𝐅𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ⸙͎ ɪᴋᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʟᴀɴᴅ

【 Chapter №. 1】

Chapter 1: The Mask

The camera flickered to life, casting a harsh, blue glow on my face. A forced smile plastered itself on my lips as I waved enthusiastically at the invisible audience. "Hey, everyone! It's your girl, Y/N! Welcome back to another epic stream!" My voice, a sharp contrast to the chaos unfolding in my mind, echoed through the room.

Behind the bright, cheerful persona I'd cultivated, a storm was brewing. The Y/N on screen was a carefully crafted illusion, a vibrant character designed to distract from the quiet, often lonely person I was off-camera. I was a chameleon, effortlessly shifting between the exuberant streamer and the introspective individual.

"So, what are we playing today?" I asked, my voice filled with feigned excitement. The comment section exploded with suggestions – Valorant, Apex, chill games – the usual suspects. I settled on Valorant, the adrenaline rush a welcome distraction from the growing unease within me.

As the game loaded, I glanced at my reflection in the monitor. The woman staring back was a stranger, a confident, almost cocky version of myself. I often wondered if the real me was still there, buried beneath layers of carefully constructed personality.

"Yo, Y/N, you good?" Ike's voice cut through my thoughts. His deep, comforting tone was a constant in my life. Ike was my rock, my confidant, the one person who knew the real me. Or so I thought.

"Yeah, just a bit tired," I replied, forcing a laugh. "You know how it is."

Ike chuckled. "You work too hard, man. Take a break sometime."

I nodded, though he couldn't see me. "I will, I promise."

The game started, and I immersed myself in the chaos. The sharp crack of gunfire, the adrenaline-fueled rush, it was a temporary escape from the quiet dread that had been creeping into my life.

But as the hours passed, a strange fatigue washed over me. My hands, usually steady, trembled slightly. And there were moments of forgetfulness, like forgetting to reload or call out enemy positions. It was as if my mind was lagging behind my body, a disconnect that was becoming increasingly unsettling.

I pushed the thoughts away, focusing on the game. But the more I tried to ignore it, the louder the whispers became. Was this normal? Was I just stressed? Or was something else going on?

A pang of fear shot through me. What if this wasn't just tiredness? What if something was truly wrong? The thought was terrifying, but I couldn't shake it off

As the stream drew to a close, I felt a wave of relief. The mask could come off now. I collapsed into my chair, my body aching with a strange exhaustion. I glanced at the clock. It was later than I thought.

I needed to sleep. To forget. To pretend everything was okay. But as I drifted off, a nagging doubt lingered. This wasn't right. Something was definitely wrong.