November 5, 2037
"—and in gaming news, the long-awaited Eternal Realms has announced its official release date: early December. Pre-sales for the revolutionary VR pods will begin next week."
The sleek anchorwoman's voice cut through the Golden Mouse Café like a perfectly aimed arrow, striking every gamer's heart simultaneously. For a moment, the usual cacophony of clicking keyboards and rapid mouse movements ceased entirely—a rare moment of complete silence in the normally bustling café.
Then came the explosion.
"DECEMBER?!" someone shouted from the back.
"Pre-sales NEXT WEEK?!" came another voice.
The café erupted into chaos—cheers, groans, excited chatter, and frantic phone calls all blending into a maelstrom of noise. Some patrons were already pulling up banking apps, mentally calculating finances. Others were frantically texting friends or posting reactions online.
Aiden felt the announcement hit him in waves. First came the electric thrill, a jolt of pure excitement that sent his heart racing. This was it—the game that could change everything. The virtual world where his engineering mind could truly shine. But following closely behind was the familiar, gnawing anxiety that had become his constant companion.
December. Next week. $1,199.
The numbers cycled through his mind, a mathematical mantra that threatened to override the excitement. He stared at the television, barely registering the flashy game footage now playing—breathtaking vistas of digital mountains and magical forests, players soaring through skies and building impossible structures.
His pocket vibrated.
Frowning, Aiden pulled out his phone. Not the group chat—a direct message.
Vale: Aiden, did you see the announcement?
He hesitated only briefly before typing a response with slightly trembling fingers.
Aiden: Yeah. Early December... it's really happening.
The reply came almost instantly, as if Vale had been waiting, fingers poised above his own keyboard.
Vale: Indeed. I've been reviewing the initial game mechanics revealed. The emphasis on resource management and battlefield awareness... it's intriguing. I noticed some class archetypes that seem particularly well-suited to your style of play.
Aiden's eyebrows rose. Despite their rivalry, Vale's analytical mind was second to none. If he was seeing something in the game that aligned with Aiden's strengths...
Before he could respond, another notification appeared.
Kai: The VR pod specs are... sparse, but they hint at some interesting crafting and engineering possibilities. I'm curious how different classes will interact with those systems. Imagine the strategic advantages a magic cannon crafted from runes could provide. The kind of thing that could really shift the balance in a large-scale kingdom war.
Aiden's heart rate quickened again, but this time not from anxiety. His mind was already racing ahead, sifting through the trailer footage he'd analyzed frame-by-frame, recalling the subtle nuances Vale mentioned. The crafting system Kai described could be revolutionary if implemented properly.
He could see it so clearly—the intricate web of possibilities, the strategic advantages, the entire ecosystem of a virtual world waiting to be explored, understood, and mastered. For a brief, shining moment, he forgot about the crushing weight of responsibility, the bills, the hospital debt, his mother's still form in a sterile room.
Then reality crashed back in like a tidal wave.
$1,199.
Per pod.
His fingers hovered over his phone screen, suddenly heavy as lead. He thought about last night's calculations, etched in his memory with painful clarity. If he paid the most urgent bills, he'd have $417 left, with rent due next week.
Aiden pocketed his phone and looked around the café, his gaze finding each of his teammates one by one.
Marcus was hunched over his keyboard, his broad shoulders tense with concentration, likely already mapping out tank rotations for Eternal Realms in his mind. Elena sat upright at her station, chin lifted slightly in that unconscious gesture of pride she never seemed to shake, even after everything. In the corner, Liam's face was impassive as ever, but his eyes betrayed a rare excitement, flicking rapidly between screens. And Sophia, always the calm center, was watching the news report with quiet intensity, likely already calculating healing priorities and resource allocation.
They were all dreaming the same dream. All facing the same impossible obstacle.
Aiden took a deep breath and walked to the center of their usual corner. Something about his movement must have caught their attention because one by one, they looked up.
"We need to talk," he said, his voice steadier than he felt. "About the game, the pods... all of it."
They nodded almost in unison, the silent communication of a team that had battled together through their darkest moments.
"This changes everything," Marcus rumbled, his voice low but carrying the unmistakable tone of determination that had pulled them through the finals.
Elena pushed back a strand of hair that had escaped her usually perfect ponytail. "We've trained too hard to miss this," she said, her aristocratic accent slipping through more strongly than usual—a tell Aiden had learned meant she was truly passionate about something.
Liam simply nodded, the slight movement speaking volumes from someone so economical with both words and gestures.
"Whatever we decide," Sophia added, her steady gaze moving between them, "we do it together."
