The kings Avater

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the small apartment. Ye Qiu sat slouched on a dining chair near the kitchen, a cigarette lazily hanging from his lips as he scrolled through his phone. His fingers moved absentmindedly, liking a few posts, skipping over others. The air was thick with the faint smell of tobacco, mixing with the aroma of breakfast cooking on the stove.

Across the room, his sister, Lin Yue, moved around the kitchen, stirring a pot while occasionally glancing over at him. Her six-year-old son, Ye Liu, sat on the floor nearby, completely immersed in the little toy car he was rolling back and forth.

Just as Ye Qiu brought the cigarette back to his lips for another drag, Lin Yue suddenly reached over and plucked it from his mouth. Without even looking at him, she flicked the cigarette into the sink and placed a steaming plate of food in front of him.

"You realize Ye Liu is asthmatic, right?" she said, her tone calm but firm as she continued setting the table.

Ye Qiu blinked, looking between her and his nephew, who was still too distracted with his toy to notice anything.

"Oh, shit—"

"Language," Lin Yue cut in sharply, giving him a pointed look.

Ye Qiu sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple. Lin Yue turned to her son, lifting him off the floor and settling him onto his seat at the dining table.

"Ye Liu, eat properly, okay?" she said gently as she tucked a napkin into the collar of his tiny shirt.

The little boy nodded, picking up his spoon excitedly. Ye Qiu, on the other hand, simply poked at his food, swirling his chopsticks through the rice without much interest.

Lin Yue disappeared into the bedroom, leaving the two of them alone.

For a moment, there was only the soft clinking of utensils. Then, Ye Qiu reached over with his chopsticks and stole a piece of meat from Ye Liu's plate.

"Hey!" the little boy pouted, glaring at his uncle.

Ye Qiu smirked, chewing slowly. "What? It's called tax."

Ye Liu narrowed his eyes and tried to steal from Ye Qiu's plate in retaliation, but he was too slow. Ye Qiu easily dodged his little hands, chuckling at the boy's frustrated expression.

Just as Ye Liu was about to try again, Lin Yue stepped back into the room, now dressed up and ready to leave. She shot them a warning look.

"Boys."

Immediately, both of them straightened up and started eating properly, stifling their giggles.

Lin Yue sighed, shaking her head. She walked over to Ye Liu first, gently wiping the sauce that had dribbled onto his upper lip. Then, without a word, she passed a napkin to Ye Qiu and gestured toward his own stained cheek.

Ye Qiu grumbled under his breath as he wiped his face, giving his nephew a playful glare when the little boy giggled at him.

That was when he finally noticed her outfit.

"You're going somewhere?" he asked, glancing up at her.

"Yeah," Lin Yue replied, adjusting the strap of her bag. "I need to pick up some things from the mart. Everything near my place is more expensive."

Ye Qiu nodded absentmindedly, pushing a piece of egg around his plate with his chopsticks.

Lin Yue hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "You know I'll be heading back this evening, right? I need to get ready for work tomorrow."

Ye Qiu nodded again, though this time, his expression stiffened slightly.

He didn't say anything, but she could tell—he wasn't happy about it. She knew he wished she could stay longer.

But neither of them spoke about it.

Just as Lin Yue stepped out, Ye Qiu's phone buzzed on the table. He reached for it lazily, glancing at the screen—it was a message from Somi.

Somi: Come to the group voice chat. Urgent.

He sighed, rubbing his temples before tapping to join. A familiar mix of voices filled his ears as soon as he entered.

Somi's voice came first, sharp and tense.

"Have you seen the announcement from Black Shadow Games?"

Before Ye Qiu could answer, Grayworm spoke up, his tone laced with frustration.

"I swear, this is insane! Stripping you of all titles, levels, and skins, and suspending you on top of that?! Just because you broke one stupid rule? It's overkill. It doesn't make any sense!"

Sparrow's voice followed, equally frustrated.

"And it's not just a suspension. They hit him with a brutal penalty—his entire progress wiped clean! That's years of work gone in seconds!"

"Guys, chill." Ye Qiu's voice was calm, almost indifferent.

"Chill?!" Somi snapped, disbelief dripping from her words. "Everstay, do you realize they're ousting you? Like you don't even exist anymore in the team! And you're telling us to chill?" she sighed

"Maybe… Maybe we can try reaching out to them," she continued, her voice desperate but trying to sound rational. "If we appeal, they might reduce the penalty. Maybe they'll reconsider."

Sparrow groaned. "How are we supposed to compete in the tournament without a leader? The qualifiers are right around the corner!"

Omega, usually the quiet one, finally spoke, his voice careful but concerned.

"Somi might be right. Black Shadow Games wouldn't just throw away their top team—not when we're this close to the final. If we push back, they might reconsider."

"You guys…" Ye Qiu sighed, shaking his head slightly. "You're not even talking about the worst part." His voice was calm, but there was something hollow underneath.

"They didn't just punish me, they did with you guys too, They wiped out Dragons' 18 levels of progress. All our grinding, all our struggles—gone. Because of my mistake."

He emphasised the word 'my'. Silence took over

Grayworm finally broke it, his voice softer this time.

"We don't care about that. We just don't wanna lose you, especially not to this__dumb reason."

"You won't lose me," Ye Qiu said, his tone steady. "You guys can still win the championship without me. Omega can lead in my absence."

"That's not the point" Somi cut in sharply. "Why are you acting like this doesn't bother you? Why are you okay with this?"

Ye Qiu exhaled deeply, resting his chin on his hand. "Because I need this, i need a break, You've seen my life now. You've probably figured too, that i need to give my life some attention. I've been drowning in this world for ten years straight. I need to give my real life some attention. You can call me selfish, I won't argue. But maybe this is the punishment I deserve for being selfish."

The silence that followed was heavy, as if the entire group was struggling to process his words.

"C'mon guy's, you can't lose hope yet," he continued. "I promise iwill be back. And when I return, I'll be stronger. Until then, keep fighting."

No one spoke at first. The weight of his decision hung over them.

Sparrow sighed, muttering under his breath, "This is crazy."

Ye Qiu, sensing the tension, decided to shift the focus. "So, you guys remember the monster in Level 71?"

Immediately, the team responded in unison.

"The Quix."

"Ugh, I can't believe we have to deal with that ugly creature again," Grayworm groaned.

Omega added. "It should be easier this time. We know what we're up against."

"Maybe," Grayworm muttered. "But i just cant stand those creatures, we have to go through the thin bridge, the underground serpent zone, the acid rain..."

Sparrow shuddered. "And don't forget the skin crawlers."

A collective groan followed.

"Swear, that's the worst," Grayworm muttered. "Somi's gonna have nightmares again."

He laughed lightly, expecting Somi to chime in, but there was only silence.

"Somi?" Grayworm called.

Nothing.

"Somi?" he repeated, but her voice was strangely absent.

After a moment, she finally spoke, but it was awkward, forced. "Uh… oh… yeah." She hesitated. "I'll… I'll excuse myself. I just remembered I left something on the fire."

She disconnected before anyone could respond.

Ye Qiu stared at the empty space where her name had been on the chat list.

On the other end, Somi threw herself onto her bed, gripping her pillow tightly as silent tears streamed down her face.