The Friend In A Voice

"My voice is ugly."

V didn't know what to say. He shrugged, feeling a tinge of something unfamiliar ascend from his stony layers. His lips scrunched into a small grimace, as he faced the other direction. "Don't be dramatic."

"I'd rather not."

"Do you honestly think I give one? Just keep it on," V said absently.

Erin's eyes spat insults that his mouth couldn't. His voice was soft. And to some extent, Erin himself didn't mind it, but with what is very statistically likely, potentially, a prepubescent sat across him, it wouldn't make the night any easier to manage. It's not like he'll see him after today, or ever again by the end of this month. What a beautiful advantage. Definitely outweighed out the cons.

He flicked around his fingers, tapping whatever button he needed to on his hovering menu.

"Mic's on. Happy?" V read, looking up to send a glare at the boy opposite him.

"Just," Uriel sighed. "Just fucking type? You're such a piss-take."

The keyboard of his brain began to type. ‘I’ll see if I can fit giving a damn into my schedule.’ With a few neural taps, it was backspaced, erased, and gone. Erin had to twist a twig into the branch to drown his impending urge to type a four paragraph malediction. His dislike for Uriel, after all, isn't as strong as his desire to avoid eternal damnation.

"Finally. That's one less problem I gotta deal with." He eyeballed Erin purposefully, sordidly.

Erin concluded that he wanted to shove the twig down his throat, and make him swallow the all the rough fragments he so easily spat out. He had never met anyone who had such a perfect chest to pierce his rapier with, but by the Cosmos, did he try his damn best to remind himself that it was probably some twelve year old kid high on testosterone.

"Why is it still midnight? I swear we've been in this game for a while." V pondered not so rhetorically, huffing as he placed his head against his palms.

".. Permanent night," Erin mumbled.

"I don't have bat ears. Speak up," V spoke, laced with petulance.

"If you did the bare minimum of reading the menu before signing up, you'd know they kept the battle on night mode to advertise their radioluminescent weapon range and attract sponsors," Erin muttered, just above a whisper.

"Don't sass me, discount Wiki," V side glanced.

"You asked, I answered."

They eyed each other, lips curling into poorly hidden scowls. Not that they actually tried hiding it. V scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"As if this game wasn't traumatic enough. I'm probably going to need lifetime therapy after this load of horse shit."

Erin could only swallow half the chuckle he let escape, but it left as quick as it came. He remembered who it was that caused his brain to wail, and that thought quickly sobered Erin up.

Even if it was minute, the twisted, tangled and mangled tension in Uriel's shoulders unraveled at the light ring Erin huffed. Even if it was only a second. He couldn't say he wasn't a little curious.

Only slightly.

Scanning the plains, Erin found a small hole in the ground. "I'm going there," Blue murmured as he pointed, walking towards the edge of the branch, leaping off. "I'll tell you if it's good enough to hide out in," he texted when he hit the ground, running in the direction of the cave.

Huffing, V was growing agitated. He could barely hear his voice when he spoke; it was as if the air he exhaled spoke more than his words. He shrugged and gave a thumbs up, dazing off in the direction Blue ran off in.

Erin felt holed in when he stepped into the cave. It was small, but better than nothing. Approximately the size of a hospital room, maybe a bit bigger, Erin concluded. A small torch could be placed in the middle, and the cave entrance could be blocked with a few leaves and twigs. This was the perfect hideout to regain their stamina and recharge a bit. Scurrying out of the cave, Erin threw a hand in the air, signalling for V to come down.

Landing on his knees, V groaned as he rubbed them hastily, limping over to the hideout. As V entered, Erin threw a handful of thick twigs and branches, the hole now marrying its surroundings. He lit a small flame on a branch, digging it in the centre of the room, night now alight.

They sat in a stony silence, much like the past few hours they've teamed together.

Their hunger bars were nearing a dangerous, heated red, puffing a gust of air out of their mouths in frustration. Uriel pulled out a bag of meat, already cooked to perfection, whilst Erin had little to nothing. He didn't even think about food, and he fully admits that that's on him. He forgot the most basic physical needs, but had six rapiers, poisons, and arrows. Very balanced. Vice versa for Uriel. For that, they made a half decent team.

