The glow of Aarav's monitor lit up his room as the eSports stream continued. The team on screen—Phoenix Strike—was a powerhouse, dominating tournaments for years. Aarav watched intently, analysing every move.
"They're rotating too early," he muttered, leaning closer. His gamer instincts screamed that something was off. The team abandoned a strong position for a risky flank. Aarav shook his head.
He opened the chat box, fingers hesitating for a moment. Then he typed:
"Terrible rotation. You just gave up map control for nothing."
He hit Enter and leaned back, expecting his comment to vanish in the flood of messages. But then—something strange happened.
The chat slowed. Replies popped up:
"Wait, he's right."
"Who is this guy?"
"Sharp analysis!"
Aarav blinked. "Uh… what?"
Notifications exploded on his phone. Twitter was buzzing with screenshots of his comment. Memes were already forming: 'Rotation Guru', 'Hire this guy!'
Kunal barged in, holding his phone like a trophy. "Bro! You're trending! Look at this—your comment has like… ten thousand likes!"
Aarav stared at the screen, stunned. "That's… insane."
Kunal grinned. "Insane? This is legendary! People think you're some pro analyst."
Aarav shook his head. "I just… said what I saw."
"Exactly! That's what makes it cool. You've got an eye for this stuff." Kunal flopped onto the bed, scrolling through tweets. "Dude, someone just tagged Phoenix Strike and said they should hire you."
Aarav laughed nervously. "Yeah, right. Like that's ever happening."
His phone buzzed again—this time, a private message. Aarav froze when he saw the sender:
Rhea Phoenix Strike
Verified. The team captain.
He opened the message, heart pounding.
Rhea: 'Interesting take on our rotation. You seem to know your stuff. Ever thought about playing at a higher level?'
Aarav read it twice, then a third time. His throat went dry. "Kunal… she messaged me."
Kunal shot up. "WHAT?! Show me!" He grabbed the phone, eyes wide. "Bro, this is real. She's asking if you want to play pro!"
Aarav's mind raced. Him? A pro gamer? It sounded absurd. He typed back slowly:
'I'm just a college kid. Never played competitively.'
The reply came almost instantly.
Rhea: 'Everyone starts somewhere. We need a sub. Interested?'
Aarav stared at the screen, pulse hammering. This wasn't just a comment gone viral. This was an invitation—a door opening to a world he'd only dreamed of.
Kunal grinned like a maniac. "Say yes. SAY YES!"
Aarav's fingers hovered over the keyboard. His quiet, predictable life was about to change forever.