The kings Avater

It was well past midnight, and Ye Qiu sat slumped on the couch in the dimly lit sitting room. he couldn't bring himself to sleep. The soft glow of his tablet screen illuminated his tired face as he mindlessly scrolled through social media, unable to escape the flood of posts and opinions that seemed to be everywhere.

The internet had erupted in response to what happened. Every platform was flooded with commentary, dissecting every moment of the incident, speculating on the future of Everstay.

"The question on everyone's mind now," the newscaster continued, "is whether Ye Qiu's actions were a momentary lapse or something more. Everstay's once-unshakable foundation now seems fragile, and the team's future is in jeopardy. The fans are turning on them, and the question remains: Can they recover, or will the Dragon team fade into history?"

Ye Qiu couldn't stop himself from watching. Even though he knew he should turn it off, he found himself glued to the screen, as if he couldn't look away from the trainwreck unfolding.

The news outlet also reported that Avatar Epic Quest game company__ Black Shadow games, would be making a statement the following day, but no one had any idea what the response would be. Would they support him? Would they try to distance themselves from the disaster? The anticipation was only fueling the speculation and rumors.

The comments under these posts were even harsher than the videos themselves. Ye Qiu braced himself as he ventured into the threads, dreading what he would find. One comment read:

"I've been a fan since Everstay's early days, but this? This is unforgivable. Ye Qiu let everyone down. Not just the team, but the entire community. I was at the event, I bought my ticket to watch the Dragon Leaders in action, and instead, I watched them fall apart. He didn't even try to fix it. I'm done. I'm switching to Kairos and the Shadow Falcons. At least they know how to win when it matters."

The mention of Shadow Falcons caught Ye Qiu off guard. Shadow Falcons, a team that had been rising through the ranks for months, had now become the new favorite of many former Everstay fans. Kairos, their star player, was already being compared to Ye Qiu in the comments section, as some users claimed Kairos was everything Ye Qiu was supposed to be: decisive, calm under pressure, and always in control. Some comments even went so far as to say, "If Everstay doesn't step up, the Shadow Falcons will take their place as the top team in Avatar Epic Quest. Kairos is the real deal."

Yet, amidst the harsh words, there were a few comments that stood out, offering a sliver of hope. One comment, buried deep in the feed, read: "People forget too easily. Ye Qiu's been leading Everstay for years. One mistake doesn't erase all the good he's done. I believe in him, and I believe in the team. They'll bounce back."

Another comment said: "It's easy to judge when you're sitting behind a screen. Ye Qiu made a tough call, and maybe it wasn't the best one, but that doesn't mean he's a failure. He's human, and we all make mistakes. Everstay will recover. Don't write them off just yet."

Ye Qiu felt the weight of their expectations, the weight of every disappointed fan who once believed in him.

Tomorrow would be the day that determined everything, Ye Qiu just sighed as he continued watching the videos. Just then, Lin Yue sleepily walked out of Ye Qiu's room. He had let her and her son take his room, while he stayed on the couch in the sitting room. She walked to the fridge, opened it, and grabbed a bottle of water. As she closed it, she spotted her brother on the couch.

"You're not sleeping?" she asked, gulping down some water.

"Can't sleep," he simply replied, still focused on his tablet. She stared at him for a moment before casually walking over.

"Oh," she said, noticing what he was watching. "Everstay," she added as she sat in the chair next to the couch. "A fan?" she asked.

"Kinda," he replied after a brief pause.

"I remember when you couldn't go a day without being on your computer playing games," she said. "Seems like you're done with that now," she added, gesturing toward the broken device he had discarded. He glanced at it briefly, then turned away, not wanting to look at it any longer as it brought back painful memories. His sister studied him for a while.

"Is something bothering you?" she asked, noticing his silence.

He remained quiet, but she could immediately tell that something was wrong. "Something happened?" she pressed.

He shook his head. "Nothing happened," he said calmly, his eyes still on the screen. Then, she gently took the tablet from his hand and set it aside.

"Talk to me. What happened?" she urged.

"Nothing happened, really. There's nothing to worry about," he assured her, He had learned to hide his emotions, but his sister knew him too well. She could tell something was wrong, even if he didn't want to talk about it.

"Then how did you end up in jail?" she asked. He sighed.

"It's just... it's..."

"About Stacy? Everstay?" she asked, her voice steady as she looked at him. He turned to her, surprised.

"I suppose your friends earlier were Grayworm, Sparrow, Omega, and Somi?" she asked, and he looked at her, dumbfounded.

"How did you...?"

"C'mon, little brother, I'm a reporter. And my younger brother is an anonymous topic of town gossip—I'm bound to find out sooner or later," she said. Ye Qiu was at a loss for words.

"How long have you known? You don't even watch games," he asked, still stunned.

"Of course, I would have figured it out by your voice long ago if I had paid attention to the games. I only found out a few days ago when Somi mentioned your name during a live match. You also mentioned your girlfriend's name, Stacy, and then disconnected. After that, I got a call that something was wrong with you. Those were enough clues for me," she said, staring at him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he said, his voice filled with remorse.

Lin Yue smiled softly, though her eyes were filled with understanding. "It's okay. I get it. You didn't want the world to know, and you didn't want me to get caught up in all of this."

Ye Qiu stared down at his hand.

"What happened with Stacy?" she asked, her voice gentle.

"She's in the hospital," he said, his throat tightening. "She got hit by a truck during an argument with me... after breaking up with me," he added, the pain in his voice evident. His sister sighed, her expression softening.

"How is she?" she asked quietly.

"She's in a coma," he replied, swallowing hard. His sister didn't know what to say, so instead, she gently caressed his hair.

"It's all my fault," he muttered. "I just get so immersed in the game world that I forget about reality and the people I care about in it. I guess I deserve all the hate I get..."

"No, you don't," she said firmly. "Once i life, things May go wrong, and you can't always control it."

"Once? It's twice for me, all for the same reasons and complains" he said, his voice tinged with bitterness. His sister stared at him for a while.

"Then don't you think it's enough reason to give yourself a break and try something new? You know, go out, or something. Give your reality some attention."

"I can't," he replied, shaking his head.

"Why not?" she asked.

"I once thought about it, but then how do I pay off Dad's debt if I don't keep doing what I do?"

"Ye Qiu," his sister called softly, and he turned to her. "You've done enough. You can stop now, and I will handle the rest." He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.

"Who do you think has been paying while you didn't know?" she sighed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Things got so heavy for me, so I had no choice but to involve you. Moreover, I am the one Dad put in charge, so it's my problem..."

"No..." he began, but she held up her hand.

"You've paid off all the debt, Ye Qiu, just the interest remaining, which I can handle. So it's okay," she said. "Just do what makes you feel better, as long as it's the right thing. When you go into the outside world and still find your way back to gaming, then you'll know it's your calling. All you have to do is make an effort to balance it with your reality," she advised, and he nodded.