Blue watched as V began to chow down on his food, whilst all Blue could feast on was two pieces of bread. Pulling out a plate from his backpack, he set the slices on the plate and hovered it over the flame. Furtively eyeing Blue, he slightly squinted before he rolled them back again. Shoulders slumping, he scooched over the tiniest bit, chucking half of the meat onto his plate hovering over the fire. "Give me the other slice," V demanded, successfully avoiding eye contact.

Blue looked for the trademark boyish trace of arrogance between his brows, eyes, everywhere, but came back empty handed. Hesitantly, he dropped the slice onto V's plate, eyes not moving from his figure in utter bewilderment. "Don't overthink it. I want get the money," V muttered, chowing down on the meat sandwich he chucked together.

Something in Uriel's flickering gaze to his plate went unsaid. Erin heard it loud enough but couldn't understand the language. He pursed his lips and nodded, more to himself than the opposing player.

"Thank you."

Erin chewed silently, praying for Mr Blue's guidance. V was now barely a few centimetres away from Blue, without the latter even realising. Before he could mention anything, V chucked another small piece of meat into his plate; followed by another. Staring wide-eyed, Erin couldn't prevent the way his fingers went on autopilot, the way he tore his bread in half, they way he poked it onto V's plate.

Erin had to remind himself just how duplicitous this boy was. Being lonely was no reason to befriend a foe.

Uriel coughed awkwardly, tapping his knee with no real rhythm. "Check the map and see how many players are here. Don't wanna be stuck with you any longer than I have to," he mumbled, stuffing his face with the pork.

Wanting to protest against the second part would be his first mistake, so he chose not to, and responded to the first part instead.

"Thirty seven, thirty eight, thirty nine," Blue hummed as he counted the red dots, shoving the map back into his pocket.

It was odd, Erin's voice. A little paradoxical, walking the edge between the sweetest of forbidden fruits and the coldest of Pluto's ice.

"Why do you even bother with game so much?" V questioned in an almost demeaning tone, not particularly caring, as he told himself, but curious. Very much out of the blue, but something Erin slightly saw coming.

"Well, why do you?" Blue retorted.

"Because I want to?" V blandly replied.

Erin blinked absentmindedly, simultaneously painting a million stories with his palette of thoughts.

"Because I need to." he said, his faraway eyes ignited by the twinkling of the flame.

"Why?" he replied. He felt a touch taken aback, and it took a while before he could catalog what it was thinking. He thought it was odd to take a game seriously. He thought it was odd how he talked about it as if were his lifeline. Erin was just odd to him.

"Who knows."

"What a fucking weirdo you are." V liked his answers as clear as glass, so it's no surprise that he's losing his patience over the ominous answers, even if it's none of his business. Especially when it's none of his business.

Erin just raised his shoulders into a pose of defiance, continuing to ogle at the flame.

"Just answer the damn question," V huffed, aimlessly tossing his plate somewhere to the side.

"Why so curious?" Blue looked over calmly, eyes boring directly into V's. The light crackling of the flame suddenly burnt a little louder. That seemed to silence him, not even uttering so much as a peep for a few long minutes.

Curious wasn't a strong enough word to describe the latter. He already decided Blue was odd at best, but why? It's a deemed impossible trait to unravel without ravaging each layer ever so delicately. Why so mysterious? Barely any words escape the pearl of knowledge beyond his mouth. Why does he prize this game so much? Why does he play so often? So very many whys, so very few answers. Every single time V logged in for even twenty minutes, Blue's name always appeared on the online players list without fail. It baffled him, and annoyed him all at once.

"I seriously don't get you," V scoffed, sternly staring right into Blue's solemn but absent face.

A hush of a breeze flicked away Blue's midnight black bangs, eyes losing the sparkle he held, even for a brief moment. Uriel asked him as if he had a right to know, and maybe in this economy, he does.

