"Damn it!"
"What the fuck…this guy should just get off my back and target someone else already!" A loud voice sounded in the room, coming from a young adult slouched in a gaming chair, his fingers clicking impatiently over his keyboard.
A scowl etched his face as his dark eyes were glued to the screen, where the digital world unfolded before him.
Lionel leaned closer to the screen, his legs tapping impatiently on the floor as his avatar darted through the virtual world, seeking refuge in a house.
The sound of gunfire crackled through his headphones, blending with the thumping beat of his heart.
"I really need to be on the lookout for this one… they're all out to get me…" He laughed maniacally as his avatar looted supplies.
But just as he began to feel invincible, ready to go out and kill the opponent, a sudden creak echoed from the door. His head snapped to the side, clearly irritated.
"What the fuck!" he cursed.
He turned back almost too quickly to face his game, realizing it was his father.
His face scrunched up as he muttered under his breath, "Just when things are getting interesting…now what does he want?"
"Lionel!" His father's voice echoed through the room, followed by a sigh, "Are we doing this again?"
As Lionel heard his father's words, the crease on his forehead deepened. His father stood in the doorway, anger etched across his face as he surveyed the messy room.
Pizza boxes littered the floor, a half-drunk can of beer sat precariously on the edge of his desk, and snack wrappers and clothes were strewn about like rags on the floor.
Though Lionel heard his father's annoyed tone, he ignored his presence, immersing himself back into the game, until the man marched forward and yanked the controller from his grip.
"Dad, what the fuck!" he shouted, rising to meet his father's glare.
But instead of backing down, his father's fury only intensified. He flung the controller across the room, raising a finger at Lionel.
"I won't have you disrespect me under my roof, spending my money, and breathing because of me."
His father's reaction only amused Lionel, who stifled a chuckle. His expression morphed into a smug grin as he responded.
"Well…it wouldn't do you any harm if you added one more to your kill list."
He added, enjoying the dark humor of his words, "You know, you could just do it secretly this time. Instead of pushing me down the stairs, why don't you tamper with the brakes of my car and when I'm out, voila—out of your life, since I'll be dead."
"You…" His father's face contorted with anger as he raised his hand, pointing it precariously at Lionel. Words caught in his throat, but he dropped his hand back to his side.
"Oh…something quick to add," Lionel said, raising his hand to stop his dad from speaking. He continued, "Make sure you add alcohol to whatever I'm eating before I go out to save yourself the trouble of becoming a suspect…alright?"
"I…" His father was visibly frustrated as he ran a hand through his hair, then took a calmer tone. "I've told you several times that I didn't push her down the stairs. She just slipped."
"Yes, I get that." But Lionel didn't seem to care about his father's feelings, whether he was remorseful or annoyed.
Rolling his eyes, Lionel added as he leaned against the wall of his room, arms folded, "She slipped while you were fighting—a good cover-up."
His eyes darted back to his hideout in the game as a warning flashed on the screen—a shootout was closing in on him.
"Can I go back to my game?"
"No!" His father's words were firm.
"Fuck!" he cursed, then took on a more urgent tone. "What the hell do you want? Just get on with it fast because I've got something to get on with…"
But his father's voice rang out. "Well… you're not going back to that, and not for a long time."
"Bullshit!" Lionel spat, his eyes never leaving his father as he waited to hear his final words, wondering if he was ever going to leave.
His father dropped his hands into his pockets and pulled out a white piece of paper, pointing it at Lionel.
Lionel already knew the contents of the paper and couldn't help but run a hand through his hair as he muttered, "This again."
"I thought we were over this?" he said, his arms, which were previously free, folding as he looked at the outstretched paper, not reaching out to take it.
"No, that was just your wishful thinking."
"Now, if you want to keep stockpiling your drugs, have money to spend when you're out with your friends, someone to cover up your mess, and cars to drive around, you'll take this already filled-out admission letter, sign it, and return it to me."
Lionel's lips curled up as he said, his voice steady, "If you think I'm going to humble myself by going to college and aiming for first class to compete with your rivals' and friends' kids just for your benefit, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm doing neither. Especially since I'm not interested. I have no business with college, and if you plan to kick me out, feel free to."
The same couldn't be said for his father, whose face had turned sour. Lionel watched as he tightened his grip on the paper before walking to the gaming table, where an avatar's defeat was already displayed on the screen, and placed the paper there. Then, he walked back to Lionel, placed a hand on his shoulder, and left the room.
A sigh escaped Lionel's lips as he moved to the door.
