The bluish light of the monitor was the only source of brightness in the small, stuffy bedroom. On the screen, the life bar of a colossal boss was coming to an end while digital roars echoed through Steve's headphones. At 16 years old, he looked like someone who no longer remembered what sleep felt like. His dark, tired, reddish eyes betrayed an entire night awake, yet his attention remained fixed on the game as if his survival depended on it.
His curly brown hair was a total mess, small unruly curls falling over his forehead. His dark skin reflected the intense glow of the monitor, and his hands moved with precise yet fatigued motions.
"Come on… just one more hit…" he muttered, mashing the keys.
The boss lifted its flaming sword. Steve dodged perfectly, activated a special ability and—
BOOM!
The monster collapsed onto the virtual ground, letting out a final digital roar. Its life bar finally hit zero.
But before Steve could celebrate, a deep and irritated voice came from the half-open door:
"Hey, Steve!" It was his father's voice, thick with alcohol and exhaustion. "Turn that crap off in ten minutes! If you don't, I swear I'll smash that toy of yours!"
With the headphones muffling half of reality, Steve only caught part of the complaint. He glanced back and returned his eyes to the screen, responding without really listening:
"Okay, Dad! Ten minutes is plenty!"
He had no idea more than forty had already passed.
Focused on the game, he raised his arms and jumped from his chair when he realized he had finally won:
"I DID IT! HOLY CRAP, I FINALLY DID IT!"
From the hallway, his younger brother—a skinny 13-year-old—peeked inside and sighed:
"This house is full of crazy people…"
But Steve didn't care. He was dancing around the chair with an energy he hadn't felt in days.
Then a soft sound echoed through his headphones:
"Notification: Friend Request — User: Nesin"
"Huh?" Steve clicked, a smug smile forming. "Bet they were impressed with my final combo."
He accepted the request. Two seconds later, a message arrived:
> Nesin: "Wow! I'm impressed with your playstyle. Wanna team up? I need help beating a boss."
Steve raised an eyebrow. His ego spoke louder.
> Steve: "I accept. It'll be quick."
> Nesin: "Really? Now I'm curious."
They entered co-op mode. The boss room was enormous, with shattered pillars and lava dripping along the walls. Steve stepped forward confidently.
But he quickly realized:
"Crap… this is harder than it looks…"
Before he could recover, he saw Nesin's avatar charging ahead with perfect, devastating attacks. In less than twenty seconds, the boss fell like it was made of paper.
> Steve: "Did you actually need my help?"
> Nesin: "Of course not haha. I just wanted to show off. And prove I'm better."
Steve went silent. That was exactly what he had planned to do to her.
> Nesin: "But I also wanted to invite you to a game that's about to release. Super exclusive. I'm sending the link."
A link flashed on the screen.
Steve was about to click it, but then noticed the computer clock… 7:19 a.m.
"Shit." He jumped up. "I'll be late again."
He logged out, grabbed his backpack, and ran downstairs. In the living room, he found his three siblings — two boys and a girl — each dealing with their improvised morning routine.
"Where's Dad?" Steve asked, mostly out of obligation.
"He left for the bar. Again," his sister said, rolling her eyes.
He breathed deeply.
"Alright… got it…"
He left home with a tight chest. The street air was cool, but his mind was far too heavy to feel it.
On the bus to the university, Steve rested his head against the window. His thoughts suffocated him.
The parents' fight.
The shove.
The slip.
The scream.
His mother lying unconscious on the stairs.
His father panicking, swearing he never meant to hurt her.
The following days were a blur.
The coma.
The hospitalization.
His father losing his job.
Alcohol taking over everything.
And the kids… surviving however they could, working small jobs, doing the impossible to keep their mother's treatment going.
College only happened because of a full scholarship — a miracle in the middle of chaos.
Finally, the bus stopped. Steve stepped out, breathing deeply. It was his first day at university. Maybe the first step toward changing his family's fate.
The classes were light: introductions, professors explaining the semester, classmates telling their stories. Steve tried to focus, but every word felt distant.
When he left, already late in the afternoon, someone called out:
"There he is, the champion of late arrivals!"