"I need the money, desperately."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the universe, Gihyun just watched. Watched Erin's limp body. There wasn't a single twitch or sign he's alive, apart from the jarring beeping array of noises coming from the ECG machine. At the very least, his heartrate was slow and steady. He decided to focus on that, and ignored the low hum of the news anchor reporting some random spike in psychosis or whatever.

"We're going to have to cease the treatment in coming months, my dear Gihyun," Dr Lee tapped Erin's heart rate Gihyun's back, staring at Erin.

"What? Why? When?" Gihyun snapped his neck back.

"Slow down, my love. I really don't know how to put this, but his condition...it's complicated. It's hardly been seen before," Dr Lee sighed, sitting down next to Gihyun.

Silence.

Tick tock, went the clock.

"It - It's not because of the money, is it?" Gihyun whispered, twiddling his short fingers.

"I can't lie and say that money is not involved." Gihyun could feel the worst part of the reason turning the corner. "But that's not it. It's his body, the treament, and the head-"

"What? You can't be serious! I can quit school, and take on more jobs! I'm begging you, don't stop his treatment, I'mbegging you!" he yelled, gutturally choked out whatever his throat allowed, grasping onto the doctor's arm with everything he had.

"Gihyun, please-"

"Please! I can't lose my brother, he's all I have! Please don't give up on us!" By now, the younger brother was in tears, refusing to release Dr Lee from his grasp, staining his overcoat with barrels of salty tears.

"Gihyun.. I need to sort some files, okay? We'll talk more tomorrow," Dr Lee reluctantly probed, gently peeling off the boy's hands from his arm. Heavy footsteps echoed farther down and down and away, momentarily deafening him. Dr Lee stuttered in his steps, turning to face the young man. "By the way, your haircut suits your face well. The short sides look lovely," he smiled, promptly walking out the room.

Gihyun was left alone with his elder brother, as the quiet whir of the air conditioning cooled their warm skin.

His cries dissolved into dry sniffles, as he clutched his brother's hand for dear life. Softly cradling it back and forth, he brought it up to his lips, placing light butterfly kisses on his pale knuckles.

"I won't give up on you, you stubborn ass. We come in a pair. Not sold separately," Gihyun clenched his eyelids, holding his tears captive. "Rinnie and Hyunnie," he hummed, words tasting acrid but homy on his tongue. "We were stupid. Burnt dalgona into your hair, and you missed a chunk of your hair for a while. You were so mad at me, remember? So you hid tuna in my room and I couldn't find it for weeks. My room stank so bad for ages, to the point where I had to move into yours for months. You still cuddled me every night even when I smelt like the ocean's ass," Gihyun chuckled lightly, squeezing his small fingers betwen his own. "My room doesn't stink anymore."

He sighed.

"Just - Can I burn dalgona into your hair again? What would you do if I did?"

-------

"V, did you hear that?"

"All I hear is your annoying ass chirping, little birdie," V sassed, poking a stick at the flame in the centre of the cave. Then why'd you tell me to turn my mic on, is what Erin was itching to say, but couldn't be bothered to start anything. Rolling his eyes, he checked his map, watching three red dots pop up directly above their location. Eyes widening, he pulled out his rapier, stamping out the torch.

"What the - why'd you do that?" he looked up, but was immediately hushed by the smaller male.

"Shh, whisper. Someone's here." Erin breathed, stepping in front of them. Suddenly, a tense hand gripped against Erin's halting him in his place. He ogled at the hand on his arm a second too long, short-circuiting before Uriel spoke.

"I'll help. How many?"

"Uh - three."

"Go behind. I'll charge and you back me up, Blue," V ordered. Well, that's new. Regardless, the latter firmly nodded. It may have been something to do with the way his tongue moulded in harmony with his lips to form his name, or it may have been the meat in his stomach. He decided he'd have an existential crisis over that later, when he's not knee deep in bloodshed.

With a final huff, his shoulder slumped before disrupting the sea of air with an unwavering shout.