Aiden felt a lump form in his throat. Four days ago, they had been competitors, barely teammates. Now, after the crucible of the tournament and their shared victory, they were something more—something he hadn't quite had a name for yet.
He was about to respond when he noticed Old Man Jo watching them from behind the counter, a thoughtful expression on his weathered face. As their eyes met, Jo beckoned him over with a slight nod.
"I'll be right back," Aiden told the others, making his way through the now-buzzing café.
Jo was wiping down the counter with his ever-present rag, the motion as familiar as the smell of energy drinks and overheated hardware that permeated the Golden Mouse.
"Big news, huh, kid?" Jo said, nodding toward the television. "Eternal Realms... it's a game-changer."
Aiden managed a weak smile, the pun not lost on him despite his preoccupation. "Yeah. It is."
Jo leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that somehow carried over the café's noise. "You know, that tournament win... that's your ticket. You and your team, you've got something special. That coordination... that strategy... people pay to see that."
Aiden's head snapped up. "What do you mean?"
Jo's eyes crinkled at the corners, old wisdom shining through. "Streaming," he said with a knowing glint. "Stream your League matches. Commentate. Analyze. Show people how you play. How you think. There are folks out there, sponsors even, looking for the next big thing. And you, kid..." he tapped a finger against the counter for emphasis, "...with your 'Architect' reputation... you might just be it."
The idea hit Aiden with such force that he actually took a half-step backward. Streaming. Of course. It was so obvious now that Jo said it, yet it had never occurred to him before. It felt... exposing. Vulnerable. To let people see not just his gameplay, but his thought process, his strategies—the very things that gave him an edge.
But Jo was right. They had something unique. Their dynamic, their complementary skills, their ability to adapt and overcome seemingly impossible odds—it was more than just gameplay. It was a story.
A story people might pay to watch unfold.
"I..." Aiden swallowed hard, mind racing with possibilities. "I've never streamed before."
Jo chuckled, the sound warm and knowing. "First time for everything, kid. And with Eternal Realms coming... the timing couldn't be better. People are hungry for content, for early strategies, for players to follow into the new frontier."
The new frontier. The phrase echoed in Aiden's mind, conjuring images of unexplored digital landscapes, kingdoms waiting to be built, mysteries to be solved.
"Think about it," Jo said, already turning back to his work. "That Architect brain of yours is something special. Might as well put it to use."
Aiden nodded absently, already lost in calculation. If they streamed their matches—especially if they maintained their winning streak—they could potentially earn through donations, subscriptions, maybe even small sponsors. It wouldn't be instant fortune, but combined with their regular betting income, it could accelerate their timeline.
He returned to the group, where a lively debate had already begun about class selection and potential kingdom locations based on the limited information available.
"—mountains would provide natural defensive advantages," Elena was saying, "but coastal regions would offer trade—"
"Guys," Aiden interrupted, a new energy in his voice. "I think I have an idea."
They turned to him expectantly, familiar now with the particular tone he used when strategy was forming in his mind.
"What if we stream our matches?" he proposed. "Not just play them—actually break down our strategy, our coordination. Show people how we think, how we work together."
Marcus's brow furrowed. "Like... give away our tactics?"
"Not giving away," Aiden clarified, warming to the idea as he spoke. "Showcasing. Building a following. The tournament gave us name recognition—we're the Architects of Destiny now. People will be curious."
Elena nodded slowly, business instincts clearly engaged. "Monetization potential is there. Donations, subscriptions if we're consistent..."
"Might not be much at first," Sophia cautioned in her practical way.
Liam, who had been silent, surprised them all by speaking up. "Exposure has value," he said quietly. "Beyond money. Connections. Opportunities."
They all stared at him for a moment, unused to hearing so many words from him at once, especially ones that revealed such keen understanding of networking dynamics.
"Exactly," Aiden said, fighting a smile at their collective shock. "And with Eternal Realms coming, the timing is perfect. We build a following now, in League, and then we bring them with us into the new game."
For the first time since the tournament victory, Aiden felt the crushing weight lift slightly from his shoulders. The mountain still loomed before them—$1,199 per pod, the release date rushing toward them, the real-world responsibilities that wouldn't wait—but now he could see a path. A difficult one, certainly. A risky one, undoubtedly.
But a path nonetheless.
"So we're really doing this?" Marcus asked, his voice carrying a mixture of excitement and wariness. "Eternal Realms?"
Aiden looked around at the team—his team—and nodded, a genuine smile forming.
"We're the Architects of Destiny," he said with quiet confidence. "It's time we started building something bigger than just match victories."
The mountain still loomed, impossibly tall and steep. But for the first time, they weren't just staring up at it in despair.
They were plotting a course to the summit, together.