Tuesday, 7:00 AM. The city that never sleeps was briefly hushed, submerged in the stillness of morning. But within a New York apartment, chaos was brewing.
Ellen: "Cloud, wake up! It's time for school!"
Her voice, urgent and annoyed, filtered through the door. Cloud, however, remained snugly cocooned in his bed, seemingly impervious to the world.
Ellen: "Cloud, if you don't let me in, I'm coming up!"
With an exasperated sigh, Cloud extricated himself from his blanket fortress and begrudgingly rose from his bed. His face bore the marks of an incomplete slumber.
Cloud: "Mom, it's fine. Stop yelling."
In a half-hearted attempt, he muffled his words with his pillow, more interested in a few extra moments of warmth and comfort.
Cloud: "Do I really have to return to that dungeon, I mean, school?"
Moments later, the sound of approaching footsteps spurred Cloud into action. He dashed into the shower to escape his mother's summons.
Ellen: "Are you still sleeping? Oh, you're actually awake. Hurry up, breakfast will be ready in an hour!"
Cloud, now alert, responded with a lazy tone: "Yes, ma'am."
The shock of the cold water jolted him fully awake. "Yup, I'm definitely awake now... Man, I wish I could just stay home today and game all day... But all my excuses have already been used up. I guess I have no choice but to brave the dungeon, a.k.a. school."
He finished his shower, donned his favorite clothes—a well-worn black hoodie, gray sweatpants, and his trusty sneakers—before making his way to the kitchen.
There sat his dad, Marcus, sipping coffee and engrossed in the morning newspaper.
Marcus: "Oh, good morning, sunshine. So, you finally decided to join the world of the living."
Cloud, nonchalant, mumbled a groggy "Good morning, Dad," as he pulled out a chair and sat down. He poured himself some orange juice.
Cloud's thoughts swirled: "Mom and Dad are taking away my game? Seriously? I've been acing all my tests and still, they think it's necessary to intervene?"
Ellen: "Sit down for a second, both of you."
Cloud complied, curiosity piqued, and Marcus set aside his newspaper.
Marcus: "We've been thinking, Cloud. About the game..."
Ellen: "Your father and I have decided that we're going to limit your gaming time."
Cloud's initial confusion was quickly replaced by dismay. "What? But I've been doing so well in school! I've even got straight A's in all my tests."
Ellen: "We know, Cloud. But you barely get any sleep because you're playing all day and night. You need to go out, to the mall, to the park. Have fun."
Marcus: "You'll still be allowed to play, just on Fridays and Saturdays. This is our final decision."
Cloud put on a smile he didn't feel. "Okay, I understand."