"If you die, V, I swear I'll kill you!"

Dashing behind the taller's broad shoulders, his frame began to disappear.

Uriel smiled to himself, slightly.

He activated his bow and arrow. Only a few arrows remaining - meaning from then on, he had to stick to his rapier, conveniently putting him within a short range of the enemies. Just what he needed.

Uriel ran out silently, one player standing directly afront him, back completely open. All it took was one stab to the heart from behind, and he staggered on his feet, body beginning to deteriorate. Erin was actually somewhat impressed: V was clearly a quick learner, if seeing Erin's techniques in V's movements meant anything. He was a quick but stubborn learner, making him all the more threatening. Thirteen players were left, and Erin knew what he had to do when they were down to two players.

Kill. Kill or be killed. Kill his teammate. Kill him mercilessly.

Stepping further out of the cave, two players stood on the ground atop their hideout, scanning the area, one with night vision goggles. Erin felt the wet ground beneath his feet, cringing at the mud nesting in his fingertips. He tapped and tapped, and felt the grainy weight of rocks roll beneath his hands. Clawing a handful, he hurled them at the player with the goggles.

He watched the player hiss and drop to her knees as she cradled her jaw, flailing her stoned hand.

Clean shot. Erin quivered out a puff of air.

"Agh, someone's here, Tel!" the player exclaimed, flicking her hand back and forth in agony.

"Where are they?"

"I don't kn-" was all she could fit in before an arrow pierced her skull, lodged between her cranium and brain. Twelve players left.

"Abil, where?" Tel bellowed, completely unaware of the happenings, naively meandering across the fields. With a single slice to the neck, V ended their life. Eleven players left.

"All these teams are actual noobs. Is this supposed to be a challenge?" he wiped his sword with a scoff.

"They lack harmony," Blue commented. V watched him crouch against the bloodied grass, robbing any useful items from their bodies before they fully deteriorated. Blue was odd to him, because even when he was essentially grave robbing, he glimmered. The teardrop leaves on the trees seemed to genuflect to him, branches bending and winding to mathematical perfection. All this, just for the moonlight shining through the leaves to hit the arch of his shoulders marvelously. This universe seemed to move for Blue. That, or Uriel had a skewed eye for symbolic imagery. Either way, he decided he should leave his house more.

"Hmm?" V hummed eventually, turning to face Blue. "I didn't ask for a Spakesfeare answer, nerd."

"Shakespeare," Erin sighed, correcting him silently. God knows if he was being intentional or not.

"Whatever."

"You can look for easy kills if you know their weak points. It's more efficient," Erin reasoned.

"I can't be bothered for all that; just go with the flow," Uriel countered. He was much more happy-go-lucky, clearly.

"Don't come crying to me when a player kills you in your sleep."

"I'm starting to think you don't really get the point of dying," Uriel responded absently.

They decided to climb back into trees, as they satisfied their hunger and drowsiness, not worried about freezing to death thanks to V's amulet.

Like ten minutes ago, and the half and hour before that, and the past three hours before that , they sat in pin-drop silence once more. The tapping of V's fingers and shaking of his feet did not slip under Erin's radar, and he could only assume V was bored or traumatised or both.

"How old are you, Blue?" V asked.

In which case, Erin concluded that V was indeed bored.

It would be a bad idea to leak information about himself to an utter stranger, but then again, there is no such thing as privacy from the rich. He could probably find out his address, if he really wanted to.

"Nineteen."

Uriel hummed, clicking his tongue before saying, "Yeah, sure, kid. Your mum'll tuck you into bed soon, don't worry," He leaned back against the bark nonchalantly, only just about catching a glimpse of the way Blue's hands fell into his lap.

Let this be Exhibit A, the first out of many upcoming examples as to why Erin refused to turn his mic on.

Suddenly, Uriel remembered he was bored (and maybe a little chasten too, maybe), so he cleared his throat and tried again. "I mean, cool, um. I'm nineteen, too."

