The alarm went off at 7:00 a.m.
Jasper didn't open his eyes.
The sound drilled into his head, sharp and unforgiving, but his body felt glued to the mattress. Every limb was heavy, like he'd sunk into the bed instead of lying on it.
"…Morning already?" he muttered, voice thick.
He shifted slightly, then gave up. "My body's too heavy to even get up. Ahh… damn it."
His hand groped blindly across the bed until it found his phone. He slapped the screen without looking.
Silence.
He exhaled and sank deeper into the pillow.
Five minutes, he told himself. Just five.
When he opened his eyes again, the room felt wrong.
"It's too bright".
His phone buzzed violently beside his head.
Jasper frowned, grabbed it, and glanced at the screen.
7:40 a.m.
His brain froze.
Then—
"I'm almost late for work!"
He bolted upright so fast his head spun.
"Sh*t—sh*t!"
The blanket went flying. He was on his feet in seconds, stumbling toward the bathroom. The shower blasted on full force, barely warm by the time he stepped under it.
He didn't bother washing off properly.
Water on face, quick scrub, done.
He shut it off, grabbed a towel, and wiped himself down while running back into the room. A shirt and slacks were yanked from the drawer—wrinkled, but wearable. He didn't bother checking the mirror.
"Keys, phone, wallet… done"
Out the door.
Downstairs, the front of the apartment building was unusually quiet.
Jasper nearly collided with someone as he pushed the door open.
"Morning," he said automatically, already stepping past.
The landlord stood just outside, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
"You're lucky you were able to pay rent this month," the man said. His tone wasn't accusing—but it wasn't friendly either. "Still… something's fishy about how you got the money so quickly."
Jasper didn't stop rushing ahead.
"Talk to you later," he called back, already breaking into a jog.
The landlord watched him go, expression unreadable.
The station was crowded.
Jasper slipped through the turnstile, breath uneven, and barely made it onto the train before the doors slid shut. He leaned against the pole, chest rising and falling, heart still racing from the sprint.
Only then did he let himself think.
Damn… I barely slept.
His reflection stared back at him faintly in the window—eyes sunken, dark circles heavy beneath them.
"This is the problem with peak RPG games," he muttered under his breath. "They hook you, drain your life force, then reward you for it."
He snorted softly. "Worth it though."
The train continued forward.
His eyelids felt heavier with every second.
Just rest my eyes, he thought. Just for a bit.
His head tilted.
And before he realized it—
He was asleep.
"Excuse me."
Jasper jerked awake, heart jumping.
"Huh—what?"
A middle-aged woman stood in front of him, smiling gently.
"Isn't this your stop?" she asked.
He blinked, disoriented, then looked out the window.
Bergisville Station.
"…Yeah," he muttered, suddenly wide awake. "Yeah, it is."
He stood up too quickly, nearly stumbling.
"Thank you," he said, voice rushed but sincere.
She nodded as he hurried off the train.
The doors closed behind him.
After a short walk, the office building came into view.
Jasper slowed, adjusting his bag on his shoulder, forcing himself to breathe evenly. His pulse steadied. His expression smoothed into something neutral.
Alright, he thought. Just another day.
He stepped inside the building and took the stairs two at a time. The elevator would've been faster, but waiting for it felt like wasted time he didn't have.
His legs burned by the time he reached the office floor.
He pushed the door open—
And froze.
His boss was already inside.
Standing near the desks. Arms crossed. Watching the door.
Jasper swallowed.
"You're late," his boss said flatly. Then, after a pause, "Again."
"Sorry, boss," Jasper said, bowing his head slightly.
"Apologies aren't going to get the work done," the man replied. "Get to your desk."
"Yes, sir."
Jasper moved quickly, dropping his bag beside his chair.
"By the way," his boss added, voice calm in a way that made Jasper uneasy, "are you done with that report?"
Jasper hesitated. "No… I'm about halfway through."
"well, the deadline had just been moved"
"…Moved?" Jasper repeated.
"This Friday."
The words hit harder than Jasper expected.
His vision swam for half a second, knees weakening as his brain struggled to process it. He gripped the edge of the desk to steady himself.
"Th—th-this Friday?" he muttered. "That's… that's straight-up impossible."
His boss studied him for a moment, then shrugged.
"Look at the bright side, kid. If you pull it off, you'll get an increase in pay this month—and a few days off."
