Next to Evermarsh High stood a coffee shop, which was named the Evermarsh Coffee Shop, because the Hob manager utterly lacked imagination.

It was a sweet place that catered to everyone’s needs; students and teachers loved to hang out there due to the cheap prices and the cosy, warm atmosphere. Somehow, Mathias and his friends always found themselves occupying the same spot, a table near the windows by the road. Ulysses often joked someone had died at the table from cookie overdose and that nobody else had the courage to sit in the back.

“Zombies would win,” Perse said in-between drinking her carrot juice. Mathias and Ulysses had settled on milkshakes. “They’re too many of them, and I don’t think legionnaire armor protects against bites.”

“Any legion worth their salt would crush a horde,” Ulysses told his sister. “A wall of spears and shields and it’s over; hell, zombies can be stopped with simple trenches.”

Mathias didn’t pay much attention to their debate, lost in his thoughts.

What he had seen after opening that application, after using Network… he had been thinking about it all day, to the point of ignoring work altogether. Even with the storyline all but finished, he should have focused on the finishing touches. Altering colors here and here, adding one horn or tattoo for additional flavor…

Instead, the same scene kept looping back around in his head, of that blue light shining through his own eyes...

“Hey, Matt?” Mathias snapped back to reality, meeting Ulysses’ gaze. “I eloquently described how the Romans could have destroyed a zombie outbreak in no time. What do you think?”

— Ulysses ignored the snickering of his classmates, as he began taking a nap while Mr. Barth and his sister weren’t looking. A boring school, annoying people, an empty lifeless life. He struggled with the urge to pick up his games in his backpack and find some stimulation. — 

Mathias examined his friend with new eyes, trying to make sense out of the images flashing through his brain. These flashes of insight lasted only an instant, echoes within his own mind flaring into existence every time he looked at someone.

An outcast barely tolerated by most, Ulysses lived for intellectual stimulation, which he could only get from a few things. He needed Mathias to bounce back an idea he could think about, “It would heavily depend on the terrain and prep-time,” the game designer replied. “Zombies have a clear advantage on an open field, which allows them to swarm the soldiers from all directions.”

“My thought exactly, Matt,” Perse said, before fidgeting on her seat, noticing someone. “Here comes Samantha.”

Mathias instantly took attention to the situation at hand, much to the siblings’ subdued amusement.

All eyes turned at Samantha Brown, Evermarsh High’s diva, as she gracefully walked into the Coffee Shop. A beautiful amateur model, she dressed elegantly; every element of her clothes tailored to showcase her womanly curves. She had sparking blue eyes, long, groomed blond hair, and she always wore a blue, flower brooch in her hair.

Samantha Brown had it all; the daughter of Mayor Brown and a big shot lawyer, she had a promising future ahead of her without even being out of school. And in school she was the academic superstar, class representative, and the lead singer of the Evermarsh Bones, a student music group.

Perse should never have been allowed to pick the name, Mathias thought.

Anyway, she was rich, she was smart, and most importantly, she was nice. Some called her Miss Perfect, and if anyone had deserved that title, it was her. And she was hot. Like, “blond cheerleader” hot. All the boys wanted to date her, and all the girls wanted to be her.

As for Mathias? Well… she was out of his league, and more importantly, taken.

Her boyfriend, Jack Powells, he looked like a younger copy of Denzel Washington and another life lottery winner, escorted her, keeping the Coffee Shop door open like the gentleman he was so Samantha could step through. He was tall and athletic, with wide shoulders to rival a bull, and a dashing, smooth face. He managed to be the running team’s superstar while also directing his own video channel.

However, as the couple walked next to their table to say hello, Mathias felt a general sense of fakeness. The supposed couple walked too far apart from one another. Jack paid more attention to his surroundings than his girlfriend, calculating the face he should present to the world. Mathias felt a cold vibe from Samantha; not so cold that it was hostile, but it was an apathetic coldness.

Mathias got the feeling Samantha wasn’t as taken as he thought.

“Oh, hi there, guys,” Jack started, before shaking Mathias’ hand. Mathias felt a slight chill go through his hand and body upon physical contact, his brain alight with new possibilities. “Hey, Matt, how's your game going? I can’t wait to try what you have in store.”

“It must be a lot of stress, but I’m sure you’ll do great,” Samantha commented with a friendly smile that could melt ice, but Mathias noticed her smile didn’t reach her ears. “I even heard that the Yellow Ministry will give your new product a cultural recommendation.”