It wasn't that Erin couldn't fight back. If he wanted to, he could; he just knew he was better off not wasting his voice if the latter refuses to hear him. Besides the whole 'I-am-V-for-Victory-I-can-buy-you-out-and-take-away-your-livelihood' situation, Erin knew it would be a waste of energy trying.

"What's your name?"

"Blue."

"No, like, your actual name, idiot."

Erin remained silent. Yes, he knew V could probably find out, but to hear it from his own mouth? His pride didn't allow him to utter a single syllable. A sudden click of the tongue interrupted his thoughts, as he watched V get irritable, again.

"Listen, I don't bite all the fucking time. I'm just bored, so play along," he snapped, staying very true to his word.

The air felt a little warmer, just warm enough for Erin's prudence to melt.

Raking a hand through his hair, a habit Uriel noticed he did a lot. "I - Erin," he stuttered out.

Erin, V subconsciously parroted. "Kim Uriel," he visibly brightened, looking rather haughty. Nodding, Blue looked at the Moon once more. He ogled at it as if it were the best thing to ever exist, as if it were to never exist again. As if it's the only thing that has ever existed, and it's all he's ever known. It's all he's ever dreamed of, even when he wasn't asleep.

Uriel didn't know how to continue. It clearly proved difficult to Erin's attention, even more so since they enjoy each other's presence as much as a human enjoys a wasp. Uriel had indesputably stung him, but he seemed to have already patched up the wound and moved on. Here sat the boy who seemed like he wasn't even in the same room as him. He just stared at the stars, as if it were the only thing that mattered.

He opened his mouth for a second, before closing it again. Instead, he just awkwardly coughed, stargazing with Erin. They're prettier than he remembered.

Erin heard the latter's fingers tap away again and sighed. Play along, it is. "Japan, China, or Korea?"

"Hm?" Uriel furrowed his brows, before his lips curled into a small 'o.' "Oh. I'm South Korean. I live in Japan though. The money's much better here." Erin did his highly eloquent, highly comprehensive signature nod in response.

"Must be nice," he hummed.

"The best. I can tell you're South Korean, too. Let me guess, Busan?" Uriel teased, detecting a slight accent. Immediately, Erin frowned, body tensing up in discomfort. Let this be Exhibit B.

Sighing lightly, Uriel smacked Erin's shoulder. "I'm an ass, but I'm too tired to be one right now. We've been playing for eleven hours, already," Uriel reasoned.

At the mention of time, Erin suddenly remembered to check the map. The circle had shrunk drastically, just barely having a radius of two hundred metres.

"Hello, players! Wow, there's only five of you left! The circle will be shrinking to a radius of fifty metres. We wish you luck, and remember, ten million is at stake! Haaave funnn!"

The screech died down, and all that was left was the light rustling of leaves.

"Jesus Christ, her voice is more traumatic than the battle itself," Uriel shuddered, thanking every lord that this'll be one of the last times he'll have to hear that piercing voice. To his left, Erin was deadly serious. He looked staid with his eyebrows knitted together, wide eyes strained but unwavering, as if he was witnessing the passage of time itself.

They were comfortably sat within the centre of the circle, safe from suffocating any time soon. Even then, he reckoned Uriel could manipulate the air with that amulet of his.

"Erin. You can do this alone, right? I'm kind of tired." Said boy wanted to murder him right then and there, not just for being an egoist, but because his name rolled off Uriel's tongue too easily. It's like those two syllables were bathed in beautifully hideous golden poison, made for Uriel to torment him with.

He hated it.

"Erin..? That is your name, right?" he lazily scratched his head, resting his back against the tree.

"You go do it. I'll back you up, I have six arrows left," Erin laid against the branch, applying his last bottle of poison to each arrow, with some remainder left in the bottle. Slinging back his arrow, he readied his aim, signalling for his teammate to jump down into action. Uriel promptly nodded and leaped in, and Erin could feel the cold air creep against the tip of his nose, reminding himself to make this quick.

An arrow darted through a player's leg, as Erin watched the red liquid spray out like a fountain. A gory sight he got used to. He yelped, frantically squeezing his leg with pressure to minimise pain and blood flow and whatever else you need to do to survive.

