Chapter 1 – The International
I was excited today. Really excited.
Because today… The International was starting.
After finishing my shift at the factory here in Japan, I rode my bike home like usual. My body was tired, my muscles sore from repetitive work, and my mind still heavy from thinking about both college and my job. It had been exhausting lately—balancing everything felt like I was slowly being crushed.
But today was different.
All that stress… it didn't matter.
Because tonight, I had something to look forward to.
Dota 2.
More specifically—The International 15.
Ever since I started playing and watching Dota back in 2013, I never missed a single International. And now, it was already 2026. Fifteen years. Fifteen tournaments. Fifteen chances to witness legends rise… and fall.
I parked my bike at the side of the building, placing it neatly in the designated parking area. The evening air was cool, brushing lightly against my skin as I stepped inside. Then I climbed the stairs up to the third floor—my apartment.
A small place. Nothing special.
Just a rented room that I paid for every month.
And I lived there alone.
When I reached my door, I unlocked it and stepped inside. The room was quiet, just the way I liked it. I tossed my bag onto the bed without a second thought and immediately grabbed my phone.
No time to waste.
I opened YouTube and quickly typed in the keywords:
"The International Dota 2."
Search.
In an instant, countless results appeared on the screen. Streams, highlights, predictions, interviews… but one stood out above the rest.
The top stream.
Over five million viewers.
I tapped it without hesitation.
Dota had always been one of the most popular online games, from the past until now. And during The International? It felt like the whole world was watching.
Some people even said that once you became a pro player in Dota, your life was set. Fame. Money. Recognition. It was like becoming a celebrity overnight.
And honestly…
I believed it.
The stream loaded, and soon the familiar voices of the casters filled my room—a man and a woman, both full of energy as they talked about the upcoming match.
The game hadn't started yet.
The teams were still in the drafting phase, picking their heroes.
The casters continued talking, analyzing, joking… building the hype as the draft phase went on.
Their voices were full of energy, but there was something more behind it—excitement that hadn't settled since yesterday.
Because yesterday… something big happened.
The female caster laughed lightly, still sounding amazed.
"Honestly, I still can't believe what we saw last night," she said. "Team Sky actually made it to the Grand Finals."
The male caster nodded. "Yeah, that was insane. No one expected that run."
They weren't announcing it like breaking news anymore.
They were reliving it.
Because even now… it still felt unreal.
A team from the Philippines—Team Sky—standing on the biggest stage of Dota.
I stared at the screen, my eyes locked in.
It really happened.
Not because of a sudden miracle today…
But because yesterday, they fought their way there.
All these years, Philippine teams struggled just to qualify. And even when they did, they would fall early—usually in the group stage or shortly after.
Every year, fans hoped.
Every year… they ended up disappointed.
But this time…
Team Sky didn't fall.
They struggled during the group stage, barely holding on. They dropped to the lower bracket, where one mistake meant elimination.
And yet—
They didn't break.
They adapted with every match. Improved with every loss. And one by one, they took down stronger teams—teams no one thought they could beat.
Until suddenly…
They were in the finals.
I felt my chest tighten—not from pain, but from excitement.
I was one of those fans.
And tonight…
This was their moment.
Their opponent was Team Sacred, a dominant European team. A region known for its strength—multiple championships, years of dominance. They crushed the group stage and dominated the upper bracket like it was nothing.
They were expected to win.
They were supposed to win.
But Team Sky…
They were the underdogs.
And that made everything even more intense.
"Can they actually pull it off?" the male caster said, his voice rising.
"Can Team Sky complete this miracle run?" the female caster added, barely hiding her excitement.
I leaned forward, my eyes glued to the screen.
The draft phase ended.
Heroes locked in.
The battlefield was set.
The game was about to begin.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
A loud in-game announcement echoed from my phone.
The match had started.
But at that exact moment…
Something felt wrong.
My chest tightened.
Then suddenly—
Pain.
A sharp, crushing pain exploded in my heart.
"Ah—!"
I gasped, dropping my phone as I clutched my chest. My breathing turned erratic, my vision shaking violently.
What… is this…?
The pain grew worse.
My body gave out beneath me, collapsing to the floor.
My vision blurred.
The sounds of the game continued in the background… but they were fading… getting farther and farther away.
I tried to move.
Tried to breathe.
But I couldn't.
Everything was going dark.
My last thought—
The game… just started…
And then—
Silence.
Darkness.
I died.