— “Smile wide in front of the camera, sweetie,” Father told Samantha. “This in enormous opportunity for our family’s future and we must make a great impression.” —

A dragon lackey hijacking his work was the very last thing Mathias wanted. “How do you know that?” he asked, keeping his eyes on her, letting the information flow in.

“Jack and Maggie told me. Their dad and my dad have been lobbying the Lord Dragon to endorse their public policies for the local economy, especially with all the missing person case stuff going on, but…” She put a finger on her lips and whispered, “Shush.”

— “They mustn’t suspect a thing.” Samantha kept her ear against the door, trying to spy on the conversation without making a sound. Her father sounded so… anxious. “We are so close to fulfilling the ritual.”

“Two or three more,” Henry Powells replied. “That’s all we need.” —

Thankfully, Samantha was too busy talking to notice Mathias’ eyes darting away in confusion. “Do you guys have something planned for the weekend? My penpal, Kari, is coming from Japan, and I’m hosting a party on Saturday night at my place. Wanna come?”

“That would be great, but — ” Mathias began, but Perse interrupted him with an elbow hit below the table, becoming the focus of his gaze.

“Of course we’re coming!” Perse smiled back. “But bring veggie burgers, please.”

— “Where is Mathias?” Samantha asked Perse, the background music loud and overwhelming. She never asked for Ulysses. Perse smiled sheepishly, trying to find another excuse —

“I wonder if your latest diet will last until then,” Samantha replied with a light chuckle.

— Samantha rolled her eyes at Persephone eating vegetables, but only when the latter wasn’t looking. She found her antics amusing, but this was just getting ridiculous —

Mathias didn’t think these flashes involved telepathy, since he wasn’t exactly reading the thoughts of everyone… but it was just as uncomfortable as it must be to read minds.

“You’re cruel, Sam. I can last more than a month, you know? This time it’s for real. Oh, and remember your promise! Rogues only on our team!”

“Yeah, about that, I’m not so sure anymore.” Samantha crossed her arms. “I thought about trying out the Knight class instead.”

— Samantha glared at Perse, as boys approached her to congratulate her for her performance on the stage. Even with Samantha as the lead singer, Perse kept overshadowing her, and she hated it —

“But we need a Rogue to round out our team! I’ve got the Fighter class cornered by taking Knight, that dork Ulysses choose Necromancer, and Matt got a custom class.”

“Truth is, Jack and I already formed a team of our own,” Samantha said. “Maggie and Kari round it up. But you’re all welcome to join us.”

“Sorry, I’ll pass,” Ulysses replied. “We’ve chosen to tackle Matt’s castle the way it’s meant to be, with a four person team from each of the core Class families.”

— Ulysses observed Samantha and Perse discussing from afar, noticing the former putting down the latter’s idea for the band. That bitch was putting his sister down and she didn’t even realize it —

“But we’ve got to find a Rogue now!” Perse complained.

“There’s always Viviane,” Mathias pointed out.

“Nah, Mom is fun but we need someone our age,” Perse replied.

“Maybe we could be politically correct and get Gavin on the team?” her brother joked.

“Ulysses!”

Jack couldn’t help but chuckle at the spectacle, “I’m sure you will find someone your age. Anyway, Matt, since this is my first time playing, got any advice to give a newbie like me?”

— Jack looked at the broken, battered man laying at his feet. His hands were still bloodied. The rush, the adrenaline… the moment when his empty existence gained color and substance. He lived for that moment.

“Put him in the car’s back,” his father told him. “Make sure no one sees you.” —

“Matt, what’s up?” Jack smiled. Mathias’ disturbance must have shown on his face. “Does me trying out your game fill you with terror?”

Mathias looked at the teen dead in the eyes, noticing for the first time the disturbing, malicious glint in them. The young man quickly regained control of his emotion, hiding his unease. “Prepare to cry,” Mathias said.

Jack erupted in laughter, while Perse and Ulysses exchanged a knowing gaze. “Okay, my audience has yet to see me die yet on livestream,” the aspiring player announced with a big grin. “Challenge taken.”

“Oh, I forgot, for the party,” Samantha said with a smirked. “There’s a rule: you’ve got to bring a date. It should mix up our social circles.”

— Samantha listened to Jack’s blather with boredom on her mind. Dating the most popular guy had sounded great, and their fathers were best friends, but she found him… off. Perhaps she should widen her social circle and poach a new boyfriend —

“You just want to play matchmaker, sweetheart,” Jack replied, putting his arm around Samantha’s waist. Much to Mathias’ discomfort, he noticed Samantha subtly bristling at the touch.

