shoulders. This time, she wasn't going to let him brush her off. She needed answers. She needed to understand what was going on.
Gathering her courage, Fayne wove through the crowded tables until she reached Raxian's. His friends glanced up when she approached, a curious look passing between them, but Fayne ignored it. She slid into the empty seat across from him, her eyes locked on his.
Raxian barely reacted, glancing up at her with a raised eyebrow but saying nothing. His friends exchanged more glances, probably wondering what was going on, but they didn't say anything either.
Fayne leaned in slightly, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "You can't keep pretending like everything's fine. I know something's wrong."
Raxian froze for a moment, his grip on his fork tightening. His expression darkened, but he didn't look at her. "I told you," he muttered, his voice sharp. "I'm fine. Just drop it."
But Fayne didn't back down. She could feel the tension rolling off him, but she wasn't about to let him shut her out again. She leaned in a little closer, her voice steady. "I'm just trying to help. You don't have to act tough all the time."
That did it.
Raxian's jaw clenched, his knuckles going white around the handle of his fork. His blood was boiling now, the frustration and anger he'd been trying to suppress bubbling to the surface. But he wasn't ready to explode—not yet. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm, but his silence was telling.
Fayne's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched him, her intuition kicking in. She could see that she'd struck a nerve. His refusal to engage, the tension in his posture—it was all pointing to something deeper than just being "tired." But Raxian wasn't giving her anything to work with.
She waited a beat, hoping he'd say something, anything, but he didn't.
His friends, sensing the awkwardness, shifted uncomfortably, casting glances between them.
One of them cleared his throat, trying to break the tension. "Uh, everything okay here?"
Fayne didn't even look at them. Her focus was solely on Raxian, waiting for him to crack. But when he didn't, she exhaled softly, feeling the weight of the unsaid words between them.
"Fine," she said quietly, standing up. "But I'm not going to stop asking."
Raxian's eyes flickered toward her, the storm in them barely contained. He didn't respond, but the tension in the air lingered long after Fayne walked away, leaving him sitting there with his friends, the anger simmering just beneath the surface.
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The afternoon dragged on, but Raxian could barely keep his focus on anything but the growing pressure inside him. Each passing minute seemed to tighten the knot of frustration coiled in his chest. He tried to pay attention in class, but the teacher's voice became a distant hum, a monotonous drone that grated on his nerves.
Every little thing irritated him. The way his friends joked during the break, the sound of a pen tapping on a desk, even the rustle of paper—it all felt like needles prickling at his skin. His mind kept looping back to the same thought, over and over: Why can't I control this?
It wasn't just the game. It wasn't just school. It was everything. It was the pressure he had put on himself, the way every loss felt like a personal failure, the sense that no matter how hard he tried, nothing was enough. Every match he played, every grade he got—it all seemed to be slipping out of his grasp, and he hated it.
What's wrong with me?
His friends noticed his silence, throwing occasional glances his way, but none of them said anything. They had their own conversations, their own jokes, but Raxian barely heard them.
His eyes stayed fixed on the desk in front of him, his fingers drumming a restless beat against the wood. He felt like he was drowning in his own thoughts, and there was no way out.
And Fayne... Fayne wasn't helping. Her persistence earlier, her questions—it all made him feel even more trapped. She could see through him, see the cracks forming in his carefully constructed facade, and it terrified him. He didn't want anyone to know how much he was struggling.
But Fayne had pushed him, and now the walls were closing in faster.
I need to get a grip. But no matter how many times he told himself that, the tension kept building, and the anger simmered just beneath the surface, waiting to explode.
Across the room, Fayne noticed. She'd been keeping her distance since their conversation during lunch, but she couldn't stop glancing at him. Every time she did, she could see it—the way his jaw clenched, the way his hands balled into fists under the desk, the way his eyes stayed glued to the floor. He was barely holding it together.
Her stomach twisted in knots as she watched him. What could've pushed him this far? She didn't know what was going on in his head, but she could feel the frustration radiating off him in waves.