So naïve, so idiotic, Erin thought as he watched Uriel slit a player's nape open. Even for a second, you can't afford to look away from the battle ahead of you. Though that was valid, Erin guessed he was taking this 'game' too seriously.

Three players left.

Pulling out a heavier sword, Uriel rushed into the next player, using the flat side to knock them over the head and straight into unconsciousness. However, the other player tackled him, flooring him as he clasped his palms against his throat. Grasping on air itself, Uriel coughed, choked, and gagged, but never once screamed. He was always like that; never willing to sell his pride to feed another's. All he could do was restlessly smack against the player's hand, whilst the player himself was enjoying this far too much. He had a familiar glint in his eyes, a similar glint to the one Erin had when he first fought Uriel.

With only one arrow left, his fingers began to tremble in the cold, barely able to direct the arrow in a straight line. Inhaling deeply, he willed himself to relax. He felt his eyes flutter shut, and opened them to find his hands steadier. Aiming at the pair, his line of vision fell onto the player atop Uriel, choking him to death. Should he let the player choke Uriel, and then kill the player? He should. Should he kill the player, and then Uriel? He should. Or, vice versa? Either way, he should. Groaning, he shook his head, re-aiming the arrow.

Curly chestnut tresses and uneven eyelids came into Erin's scope.

Red in the face with an ocean holding Uriel's eyes captive, he rasped a desparate signal to shoot, only to realise, the arrow wasn't exactly where it should be. His eyes widened threefold, mouth agape. A deadly glimmer glowed red in the core of Erin's eyes, not a single ounce of hesitance in sight. He could see the bow's string tense, tauten, and ache between the boy's bloody white fingers. Uriel struggled even more, begging his body to cooperate just this once, begging it to let him worm out of this brawny man's firm grip.

He got as far as he could before he saw the arrow release, no longer holding back the last bubble of air he held in. It twisted and glowed, and if Uriel looked behind the arrow, he might've been able to see the way Erin shrieked, and how his hands pulled so hard at his scalp that he might've torn chunks of hair off.

An amulet can only do so much, and widening his airways wasn't one of them. So, he watched the arrow bulldose to his half-dead body before shutting his eyes. The hand fighting the enemy's fell limp to his side, the same bloodied grass tickling his fingertips.

He braced himself for impact, but instead felt the pair of hands around his neck disintegrate. Vapid; a mutated, vapid purple possessed the player's veins. The hefty body dropped atop Uriel's, heart trembling and lungs crying. The trembling wouldn't stop. It ached, it wouldn't stop aching.

Please, make it stop.

He snapped upwards, massaging his throat with wide eyes, shivering in fear. He walked like he never had legs, he got up on his knees, only to fall again. That was death; a form of death he almost married, almost bound himself to. Like a mantra, his tear stained lips looped it's just a game, a game, log out, it's over, the game is over, enough times to drive him insane. Instead of trying to stand again, he just stared at the unmoving ground, rocking back and forth.

A steady hand rose Uriel to his feet, as he felt the heat re-enter his body. Tentatively, Uriel stared at the small feet of the boy helping him. Inch by inch, slowly but surely, his eyes met Erin's. Uriel's mouth opened, but no noise escaped the depths of his throat. If Erin could hear the thuds scotching his ribcage, he said nothing about it. Wordlessly, Erin guided them to a raised tree stump, sitting Uriel against it.

Minutes later, Uriel's erratic breathing faded into slight huffs, hands still locked around his neck.

"I thought I was going to fucking die in real life too," Uriel rasped, eyes never once leaving the ground.

Erin just stared. He didn't know what to say. 'Oh, by the way, I was going to kill you up there! In fact, I wish you were dead right now. Hope you don't mind;' obviously he couldn't say that. So instead, as per usual, he nodded, just patting Uriel's back twice.

"Why hasn't the game just bloody ended already?"

