efore I could get another word out, Michael stomped his foot lightly.
The world around me spun. My stomach flipped, my vision blurred, and by the time the dizziness cleared, I found myself standing in a place that felt both familiar and strange.
“This… is my house?” I murmured, looking around in shock.
No, not my house exactly–but the house from the game. My house. The one I’d spent hours customizing, down to the color of the roof tiles and the placement of the furniture.
It was perfect. An exact replica in every way.
The furniture, the garden, even the crops in the yard–they were all exactly the same as they were before the game shut down. Not just the layout but the tiny details. The height of the plants. The angle of each chair.
“How did you–this is insane!” I said, turning to Michael in awe.
He tilted his chin up slightly, clearly pleased with himself. “It wasn’t that hard.”
Then, with a softer tone, he added, “If you want, you can live here. For as long as you like.”
I blinked, caught completely off guard.
“You always complained about how cramped your dorm was,” he continued. “I figured it must be miserable, living in a shoebox like that. So, now you can stay here instead.”
My chest tightened, a strange ache spreading through me.
They’d been listening to me all this time. Not just hearing, but remembering. And not only that–they’d gone out of their way to solve the problem.
always told myself they were my friends, but sometimes I wondered if I was just being delusional, pouring so much affection into a world that wasn’t real.
But here, at this moment, I knew for sure: the love I gave them wasn’t one–sided.
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Tears welled in my eyes before I could stop them, spilling down my cheeks.
Michael froze, panic flashing across his face. “Why are you crying? You always do this- crying alone over stupid things. Stop it already!”
“Is it the house?” he asked, his voice rising in alarm. “If you don’t like it, just say so! I’ll
change whatever you want!”
His frantic attempts to calm me down only made me cry harder.
I’d never realized how overwhelming it could feel to be loved like this.
Clearly at a loss, Michael clapped his hands together. “Hey! Look over there! Just stop crying, okay? Look!”
I followed his finger, wiping my eyes as I turned.
In the distance, I saw Richard waving at me, a grin on his face.
“Hey, over here!” he called. “Come get some candy, it’s all yours!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Trust Richard to show up at the weirdest moment, looking like
nothing had changed.
I walked toward him, still sniffling, and took the candy he offered. It was sweet, melting on my tongue, but my attention was drawn elsewhere.
Something on the hem of his shirt caught my eye–a dark patch of red tinged with black.
It wasn’t just a stain.
It looked like blood. Old blood. Seeping out from within.
