Laniel sat slumped on his bed, the dim light of his room casting long shadows across the walls. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint hum of his system running analytics from the recent game.
> "Performance summary: Kills—2. Points earned—5. Team rank—fourth in group."
The reminder stung like salt in an open wound. Laniel clenched his fists, his mind replaying the challenge over and over. He could still see the disdain in Essex's eyes, the sneers from Motion and Strez when they thought he wasn't looking.
Five points. Just five points. I was the weakest link.
He groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. The Crucible was supposed to be his chance to prove himself, yet it felt like he was sinking deeper into mediocrity.
A sharp knock at the door startled him from his thoughts. He frowned. Visitors were rare, especially now. Rising, he opened the door to find Lyna standing there, her smile as radiant as ever.
"Lyna?" he said, surprised.
"Hey, Laniel," she said, her voice warm. She held up a small basket. "I thought I'd drop by and check on you. I brought some snacks."
Laniel stepped aside to let her in, his heart pounding. Her presence seemed to brighten the dim room instantly. She placed the basket on his desk, her eyes scanning the room.
For a moment he hated how his room looked. His bed was a mess and the snack packets he had eaten where littered everywhere.
"Cozy," she said with a teasing grin.
Laniel chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I guess."
---
They sat together on the edge of his bed, an awkward but comfortable silence settling between them. Lyna broke it first.
"So," she began, "how's it going? How's The Crucible treating you?"
Laniel hesitated, his mind flashing back to Essex's harsh words and his own dismal performance.
"Not great," he admitted. "I only scored five points in the last round. The rest of my team… they're miles ahead of me. I'm just dragging them down."
Lyna tilted her head, her expression softening. "Five points are still points," she said. "It's better than zero."
He shook his head. "Not in The Crucible. Five points make me dead weight. Essex made that clear."
Her brow furrowed at the mention of Essex. "Sounds like a jerk," she muttered.
Laniel couldn't help but smile. "He's just… intense. But he's not wrong. I need to get better. I want to get better, but it feels like no matter how hard I try, I'm always a step behind everyone else."
Lyna placed a comforting hand on his arm, her touch gentle yet grounding. "You're too hard on yourself," she said. "Growth takes time. You've already come so far, Laniel. Don't let one rough start make you lose sight of the bigger picture."
Her words struck a chord in him, a flicker of hope igniting in the darkness of his doubts.
---
"Do you really think I can do it?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lyna's gaze was steady. "I know you can. You have something a lot of people in The Crucible don't—heart. You're not just fighting to win; you're fighting to prove something to yourself. That's powerful, Laniel. Don't underestimate it."
Her confidence in him felt like a balm to his battered spirit. He nodded slowly, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Thanks, Lyna. I needed to hear that."
She returned his smile, her eyes warm. "Anytime. You're not alone in this, you know. If you ever need someone to talk to—or to remind you how awesome you are—I'm just a call away."
Laniel felt a surge of gratitude. "You're… amazing, Lyna."
She laughed, a light, melodic sound that made his heart skip a beat. "And don't you forget it."
---
As she stood to leave, she turned back to him, her expression softening. Without warning, she leaned down and hugged him. Laniel froze, his heart racing as her arms wrapped around him.
Damn it . Clair had only hugged him once but it didn't feel like this . Damn! He could wish to remain in her arms forever but he also felt a pang of excitement. For some time he had not had a reason to smile.
"You've got this," she said softly. "I believe in you."
The warmth of her embrace was like nothing he'd felt before. For a moment, all his doubts about real love was beginning to get answered.
She left the room and looked at him again bur Laniel looked away in embarrassment. She had a way of making him uneasy with her looks. He felt his heart skip whenever he saw her bright face . She was extremely beautiful and it made him lose his mind over her.
---
Laniel was on his way back from the training simulation his system had suggested earlier in the day. His body ached from the repeated battles he'd fought within the simulated world, but he felt a growing sense of control over his new form. Though still far from being at the level of someone like Druwel, he could sense progress—a fact that both comforted and motivated him.
The city buzzed with life around him. Neon lights flickered across towering buildings, and the streets were filled with chatter from pedestrians. Despite the crowd, Laniel moved in his own world, his thoughts revolving around his team's recent performance in The Crucible and Lyna's encouraging words.
He smiled faintly, recalling the warmth of her hug and her unwavering belief in him. For the first time in what felt like ages, he had someone who saw more than his failures. Someone who believed in his potential.
But his peace shattered the moment he spotted them.
Standing outside a café, in plain view of everyone, were Clair and Druwel. Clair's hand rested lightly on Druwel's arm as they laughed at something he had said. Druwel looked as smug as ever, his towering frame and confident stance making him the center of attention.
Laniel froze. His breath caught in his throat as a flood of emotions threatened to overwhelm him.
---
Clair had been his everything once—a source of light in his darkest moments. She had been there through his struggles, his failures, and his dreams. Yet, in the end, she had chosen Druwel. The memory of seeing Druwel kiss her flashed in his mind, a bitter reminder of his own inadequacies.
His fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. Anger coursed through him, hot and relentless.
How could she laugh with him like that? he thought, his chest tightening. After everything we had? After what she did to me?
But beneath the anger lay a deeper pain—a sense of betrayal that cut deeper than any wound. He had given her his heart, and she had crushed it without a second thought.
---
Druwel's gaze swept across the street, and for a brief moment, his eyes met Laniel's. The corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk, a silent taunt that only fanned the flames of Laniel's fury.
Laniel took a step forward, his body moving on instinct. He wanted to confront them, to demand answers from Clair and wipe the smug look off Druwel's face.
But then he stopped.
A single thought pierced through the haze of his anger: You died, Laniel. That life is over.
He exhaled shakily, forcing himself to loosen his fists. His system chimed softly in his mind, a grounding presence amidst the storm of emotions.
> "Host's heart rate elevated. Attempting to regulate adrenaline levels."
Laniel closed his eyes, focusing on the system's calming influence. When he opened them again, the raw anger had dulled into a manageable ache.
This isn't worth it, he told himself. She made her choice. And I have mine.
---
Despite his resolve, he couldn't stop his eyes from lingering on Clair. She looked beautiful, her hair catching the light as she laughed. But there was something in her expression—a shadow of guilt that flickered across her features when she glanced away from Druwel.
Laniel's chest tightened. A part of him wanted to believe that guilt was for him—that she regretted how things had ended. But he knew better than to hold onto false hope.
As he turned to leave, he felt a strange sense of detachment. Seeing her with Druwel hurt, yes, but it also solidified something within him: he didn't belong to that world anymore.
The image of Lyna's smile came to his mind unbidden, softening the ache in his heart. She was different from Clair in every way. Where Clair had been his light, Lyna was his anchor—a steady, reassuring presence that grounded him when everything else felt uncertain.
I have Lyna now, he thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips. And she believes in me. That's all that matters.
His system chimed again, pulling him from his thoughts.
> "New task available. Would you like to review?"
Laniel nodded. "Show me."
A holographic display appeared before him, outlining the parameters of a new challenge within the game system. The task was straightforward: a solo mission designed to test his adaptability and combat skills against a new class of enemies.
Perfect timing, he thought, his focus sharpening. It's time to prove myself.
---
Laniel turned his back on the café and the ghosts of his past. With each step, he felt lighter, as though shedding the weight of old wounds. He had a new purpose now—a new chance to carve out a future that wasn't defined by failure or betrayal.
As he disappeared into the bustling crowd, he whispered softly to himself: "I'll become someone worth remembering. Not for her, not for them—for me."