"Fuck!" he cursed, slamming the door shut.
Afterward, Lionel walked back to his video game screen and nearly pulled his hair out as he stared at the defeat on the screen and his total kill count.
"Fuck..." he hissed under his breath, picking up the paper from the table and, without even glancing at it, dropping it into the drawer beneath his console.
He looked around the room, finally taking in the messy state. He sighed and started to tidy up, tossing clothes into the laundry basket and clearing off his bed.
After his mom's death, he was oddly well—or, well, he could say weirdly fine about it—only to suddenly spiral when his dad brought home another lady he claimed was his stepmom.
If that wasn't bad enough, he caught his dad arguing with her, then pushing her down the stairs, causing her death.
And now, he, the only witness, had to lie for his dad's sake just so he wouldn't end up in either foster care or an orphanage.
Well, that would suck.
Lionel sat on his bed, exhaling deeply after tidying up the last bit of mess around him. As his hand hung low, his gaze fell on the bottle of water on his bedside table, waiting for use.
He stretched forward, reached into his drawer where different bottles of pills were stored, and brought out a pink bottle. He sighed, hesitating for a second as he caught sight of another pill bottle—a reminder of the rough line he was walking.
These weren't for his mental health. These were the hard drugs he'd turned to when the stress, panic attacks, and manic episodes became too much to bear. A quick fix. An escape. Something to numb it all.
As he poured the pills into his hand, the familiar dark thoughts crept in. 'I wonder what will happen if I kill that man…'
He tried to push the thoughts aside, but they always resurfaced. Frustrated, he gulped down the pills and rose from his bed, heading toward his video game chair. Instead, he walked past it to the door behind the curtain by the game.
Lionel slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a key, which he used to open the door. The room was oddly quiet and cool, with a red light on. It was his virtual reality gaming room, separate from his video games.
He walked forward toward his gaming chair, where a VR headset sat—the sleek silver life material gleaming at him. But then his eyes caught onto another pod he had kept at the far corner of the room, its black box gleaming at him.
He recalled the game; it was, he would say, a waste of money to him. Perhaps that was why his father wouldn't stop shouting.
"Should I play it?" He muttered as he walked to the gaming capsule.
He unboxed it and dragged out a sleek, reclining full-dive VR gaming pod, its shape contoured for total immersion.
His fingers traced the matte black surface, cool to the touch. The interior was padded for comfort, with adjustable armrests and headrests to cradle players during long sessions.
The full-dive system connected directly with the player's neural signals, syncing their mind fully with the game. Sight, sound, touch, even pain were simulated, making the experience as vivid as real life.
As he felt the texture of the capsule in his hand, Lionel recalled how his friend, Alex had raved about the game's 100% immersion feature.
Originally, Lionel hadn't been interested. Fantasy-themed role-playing games weren't his thing, but he loved VR as the idea of full-body immersion intrigued him.
For this full-body dive-in game, his first attempt had been impressive, to say the least, even if the storyline didn't hook him.
But now, something in him wanted to give it another shot.
Sighing, Lionel stood up and went out of the room, then sat on his bed. As he sat down, his phone buzzed beside him, but he didn't check it. Instead, he sniffed his shirt and scrunched his nose.
"I can't wear this to sleep," he muttered before standing up to grab a towel.
He stripped off his clothes, wrapped a towel around his waist, and headed to the bathroom. As he left, his phone buzzed again—another message from Alex.
[Hey! Are you even alive?!
Just wanted to give you a heads-up about the game. It's undergoing some updates, so you can't log in for now. Also, after the update, rumors have it that it won't be the same as last time, so you can try it out again then.]
After his shower, Lionel dried off and returned to his room. He dressed in the a casual dress, but a texture recommended for the game before entering into the VR gaming room again.
He approached the sleek, capsule-shaped gaming pod, its metallic surface gleaming in the dim light.
Opening it, he climbed inside, sealing the door behind him with a soft hiss. The pod's interior enveloped him, surround-sound speakers humming to life as the vibration system began to simulate the game's tactile sensations.
Lionel's senses dissolved into the virtual world, and a blue screen appeared in front of him.
[Welcome to Eternity's Edge Game]
[Click to Log in]
His hand hovered on the screen, and he logged in, his heart racing with anticipation. His surroundings transformed, and he found himself in a dark, unfamiliar place. More like a space, floating in the air.
This wasn't how it looked last time. But before he even had a moment to think, a blue panel floated in front of his eyes.
[System has undergone some changes.]
[Would you like to recreate your character? Yes or Yes?]