---

“Finally!” Kael exclaimed, letting out a long, heavy sigh.

He leaned against the kitchen counter, closing his eyes briefly. After his call with Marie, he had gone through his list of house chores with robotic precision, completing everything she had requested, including sending her the money she asked for. By the end, he was completely drained. It felt like every ounce of his energy had been squeezed out. He splashed cool water on his face, feeling its refreshing bite, then made his favorite meal to refuel himself.

With renewed strength, Kael sank into his gaming chair, feeling its familiar comfort as he powered up his PC. He flexed his fingers, logging into 'The 10 Scroll game' and adjusting his setup. This was his sanctuary. The moment his stream went live, he let out a relaxed breath and let his mind dive into the game’s world.

---

[2 Hours Later...]

As the game streamed to his followers, Kael noticed something odd creeping in. His usual steady chat had turned turbulent, filled with hateful comments that were more aggressive than anything he usually saw.

He squinted at the screen, feeling a strange prickle of irritation, but he shook it off. “It's just the price of success,” he muttered under his breath. “Everyone faces criticism... Right?”

---

[5 Hours Later...]

The chat had turned toxic. The hateful messages poured in faster than he could even process, far surpassing anything he’d ever seen before. It became unbearable, forcing him to stop the live stream. Kael just sat there in his chair, fingers hovering over the keyboard, staring at the dark screen in front of him.

“What is going on?” he mumbled, rubbing his forehead as if it would somehow help him make sense of everything. Feeling overwhelmed, he got up slowly, dragging himself to his bed and collapsing onto it. The quiet of his room pressed down on him as he lay there, trying to sort through his thoughts.

“What’s happening?” he thought, tension knotting in his stomach. 

After a moment’s hesitation, he reached for his phone and called Jay. Jay was his friend, his confidant surely, he could help him make sense of all this.

The call rang a few times before Jay picked up.

“Oh... hey,” Jay said after a pause, his voice strangely hesitant.

Kael frowned, sensing an odd undertone. Jay had sounded distant lately, but Kael had been too busy to dwell on it. “Hey, how’s it going?” Kael asked, trying to sound casual.

“I’m fine,” Jay replied shortly. “So... what do you need?”

Kael took a breath, choosing his words carefully. “Something feels off,” he said, shifting on the bed as he spoke. “It started around five hours ago, when I began streaming. At first, it was just a few hate comments here and there, so I ignored them... but then it just escalated.”

Jay was silent, and Kael could almost picture him frowning on the other end.

“And?” Jay prompted finally, his tone detached.

“After a while, the hate comments exploded,” Kael continued. “I had to stop the stream because if I kept going, I’d probably have ended up banned.”

There was another stretch of silence before Jay responded. “This is serious,” he said, a hint of caution in his voice, “but... don’t take this the wrong way...”

“But what?” Kael snapped, frustration bubbling beneath his voice.

“Did you... do anything to deserve that level of hate?”

Kael’s eyes narrowed, and he felt a flicker of anger rise within him. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Jay took a deep breath, his tone becoming more pointed. “Look, I’m just asking. Did you ever do anything like cheat in the game or—”

“What the hell, Jay?” Kael interrupted, his voice rising. He could feel his fists clenching as he spoke. “You know me. You know how much time I spend practicing, grinding to get better. I’d never fake anything!”

“Alright, alright,” Jay said, sounding slightly defensive. “But I’ve been seeing some stuff going around... rumors on social media that you cheated, bought followers, bribed the '10 Scroll Game' awards committee. They’re even saying you threatened your rivals to delete their accounts.”

The words hung heavily in the air, and Kael felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach. “Who would spread lies like that?” he thought, feeling a sickening swirl of anger and confusion. 

“Jay…” he said slowly, his voice cold. “And you believe that?”

Jay hesitated. “I... I don’t know, Kael. Not everyone knows what a person is capable of.”

Kael’s heart pounded, each word from Jay’s mouth twisting the knife further. “Do you or you don’t believe it?”

There was a brief silence before Jay responded, his voice wary. “Sometimes... humans can be unpredictable.”

Kael’s breath hitched as he struggled to contain his emotions. Jay’s voice softened, a hint of pity slipping in. “Look, Kael… I’m only saying this because I care. Maybe it would be best if you just… stepped down from streaming for a while. This isn’t going to end well if you keep pushing forward.”

Kael’s laughter bubbled out, cold and humorless, like shattered glass. “So that’s it? You want me to quit?”

“Kael...”

“You’re one of them, aren’t you? You’re one of the people who want to destroy me,” he said, voice thick with resentment. “Why, Jay? Even after I became popular, I still treated you like a friend. I never changed.”

The line was silent for a long time, before Jay spoke again, his tone calm but distant. “Think about what I said. You don’t belong in this world.”

*Call Ended*