Steve turned and smiled involuntarily.
"Jaime! Man, you disappeared!"
"And you missed the bus because of video games, didn't you?" Jaime teased, walking beside him.
"Uh… something like that."
Jaime nudged his shoulder.
"You look weird today. You good?"
Steve hesitated, but the weight inside him collapsed:
"Things at home are getting worse. Money's running out. Mom is still the same… and Dad… Dad's impossible."
Jaime stopped walking and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Steve… you're the strongest dude I know. You carry your whole family on your back. Don't talk like you're losing. You're fighting like hell."
Steve's chest tightened.
"But what if I can't do it, Jaime? What if I fail?"
Jaime squeezed his shoulder.
"Then I'll be there to lift you up. We grew up together. We went through every crap together. You're not alone, man."
Steve smiled through the pain.
"You always know what to say, huh?"
"Of course. I'm basically the neighborhood sage," Jaime joked.
They hopped on the bus together, talking about everything — their future, fears, university, Steve's siblings, their worry for his mom. When Jaime's stop arrived, he stood up.
"I'll get off here. Call me if you need anything, okay?"
"I will. Thanks for today. Seriously."
"Always, brother."
Steve remained alone, watching the city as the sun went down.
At the general hospital, he bought his mother's favorite flowers — white azaleas — and walked slowly down the overly bright corridor that smelled of alcohol and silence.
He found her doctor just before entering her room.
"Doctor… any changes?"
The doctor sighed, unable to fake optimism.
"Her condition is still critical. If you stop the treatment, I can't guarantee she'll survive for long. I'm sorry, Steve."
It felt like a thousand knives pierced his chest. But he swallowed the pain.
"We're keeping the treatment… even if I have to work twice as much."
He entered the room. His mother lay motionless, serene, as if in a deep sleep. Machines hummed their cold, steady melody.
Steve placed the flowers by the window and approached.
"Hi, Mom…" his voice cracked. "Today was my first day of college. I… I'm trying, you know? I really am."
He sat beside her.
"It's all so hard. I miss you every day… the house is so empty without you. I… "
His voice broke. "I need you to wake up. Please… come back to us."
He held her hand and rested his forehead against the bed, finally crying. Crying everything he had held in for months.
After long minutes, he wiped his face, stood up and kissed her hand.
"I'll keep trying. For you."
Leaving the hospital, the sky was already dark. On the bus back home, Steve remained silent, watching the city pass by.
When he arrived, he found his siblings laughing at an old cartoon on the TV. He smiled — that sound was a spark of hope amidst the chaos.
He went upstairs and turned on the PC. Nesin's message was there. The link glowed on the screen.
He clicked.
The page loaded slowly, revealing a black interface with shining metallic letters:
N.E.X.U.S – Official Pre-Registration
Game or Reality
A chill ran down his spine.
He messaged immediately:
> Steve: "What game is this?"
> Nesin: "Pretty cool interface, right? hehe."
> Steve: "Yeah, but… I've never seen this before."
> Nesin: "Me neither. Just know it's super exclusive. Only a few players will get access. And… the reward seems to be 1 billion dollars."
Steve froze.
1 billion.
One billion dollars.
That number shone before his eyes like the brightest light he had ever seen.
With that money…
He could pay his mother's entire treatment.
Lift his siblings out of misery.
Buy a house.
Build a future.
> Steve: "But why me? There are better players."
> Nesin: "I just got the link and it told me to send it to someone. I chose you. You were the first person I thought of."
Steve took a deep breath.
He was scared.
Unsure.
But he needed this.
He needed it more than anyone in the world.
> Steve: "I accept. I'm joining the game."
> Nesin: "Good. Champion Let's play together."
Steve completed the pre-registration.
His heart pounded like a drum.
He turned off the PC, lay down and stared at the ceiling.
His breathing was heavy.
His life could change completely.
Or end trying.
But as sleep finally pulled him under, he whispered:
"I'm going to win this game.
I'll win for you, Mom."
And that night, Steve slept with something he hadn't felt in a long time:
Hope.