Jasper let out a hollow laugh. "That doesn't make the work finish any earlier."
"I'd still get on it if I were you," his boss said. "Complaining won't buy you time."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Jasper stood there for a second longer, then dropped into his chair and powered on his computer.
His hands trembled slightly as the screen lit up.
Focus. Just focus.
But his body didn't agree.
His head throbbed. His eyes burned. Every movement felt delayed, like he was operating himself on bad latency.
Then it hit him.
"Sh*t," he whispered.
"Coffee…. how could I forget to grab coffee?" he muttered, rubbing his face. "I've done this a thousand times already…"
He stood and dragged himself toward his boss's office, forcing himself to stay steady.
"Sir," Jasper said, knocking lightly, "I need to grab a coffee."
His boss barely looked up. "Make it quick."
"Yes, sir."
Jasper turned and headed out, already moving faster.
The café a few blocks away had never felt farther.
The café door swung open as Jasper stepped inside.
"Coffee," he said immediately, leaning one hand on the counter. His voice sounded flat—even to his own ears. "Just… a cup. With cream."
The cashier glanced up, took one look at his face, and didn't ask any follow-up questions.
"Rough morning?" she said, already turning away.
"You have no idea."
She set the cup down a moment later. Jasper grabbed it, barely waiting for the lid to settle.
"Thanks," he muttered, paying for it while already turning away.
Outside, he didn't slow down.
He took a long sip—and immediately regretted it.
"Ah—" He hissed through his teeth as the heat burned his tongue, but he didn't stop. He kept drinking, swallowing too fast, like the coffee might stop working if he gave it time.
Cream, bitterness, heat—all of it blurred together.
Wake up…Wake up
By the time he reached the corner, half the cup was gone. His stomach protested, but he ignored it, draining the rest as he walked.
"That's better,"
he said softly, though his hands were still shaking.
The office building came back into view.
Jasper tossed the empty cup into a trash bin without looking and squared his shoulders.
Friday, he thought. This damn Friday.
He pushed the door open and stepped back inside.
Jasper returned to the office floor and headed for his desk—only to slow when he noticed someone leaning against the neighboring cubicle.
"Yo, Jasper," Josh said, raising a hand. "It's been a while."
Jasper blinked, then nodded. "Oh. Yeah—hi. Heard you had a fever."
"Had is the key word," Josh replied. "If I stayed home any longer, I was gonna lose my mind."
Jasper dropped into his chair and powered his computer back on. "Glad you're alive."
"Barely," Josh said, pulling his own chair closer. "So. What'd I miss?"
They worked as they talked, fingers moving across keyboards, eyes glued to screens.
"Did you log in last night?" Jasper asked casually.
Josh snorted. "Are you kidding? I crashed the moment I got home. Why?"
Jasper hesitated—then smiled.
"I got it."
Josh paused. "…Got what?"
"The Eclipse Fang."
Silence.
Josh slowly turned his head. "No way."
"Way."
"The legendary dagger?" Josh said. "The one with the stupidly low drop rate?"
"That one."
Josh stared at him. "You're messing with me."
Jasper shook his head. "Final boss. Last phase. Dropped right after the clear."
Josh slapped the desk lightly. "You're lying. That thing's been dodging players for weeks."
"I didn't sleep," Jasper said. "At all. But it was worth it."
Josh leaned back, whistling. "You're insane."
"Maybe," Jasper replied. "But I've got it."
Josh laughed. "Man sacrificed his lifespan for pixels."
"Legendary pixels," Jasper corrected.
Josh shook his head, still smiling. "Respect."
A few seconds passed before Jasper sighed and rubbed his face.
"Speaking of suffering," he said, "I've gotta finish this report by Friday."
Josh's fingers stopped.
"…This Friday?"
"Yeah."
Josh winced. "Just three days? Sucks to be you."
Jasper groaned. "Don't remind me."
Josh shrugged and turned back to his screen. "I'd sympathize, but I've got my own mess to deal with."
"Figures."
They fell into a rhythm after that—typing, clicking, the occasional muttered complaint. Time dragged, but eventually the tension eased into something manageable.
Until—
Break time.
Josh stretched and stood. "Finally."
Jasper leaned back in his chair, eyes closing for just a second longer than he should have.
Just a short break, he told himself. Then back to hell.