"We didn't form a team, we formed an alliance," Erin informed, still debating if he should just stab his neck or not. Watching him frantically glance around at the unchanging surroundings brought him unending joy and terminal heartache.

"So, what do we do? Kill each other?" Uriel raised his voice, red rimmed eyes strangling tears between his lashes.

"That, or form an absolute truce," but to say Erin was reluctant to form it would be an understatement. Because then, he'd be forced to share the reward unless the other party says otherwise.

He should've killed him. Gihyun...he deserved better. Even if Erin's now the bad guy. So be it.

He looked into his pearly orbs, and any resolve he had retreated into the ocean and drowned themselves. He can't. Maybe it was pity. Maybe it fear. Whatever it was, he couldn't look him in the eyes and do it. He wished he had more arrows. it was always easier to kill from a distance and pretend it's not real.

"I - In that case...truce?" Uriel choked, and tried again. "Erin, will you truce with me?"

Looking down, a tear escaped his eye, glowing under the moonlight. All he could think of was his baby brother, but, couldn't bring himself to hurt the person who hurt him most. Gihyun's innocent eyes, his long hair, golden skin; every inch of him deserved love and money but still, Erin will always be too weak. Erin swallowed sob.

"Truce."

They shook jittering hands, as the world they were located in began to crumble, nothing but specks of powder remaining, as they were both now teleported to nothingness. It was truly nothingness. A white, limitless plain with no walls or ceilings.

The blue haired lady materialised from thin air, broad smile proving to be more blinding than the pasty white plain they were teleported to.

"Well done, players! You have each earned five million, that's right, five million Won! How impressive! If you wish to change the ratio of money directed, please file a request! Your level has been boosted by seven, in honour of the seven creators of this virtual reality game! Thank you ever so much for your participation; the money will automatically be transferred to your selected banks as we speak. Please leave when you are ready, have a goood one!"

And, she's gone; and Uriel couldn't be any more relieved.

When they caught each other's gaze, time stilled for a moment. They were searching each other for answers, latching onto anything they could unearth. And even if it went unsaid, Erin could see the hesitant fear and uncertainty in his eyes. If he wasn't just being hopeful, he thought he could even see some gratitude in there, too.

"Well, uh," Uriel sniffled, tossing his hair lopsidedly. Erin could see it in the way he stood; Uriel had things to say, but wouldn't dare give him that privilege.

"Goodbye, V."

Uriel gaped, grabbing Erin's hand before he logged out.

"You piss me off, ignore me, and take shit too seriously," Uriel began, straightening his posture. "But thanks. You were okay," he shrugged, wearing the mask of indifference.

Erin seethed.

"Look," he snapped. "I've had it up to here with your privileged rich boy shit. I could've handled your stupid comments or whatever, but my god," he feverishly chuckled, face eerily light. "I can't believe the nerve you have to shove my entire livelihood up Satan's ass and still make me out to be the problematic one. Take your damn money choke on it, for all I care."

By the time he finished, his fists were clenched at his sides, eyes flaring up with dangerous vigour.

"Huh." he replied simply. "Got it all out of your system?" he smirked.

Screw that. He definitely imagined the gratitude in his eyes. This was going nowhere. Erin never wanted anything more in his entire life than to tear his hair out and feel his scalp bleed.

"I wish you suffocated to death, Kim Uriel. I really do." He deadpanned.

Said boy's body began to glow gold, the last thing Erin seeing was a slightly more full smile. It made him loathe Uriel even more.

Erin released a breath he didn't know he was even holding. Collapsing to the floor, he gasped deeply, tugging at his hair in anxiety. Maybe he shouldn't have let him live. Breathing a little harder, he pulled his hair to his forehead, resting his face in the palms of his hands.

A small 'ping' threw him off, as he paused fleetingly. Eyes darting to the corner of his screen, he saw a little notification.

'Player 'V' has sent you a friend request! Press circle to accept, or cross to decline.'

Erin huffed a laugh, feeling tears pool in his eyes. He felt a panic attack engulf him in this white realm of nothingness.

"Coward."