After classes I went straight to the robotics lab with my trusty best friend, Carl. I eventually knew what the whole school was buzzing about. There's a new game coming out called DREAMZ.
From the mouth of others, it's an MMORPG game where anyone could be any fantasy creature they want to be, there's also a wide range of mythological creatures available to pick from too with a buck load of classes to choose from, from the reasonable ones to the unreasonable ones respectively.
I heard from others that there were even professions from earth available in the game. Whoever designed this game really wanted to create a second world.
But honestly, I only cared about one thing—
Was there an Inventor class in the game?
Sure, I'd heard there was something called a Technomancer, but that sounded too... magical for my taste. I'm not really the "wave-a-wand-and-hope-it-works" type.
I prefer building things the old-fashioned way—
With my brain and my hands.
Though, if I was to take an interest in fantasy races, I think I'd be... an Elf.
Elves are known for their creativity, craftsmanship, and eye for design. That's way more my vibe.
I would've gone with Vampire, but the whole blood-drinking thing? Yeah, not exactly something I can imagine myself doing—even in a game.
Sure, they've got perks: enhanced perception, super speed, strength, shape-shifting—
All great stuff, honestly.
But sunlight weakness and a garlic allergy? Seriously?
I love garlic. It's one of my favorite spices.
So yeah, Vampire's a hard no.
No disrespect to the bloodsucker fans out there.
"Oi, Earth to Dom!" Carl's voice snapped me out of my trance.
I blinked, realizing I'd been frozen mid-thought. If I weren't breathing, I could've passed for a statue. That's just how I get when I'm deep in thought — totally zoned out.
"Yeah, I'm with you, Carl," I said, waving him off. "Let me just wrap up a few things. You can head out if you want."
I didn't even bother looking up to see the confused expression I knew was on his face.
"Bro, did you forget you called me here? What's the problem?" Carl asked, brows furrowed. Dom wasn't the type to just wave him off.
"Uh… yeah, it's nothing, really," I said, scratching the back of my head. "I just waved you over to the lab, that's all. You know—your company means a lot to me."
I finally looked up at my red-haired friend, only to see his face twist into even more confusion.
"Okay, that's enough. What's really going on, Dom?" Carl asked with a stern look.
"You never call me for something as simple as escorting you to the lab. You usually come here alone, but now you tell me to follow you—then suddenly ask me to leave? What's the matter?"
His hard stare made me fidget for words. Should I tell him I found a girl I'm interested in? No, wait—we just met. It's not like we talked much. She's not even in my class. But she's cute though… and her eyes—
"You done daydreaming?" Carl's voice snapped me out of it. He was grinning.
"What do you mean? I'm not day dr—"
"So you finally found a girl, huh?" Carl cut me off again, wearing that same cheeky grin.
Dammit! Does this guy have some kind of psychic ability that lets him read minds?
"Nah, I don't," Carl said with a snort, like he knew exactly what I was thinking. "Though I wish I did."
I sighed in defeat. "What can I ever hide from you?"
"Absolutely nothing," he said proudly. "So, you gonna tell me who she is, or do I have to read your mind for that too?"
"Ugh...she's just someone I bumped into on my way to class this morning," I said flatly.
"And?" Carl raised a brow.
"And what? We didn't even have a real conversation, other than me apologizing after… delaying to pick her up from the floor. That's all," I said with a stern face — though deep down, I wished that wasn't all.
"Ouch! Way to go on your first impression, bro," Carl chuckled as he started heading toward the lab's exit.
"Carl, wait!" I blurted without thinking.
He turned, half-smirking.
"Aren't you going to ask if I'll try to get her?"
"Well… no. You're your own man now — you make your own choices," Carl said with a shrug. "Besides, even if I don't ask… I already know you'll make a move."
He winked, leaving me DOMfounded.
"See ya later," he called out as the doors closed behind him.
"It's not that I don't want to know her, it's just… I have no way of finding her. What am I even supposed to do to meet her again?" I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "Oh well, that's a topic for another day. If destiny wants us to meet, then we'll meet."
With that said, I turned my focus back to the half-finished project on my desk, my hands moving on their own as my mind drifted elsewhere.
***
The day finally came to an end as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness cloaked the sky.
Nah, not total darkness — the moon was up, bathing the city in its soft, silvery glow, illuminating the works of men.
I sat in my room, still lost in thought about everything that happened today — from bumping into that cute, long-haired, baby-faced girl to feeling her soft hands in mine as I helped her up… and those sapphire eyes, clear and bright, still lingering in my mind.
'So this is what it feels like to like somebody,' I thought, a faint smile tugging at my lips. 'It's… different from those years ago.'
A memory flickered in my mind, one I hadn't thought about in a long time. I was about to sink deeper into it when the sound of rapid typing echoed from my right.
"What are you even searching for at this hour of the night? Homework? Nah, that can't be right. You barely do your assignments— even with an AI ChatBox. Always begging me to help because your brain can't process simple logic. Ha!"
I let out a quiet laugh, but clearly, Carl heard every word. He slowly raised his head toward me, and for a second, I swear I saw something straight out of a horror movie — the light from his laptop cast an eerie glow under his chin, making him look like some tech-obsessed ghost.
"I'm reading the guide for Dreamz," Carl said, giving me that are-you-serious-right-now look.
"What's with the guide? Can't you just, you know, enter the game and play?" I asked.
Carl stared at me like I had committed blasphemy. "There's always a purpose for a guide, Dom. You're supposed to be the genius between us, remember?"
I blinked. "...I feel like there's an insult in there somewhere."
"Well, you're right," I said, my tone flat, "but I don't use guides to create anything."
Carl sighed and dragged a hand down his face. "You really are an idiot."
I was about to shoot back, but he spoke first.
"Anyway, I'm done reading. You should probably go through it too."
"Yeah, sure. Just send it to me," I muttered.
He ignored the dryness in my voice, his fingers already tapping across the keyboard.
"I've already ordered two pods—one for you, one for me. That way, we can start early."
"That was fast," I said, grinning. "Well, if it's games, leave them to Carl."
I laughed, the sound echoing through the dim room. This time, Carl actually joined in.