Soon, Jack charmingly invited his girlfriend to take a seat farther away, and called the waitress for two cups of coffee. Mathias’ eyes lingered on them, his intuition flaring as he pieced together their dynamic. Samantha had already decided to dump her boyfriend, but only when she had a replacement in sight.

Jack, meanwhile… Jack was wrong. The gestures he made, the smiles, all were calculated, faked for the sake of an audience. Like a wolf putting on a human-suit. Why did he never notice these tiny details before?

And that memory… he worried that Samantha was in a very real danger.

“You were going to turn her down,” Perse scolded Mathias. “Have you seen her place? Its swimming pool is bigger than our classroom!”

Mathias looked at his, unsure what to make of what he just learned, or how she would react if told what her what Samantha truly thought of her. She would probably go into denial, or make a scene.

“I’ll be too busy,” Mathias replied, lying through his teeth. “I won’t have the time.”

“Pal, your games are joyful torture sessions. I think you can take a one-week holiday and come back to find players still stuck nowhere near your boss room.” Ulysses searched inside his bag and brought out high-tech holographic glasses. “Anyway, I’m going to blow up rebel scum on the dark side of the Moon. Want to join, Darth Matt?”

“Later,” Mathias said apathetically, already tuning everything out as his friend put his glasses on and lost himself in a virtual world.

Perse knuckled her fingers, as the waitress took the next order on the tablet. “Matt, do you have anything planned for next Saturday evening?”

“I have to work,” Mathias replied, slight apprehension in his voice. He had already guessed where she was leading him.

“Wrong answer! There’s Sam’s party, and my band is going to sing kickass songs there. You’re coming.”

On Mathias’ list of things not to do, a rave party ranked just below doing sports. Not that he didn’t like socializing, but he found drunken parties a waste of time. “Maybe next time.”

“No, there won’t be a next time, and I want you to be present for my big moment. You too, Ulysses.”

“I’m sorry, general,” he replied, already absorbed into his game. “Too busy crushing intergalactic civilizations under my iron heel. Besides, I’m single.”

“No, you wannabe Starlight Trooper, you find someone, anyone. I will keep pestering you until you get to it, and if you don’t, I will never forgive you for it.”

Ulysses raised his glasses, and appraised his sister. Mathias could see the gears in his mind as he weighed the consequences of ignoring the order versus the hassle of following it. Finally, he settled on the second. “Dibs on Maggie.”

— Ulysses glanced at Maggie, who did her best to look at the windows. He hadn’t missed the lingering glances she sent him. She thought he was edgy enough for her taste —

“That’s too bad, I think everyone is taken,” Mathias said with false innocence. “I guess I will have to sit this one out.”

“Don’t worry, Matt,” Perse reassured him. “There’s another option.”

“Who?” he replied. “I don’t know any girls besides you and your band.”

She glanced at him as if he was stupid. “Oh.”

“You’re coming with me,” Perse said. “And you’re going to like it! No excuses!”

Mathias almost turned her down, before taking a precious moment to reflect on his recent discovery. Jack was not normal. At all. Network kept telling him to stay far away from the star student every time Mathias glanced at him. Samantha was in very bad company… and if he learned that she wanted to break up with him...

“Okay,” Mathias decided. “I’ll go.” If only to keep an eye on those two in case things turned south between them.

“I thought you were going out with…” Ulysses paused. “What was his name again?”

“Dumped him three hours ago,” Perse replied. “His name was Doug… I think.”

“I seriously need a notebook to keep track,” her brother said, before glancing at Mathias. “She is my sister.” He tried to sound dead serious, but couldn’t quite manage it. “If you do anything inappropriate, I will have to challenge you to a Divinity Duel for the family’s honor.”

“Not really that much of a threat, Padawan,” Mathias replied, Ulysses responded with a smug stare. “You sure about Maggie? I think there’s a waiting list for her.”

“She will melt before my charm,” Ulysses said, before putting his digital glasses back on. “It’s on my to do list, right after ‘conquer the universe.’”

Mathias glanced at Perse, who smirked back. He could already hear the rumors coming. Not that he cared… sort of. A little. He didn’t like being the butt of lewd jokes.

His phone beeped, as he received a text message. Mathias briefly looked at it.

ULYSSES: I know where you live XD

… who used XD anymore?