Chapter 17

The Crash

The days after the tournament were harder than Rahul had anticipated. Despite his outward acceptance of the loss, something inside him had shifted. Losing at the final moment, just a breath away from victory, had reawakened feelings of doubt and failure that he thought he had left behind.

At first, he brushed it off, telling himself that it was just a game. But the sting of defeat lingered, eating away at him in quiet moments. When he sat down to work on his game designs, he found it hard to focus. His sketches felt lifeless, his ideas uninspired. The excitement he had once felt for his creative work seemed to evaporate, leaving a hollow sense of frustration.

Despite all the progress he had made, a familiar darkness crept back into his mind. The pressure to prove himself, the need to be the best, the fear of failure—it all began to weigh on him again. He thought he had moved past this, but now it felt like he was sliding back into the same destructive cycle.

### A Slow Descent

Rahul didn't want to worry his parents or Anya, so he kept his struggles to himself. He started skipping therapy sessions, telling himself that he didn't need them anymore. After all, he had come so far—hadn't he? But in reality, the weight of his emotions was growing heavier with each passing day.

The loss gnawed at him. Every time he logged into the game, he was reminded of how close he had been to winning. He began to replay the final moments of the match in his head over and over again, imagining all the ways he could have done things differently. He obsessed over his mistake, blaming himself for hesitating.

Soon, gaming lost its appeal. He stopped practicing, stopped designing, stopped caring. He spent hours just staring at his computer screen, feeling the crushing weight of disappointment press down on him. His mind was a storm of self-doubt, pulling him deeper into a pit of anxiety and depression.

### Spiraling Out of Control

Rahul's parents noticed the change. He had become quieter, more withdrawn. He no longer talked excitedly about his projects, and his grades began to slip again. Anya, too, could sense that something was wrong.

"Hey," she said one evening when they met at the park. "You haven't been yourself lately. What's going on?"

Rahul shrugged, avoiding her gaze. "I don't know. Just… stuff."

"Stuff?" Anya raised an eyebrow. "Rahul, I can tell you're not okay. You don't have to pretend with me."

Rahul sighed, frustrated with himself. He knew she was right, but he couldn't bring himself to admit how badly he was spiraling. "It's nothing. I'll figure it out."

Anya frowned but didn't push further. "I'm here if you need to talk, okay?"

Rahul nodded, but deep down, he felt like he was beyond help. The darkness in his mind was suffocating, and he didn't know how to get out. He felt like a failure, both as a gamer and as a person. No matter how hard he tried to shake the feeling, it clung to him, dragging him down.

### The Accident

One evening, after a particularly rough day, Rahul decided to take his bike out for a ride. He hoped the wind on his face would clear his head, that maybe the speed and the adrenaline would give him a break from the thoughts that plagued him.

He rode aimlessly through the streets, his mind racing faster than the bike. The familiar city lights blurred around him as he picked up speed, the roar of the engine drowning out everything else. For a moment, he felt like he could escape the storm in his mind.

But the escape was fleeting.

As Rahul sped down a narrow road, his thoughts still tangled in self-loathing and frustration, he barely noticed the sharp curve ahead. By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late. He hit the brakes, but the bike skidded out of control, tires screeching against the asphalt.

Everything happened in a blur. The bike careened off the road, slamming into the guardrail. Rahul was thrown from the seat, his body crashing onto the hard pavement with a sickening thud. Pain exploded through his limbs, sharp and all-consuming, as the world around him spun wildly.

For a few terrifying seconds, everything went black.

### The Aftermath

When Rahul finally regained consciousness, he was lying in a hospital bed. His body was stiff with pain, and he could hear the faint beeping of medical machines around him. His head throbbed, and as he tried to sit up, a wave of dizziness forced him back down.

His parents were by his side, their faces etched with worry. Anya was there too, standing at the foot of his bed, her expression a mix of relief and concern.

"What… what happened?" Rahul asked, his voice weak and raspy.

"You had an accident," his mother said, tears in her eyes. "You're lucky to be alive."

The memory of the crash hit him like a tidal wave. The speed, the curve, the impact—it all came rushing back. Rahul winced, the pain in his body mirrored by the crushing guilt that settled in his chest.

He had lost control—again.

Anya stepped forward, her voice soft but firm. "Rahul, you could've died. What were you thinking?"

Rahul didn't know what to say. He hadn't been thinking. He had been running—from his feelings, from his failures, from everything. And now, lying in a hospital bed, he realized just how close he had come to losing everything.

His father placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get through this, son. But you need help. Real help."

Rahul closed his eyes, tears welling up. He knew they were right. He couldn't keep running from his problems. He couldn't keep pretending that everything was fine when it wasn't.

The accident had shaken him to his core. He had hit rock bottom, and there was no more room for denial.

This time, Rahul knew he couldn't do it alone. He would need to face his demons head-on, with the help of those who cared about him. And maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to rebuild once again—this time, for good.

### A New Resolve

As he lay in the hospital bed, Rahul made a promise to himself. He would stop hiding, stop pretending that he could handle everything on his own. He would return to therapy, be honest with his family and friends, and confront the pain that had led him to this point.

It wouldn't be easy. But this time, Rahul knew he had to fight—not for a game, not for approval, but for his life.

And this time, he wouldn't back down.