The keyboard clacks loudly, Kyrsils inputs fast and precise. A small smile fills his face, his yellow teeth evident of his missed days of brushing his teeth. His eyes are glued to the screen, hyperfocused on the combat of his favorite game, Dungeon Crawler. The voices and commands of his guild mates ring loudly inside his headphones. A low and rough voice leaves Kyrsils mouth as he replies to their voices.
"My Hero's Slash is out of cool down."
The excitement of taking down the boss fills his mind with euphoria and adrenaline. His already hunched back hunches even more as the boss's health continues to drop, inch by inch. His breathing becomes faster as he hyperfocuses on the bossfight. His fingers hit the keyboards plastic surface faster and faster. Until, finally, the boss dies in a managerie of explosions. His Hero's Slash taking the final blow.
"Woohoo!"
"Finally! The Fire Dragon is dead!"
"Nice work guys!"
A slow chuckle escapes Kyrsils mouth as he hears his teammates cheers.
"Yeah, guys..." He says, in his grimy voice.
After the battle, Kyrsils mind slows down as adrenaline rush stops. The battle was indeed exhilarating, especially doing it with his friends. Although online friends, who had the right to decide what was real friendship was anyways. His friends were of utmost important to Kyrsil, providing his escape and solace from the real world. He couldn't stand the real world.
"I think it's time we hop off the game." Kyrsils guild mate says.
"Yeah, I think so too." Another one responds, her stretching could be heard through her mic.
"Why? Just one more boss...." Kyrsil says, confusion evident in his voice.
His guild mates voices quiet down for a moment, making their voice call silent. Before one of his guild mates replies to him:
"Why? I mean, it's the New Years today right? We shouldn't let this day go to waste."
"One minute before New Years." Another one says with an excited voice.
Kyrsil could only reply with silence, as his mind fills with thoughts, both silent and loud. Looking at the computer clock and waiting for the time to hit 12 AM was making his emotions whirl.
'Right... I shouldn't waste my precious time here... But, but! Playing this game with you guys is the most valuable way I can spend my time...' He thought, unable to say those words. Maybe out of shyness, or maybe he thought he wasn't qualified to say such grandiose words.
The clock strikes 12. The voice call fills with screams and greetings.
"Happy New Years!" The sonorous voices fills Kyrsils head through his headset. A shallow sigh escapes his lips as he responds:
"Happy... New Years, everyone."
As his guild mates hop off the call one after another, Kyrsil remains silently looking at the screen of his computer. His thoughts wandering to what his guild mates are gonna do this year, to what's gonna happen tomorrow.
"It's not like I'm ever gonna experience what they do... But... it's still nice to spend time with you all." He says quietly, although there was no one to hear his heartfelt message as the voice call was empty, with only him remaining.
"What am I doing with my life?" He says incredulously as his stomach is filled with butterflies and his eyes tear up.
Wiping away the forming tears, Kyrsil looks up at the dark ceiling of his room. Small sniffles escaping his mouth. As his thoughts wander again.
"I want to change... I really do... But... but... It's just too hard..." He says as softly as he can, given his rough voice due to his unbalanced diet.
However much Kyrsil lamented and yearned, it was all for nothing. As he could not act on his own wants and wishes. He was a failure as a human being. A leech to his parents and a parasite of humanity. The only good thing he was good at was at games.
At least, that was how he thought himself to be. Nothing more than trash, living life day by day with no future in sight. He couldn't even show his face to his parents.
His dad had long lost hope in him. His mom wished for him to return back to society, although that would be easier said than done. At the very least, his mom still tries to talk to him, everyday. Wishing for him to leave his room and taking care of his physiological needs.
Just as his thoughts turned for the worse, becoming self deprecating and destructive. He was snapped out of his delirium by rhythmical knocking on his door. Kyrsil knew who that was. Although he feared and longed for the one who was behind that door. It was Mom.
"Son, Kyrs... Come out please, just this once... It's New Years." The soft voice of Mom said behind the door, pleadingly asking Kyrsil for this one favor.
Looking at the door, Kyrsils heart beats faster than usual. Thumping inside his chest like an engine ready to explode. Eventually, he stands up from his chair, navigating his dirty room in the dark before coming close to the door.
He was so close... So close to changing.
His hand shaked with anticipation, coming closer to the doorknob, inch by inch. Until, eventually, he touched it's cold alloy. Kyrsil prepared to open the door. Just one twist was enough...
But... In the end, he couldn't twist it. Not even by an inch. He just stood there, like the trash he was. Listening to his mother's pleads behind the safety of his room.
'Why can't I change... Why can't I open this door...' Kyrsil thought, on the verge of crying.
But his wording was wrong. In reality, what he meant to think was:
'Why don't I wanna change? Why should I open this door?'
Not hearing any response from her son's room, Mom could only sigh dejectedly and say through the door.
"It's okay Kyr... You don't need to go outside, I'll just... I'll just leave the New Years food by the door. If you want any."
Hearing his mom's footsteps become faint and eventually disappear, Kyrsil collapses to the floor. Soft tears escaping his eyes.
Wallowing in self pity, Kyrsils attention was drawn to the window. It's surface becoming shrouded in white light. The outside, was becoming white.
'Is it fireworks?' Kyrsil thought, but the more it glowed, the more confused he became.
It was not fireworks. He did not know what is was. It eventually crept into his room, banishing the shadows into the corners. Such light made Kyrsil close his eyes, not used to even the brightness of the sun.
The next thing he knew, Kyrsil was outside. On the white sands of an empty island. Waves flowed, dragging the sand back and forth the shores. The sky was as blue as the ocean next to it.
'What the... heck.' Kyrsil thought, utterly perplexed.