It was like watching a ticking time bomb, and she had no idea when it would go off.
He's not okay.
Fayne bit her lip, trying to focus on her own work, but her mind kept drifting back to Raxian.
She wanted to help—she really did—but she was starting to wonder if her efforts were making things worse. Every time she tried to reach out, he pulled further away, and now she wasn't sure if pushing him was the right thing to do.
But she couldn't ignore it, either. Something was seriously wrong, and pretending everything was fine wasn't an option. She couldn't just watch him self-destruct.
The bell rang, pulling her from her thoughts. As students shuffled out of the classroom, Fayne glanced one more time in Raxian's direction, her chest heavy with worry. She didn't know what her next move would be, but one thing was certain: whatever was going on with him was far from over.
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The final bell rang, echoing through the halls, and the last stragglers of students trickled out of the classrooms. The day had finally ended, but for Raxian, it felt like the pressure in his chest had only gotten worse. His friends had already left, tossing casual goodbyes over their shoulders as they headed out. Raxian, however, lingered behind, his mind too clouded to move quickly.
He headed for the exit, his footsteps heavy, his thoughts circling in on themselves. Why can't I get control of this? Every step felt like it weighed a ton, his frustration simmering dangerously close to the surface. He needed space, air, anything to calm the storm building inside him.
But as he neared the doors, he heard someone calling his name.
"Raxian!"
He stopped, his body tensing instinctively at the sound of Fayne's voice. He didn't turn around, but he didn't need to. He could feel her approaching him, her steps hurried, determined.
"Raxian, wait!" Her voice had a firmness to it, one that wasn't going to let him just walk away.
She reached him just as he reached the door, stepping in front of him and blocking his path.
He finally turned to face her, his eyes hard, his jaw clenched. "What do you want, Fayne?"
His voice was cold, a sharp edge to it that he didn't even try to soften.
Fayne, undeterred, met his gaze with her own, her eyes searching his face for any sign of what was really going on. "I can tell something's really bothering you. Why won't you just talk to me?
You've been off all day, and it's like you're barely even here."
Raxian's fists clenched at his sides, the irritation bubbling up again. He didn't want this right now. Not from her. Not from anyone.
"Just drop it, Fayne. I'm fine."
But she didn't back down. "No, you're not. I know you care about the game, but you're acting like losing is the end of the world."
That was it. The words hit him like a slap, the floodgates opening before he could stop them.
His frustration, his anger—it all boiled over in an instant.
"Because it is the end of the world!" he snapped, his voice louder than he intended, echoing through the empty hallway. His chest heaved, his breaths coming out ragged as the words spilled out uncontrollably. "It's the only thing I'm good at! The only thing that matters! And every time I screw it up, it feels like I'm losing part of myself!"
Fayne stared at him, frozen in place. She had known something was wrong, but she hadn't expected this. She opened her mouth to respond, but Raxian wasn't done.
"You don't get it, Fayne. It's just a game to you, but for me... it's everything." His voice cracked, his anger mixing with a desperation he hadn't realized was there. "Every time I lose, it's like I'm losing control of everything else in my life. You wouldn't understand."
Fayne blinked, the weight of his words sinking in. The harshness of his tone, the raw emotion behind it—it stung. She had been trying to help, trying to understand, but now it felt like all her efforts were for nothing. Her heart ached, not just from the words themselves, but from the realization that maybe she really didn't understand him at all.
"I was just trying to understand," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
She took a step back, her eyes downcast as the hurt settled deep in her chest. Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving Raxian standing there, watching her go. His anger still simmered, but it was mixed with something else now—regret.
He could feel it, creeping in as he watched her retreat down the hall, her shoulders slightly slumped, the hurt visible in her every step.
But he didn't call after her. He didn't say anything. He just stood there, the words he had said ringing in his ears, knowing he'd messed up, but too stubborn to fix it in that moment.
The hallway fell silent, and for the first time all day, Raxian felt truly alone.
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