Darklord's Feast

The house was still, but it wasn't a pleasant kind of stillness. There was a heavy stillness, like it was holding its breath for something to occur. When Kai entered the house, the door creaked open a little, indicating that he was trying not to be heard. The only noise was the soft hum of the refrigerator. He could see the warm glow of the living room lamp spilling out onto the hallway, but he did not go in. His muscles protested with each movement. The soles of his sneakered feet were worn thin from all the walking, and they squeaked softly on the floor.

 He stopped behind the wall, looking into the living room. It was dark, with a single lamp illuminating the room. A few shadows were flickering across the floor, giving off a creepy vibe. Kai stayed still for a while, letting his gaze roam around, and then he saw them. His parents sat at the dinner table, with leftovers from a meal no one had eaten. His mother twisted her napkin nervously, glancing toward the door as if she sensed him standing there before she actually saw him. His father sat stiffly, jaw clamped, hands on the table evidencing both worry and frustration. Both were pale, like they hadn't slept well recently. Kai averted his gaze and took a few steps forward, walking down the hall when his mother called him behind. 

"Kai," his mother said softly, relief welling into her voice. "Thank God. Where have you been?"

Kai did not reply. He could not look at her. He just couldn't. 

His father's chair groaned against the floor when he stood up too quickly. "Do you know what time it is? We've been calling you all night! Do you have any idea how worried your mother has been?"

The harsh tone in his father's voice used to annoy him, but now it didn't matter at all. Kai was thinking of something else—about the mess in his head and the crumpled-up flier which was still clutched in his hand.

"I....." He paused, trying to get control of his thoughts. "I wanted to look around town for awhile," he admitted quietly and guiltily.

"It was nearly midnight!" his mother exclaimed. "Where have you been all evening? Your shift ended at 7 p.m., and you've been gone for hours!"

Without a word, he went past them.

"Kai!" His mother's voice was shaking, more like a plea than a reprimand.

"Not now," Kai growled softly, loud enough for them to hear but quiet enough to show the conversation was over.

He went up the stairs slowly, very tired. Every step was heavy, but he kept going, holding on to the banister as if it were the only thing holding him together from breaking in two. Behind him, his father's voice rose again, full of worry and anger.

"Kai, don't walk away from us! Whatever it is, we can fix it together—"

The words faded away as he closed the door to his room. The door slammed against the wall with a loud bang, and the lock clicked into place. The silence that followed was very loud. It was deafening. 

Kai leaned against the door with his shoulder and slid down into a seat on the ground. He sat there with his head against the wood and his eyes closed for a minute or two. Tightness in his chest never relaxed, and the fuel that had burned within him for so long now started to run out. Trembling hands smoothed out the flier on the ground, and the letters looked up at him like a ray of hope:

"Eclipsed Realms: Darklord's Feast – Are You Worthy of the Throne?"

Win the grand prize: $60,000,000. Your destiny awaits.

A cold shiver ran down his spine. His eyes raked the rest of the page, absorbing the information. There was a website link at the bottom, pulsing in bold, dark letters. 

'Craft your destiny, one blood-soaked dish at a time!! For those willing to embrace the darkness, the journey begins at www.eclipsedrealms-darklordsfeast.com. Only the boldest will uncover the twisted secrets behind the realm's most coveted recipe.'

His heart pounded as he read the description. It seemed very real, a dream unfolding on screen, the glow of pixels. He looked around, feeling paranoid. It seemed like everyone was watching him, waiting patiently, expecting his reaction. He took a deep breath and lifted himself up off the chair. This is it. This is my opportunity to fulfill my dreams. This was what I needed to do since the beginning, he thought.

"Is it real?" he asked himself and then answered, "Yes."

 He took his phone out of his pocket, his fingers flying across the screen. The light from the phone was almost blinding in the dark room, but he didn't care. He entered the URL, his thumb clicking the search button.

The screen took an eternity to load, each second crawling along as if to see if he had any patience. Finally, a dark, foreboding page opened. The logo of the game pulsed in crimson and black tones—a throne ringed by darkness, flanked by twisted, skeletal creatures. Below it, a single line of text flashed:

"Sign your name. Enter the game. Leave the rest behind."

Kai's breath caught. His thumb hesitated over the button.

Leave the rest behind___?

He thought of Luis, the black van, and the sirens behind him all night. He thought of Ricky and the restaurant he had worked so hard to build, now a pile of dreams shattered and reduced to ashes. He felt the burden of the suffocating debt, the police, and the years he would have to spend in prison if he got caught.

Then he thought about what $60 million could do.

The thought was absurd. A game? Could it really be the answer? But what else was he to do?

Kai clicked 'Register.'

A new page opened, requesting a character name. He hesitated, feeling the burden of the choice. He couldn't use his real name. That guy—Kai—the world had already crushed him. He needed to become someone else. Someone stronger. Someone who wouldn't break under pressure.

His fingers moved almost on autopilot.

"Nyx!!"

The name throbbed on the screen, and with one final click, he was in.

A cinematic introduction began to play, the graphics so realistic they blurred the line between reality and fantasy. The narration was deep and commanding:

"Welcome to Eclipsed Realms: Darklord's Feast, the ultimate test of survival and strategy. In this world, every choice is critical. Every friend, every foe, every meal could be life or death. Are you ready to claim your throne?"

The visuals were incredible—dark, twisted forests with glowing eyes, castles on jagged cliffs, and shadowy figures moving through the mist. Warriors fought monstrous beasts, mages cast spells that illuminated the dark, and chefs fought over pots bubbling with strange, glowing concoctions.

But the final words of the video sent shivers down Kai's spine:

"Victory is not for the faint of heart. Every choice has consequences—inside the game and out. Are you ready to risk it all?"

A countdown appeared on the screen: "Game begins in: 00:12:35."

Kai's heart hammered. Twelve minutes. That's all the time he had to prepare himself for what lay ahead.

He leaped to his desk, pulling his laptop from the chaos. His fingers sped with a ferocity he hadn't felt in weeks as he plugged in his headphones, shifted his chair, and braced himself for what was about to happen. The knocks on his door had ceased; his parents must have given up for the moment.

Good. He needed focus.

As the countdown ticked closer to zero, Kai sat with his eyes fixed on the screen, a mix of fear and determination pumping through his system. He had no idea what lay ahead in the game, but he knew one thing for certain:

This wasn't just about winning a prize. This was about survival.

And for the first time in his life, he felt like he had a shot at fighting back.

"Let the feast begin," he grunted as the timer hit zero.

The screen went dark, and Kai's life was forever changed.