Mobius Mobile Game.
It was at first a joke to Sasha. A random flier that was flying uselessly in the early morning of Chicago. My boyfriend, Carl, had caught it mid-air before it flew into the dustbin.
"You should do this bruh." He smacked my back playfully and I rolled my eyes at his jeering smirk. It had been two months since I retired as the "Game King" after I was shamelessly dethroned by a fifteen-year-old boy. I had held my championship title for two years… two freaking years! Toured the whole corners of the earth defending my title and adding more dollars to my account balance. I was living a sports celebrity life. My failure was an epic shame, flying into every space of the internet. I had to settle down in Chicago, as a normal person after I had retired in tears in front of 243 TV which had billions of views.
"I'm never getting involved in video games again. I need to clear my head for real." I sighed. His smirk transformed into a reassuring smile. He was my life, everything, my soon-to-be husband if not. I knew he wanted my best interest at heart. He squeezed the paper into a ball and almost flung it away when I stopped him. I unfolded the paper neatly to read.
MOBIUS: Do you want to be the game changer? A winner, a loser, a superstar?? The game is for ALL.
Price: 300 billion dollars.
It was a huge sum of money for a cheap worthless flier in black and white yet believable. Although I didn't tell Carl, I had it deep in my mind that I should just try. Something was intriguing about whatever this online game was…after signing into their website, I realized that millions of people were participating in the game, from all over the world irrespective of whatever type of crown was on their head. Even Marco, the fifteen-year-old who slammed me was a participant.
It was a racing game. All participants would gather together virtually and select icons, cars, and names they wanted to be identified with. At the initial stage of the game, we were divided into two groups; Red and Green. We would at first compete in three rounds and then the rest seventy people would compete with the second house.
The game was to start on the 17th of February- midnight, that same day. I had to warm up in preparation and I had to do it quickly. I made an excuse of wanting to fix up something in the house and when Carl offered to help, I turned him down. We parted and afterward, I went home to prepare.
I went into my gaming room. I mean a little space in my garage I reserved for free time. I remembered my old game room…My sponsors had transformed a crib into anything a gamer would wish. Although I was grateful, I was scared to tell them I only wanted simplicity and that all the neon lights they said would boost my motivation only blinded my eyes. Well, that's all bygone. I am the game guru who lost to a fifteen years old boy and is about to play a game with billions of people because she found a flier caught mid-air. Well, that's life and something I call grace to grass.
I cracked my knuckles, placing my fingers steady on the gaming console. I reminded myself that I wasn't doing it for the money but the fact that it'd be fun. I was placed on the Red side…there were many cars to race on the rough path that reminded me of Jumanji. It started as a slow race and soon I was number 5 amongst the 1 billion cars on the Red side. The graphics of the game were 3D and looked very real… sabotage was allowed, you had the right to bash into someone's car to wreck it to pieces and soon many of the cars were in flames…some crashed into walls because of the thorny parts. For the first time, I felt so tense and soon the header on my car turned No 2. I wasn't going to lose. I just defeated 1 billion people minus two.
Sabotage was allowed. I smirked. It had been so long that I felt so competitive. I swerved right to make myself in the same lane right at the back of the car with the No1 header. With full force, I crashed into its trunk. I watched the car lose control while I tried to maintain balance. The car soon crashed into a tree and burst into flames.
"Yes," I screamed as I crossed the winner line. "I won!"
A message popped on the screen.
CONGRATS PLAYER 207898637 YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO PLAY FOR THE FINAL ROUND. REMEMBER WINNER TAKES ALL. TO PREPARE FOR AN EPIC RACE!!!
The next round was the following week and I was so pumped up about it that I told Carl. He ruffled my hair which I had trimmed into a low cut. I always gave him the "tomboy" vibes till he learned to change my pet name from "mi amor" to "bruh". I had no trainer which I needed since this was the first time in months I played a video game. Carl reminded me of all his plans for his future, our future. In shorter words, it wasn't for fun anymore but for the money. 300 billion wasn't child's play.
Carl did my training and checked my emails for any additional information.
Boom. The following week came and I received an email that I should come to a building downtown. It was surprising because this game can be played virtually in the comfort of your home. Carl was having an appointment with his business so he couldn't drive me there. In my car, a lot of thoughts were in my head. The building was in an isolated area, more of an abandoned factory. The timing was ridiculous as the sky bleed black. It was almost midnight.
I parked my car in a space carrying with me my gaming console and everything I thought I'd need. I started to think about the winner of the Blue side. He or she was probably a guru about to compete with me… winner takes all? It was absurd. Carl needed the money. I am doing this for him.
I entered the arena and met many men cladded all black with helmets, holding red flags. The Mobius owner on the throne was wearing a mask. He gave me a broad smile and said,
"Are you ready to race one on one with the only thing between you and billions of dollars?"
I nodded my head agreeing that I was. From the way he regarded me, it was obvious he wasn't aware I was once the "Game King". It was time to unravel who was the finalist from the Blue side and my jaw dropped at who I saw.
"Carl?"
He looked at me in a kind of way that I have never seen before. Like I was an enemy.
There was no way I was racing with my fiance.
"I have waited for so long to bring you down and the taste of victory would be sweet"
And the once sweet fiance I once knew was replaced by the monster who was staring down at me so angrily.
I guess I shouldn't have been into gaming for the wrong reasons I should have been in it for passion.
Gaming has cost me a lot in my life. It has brought down my self-esteem and now, it made me lose the man which I love so dearly.
With so many tears and a heavy heart, I walked out of the gaming space with a lot on my mind and needed a vacation.