Between Screens and Hearts

Extra Chapter: Bits of Fun

The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the small cracks in Dean's blinds, casting long, lazy streaks across his cluttered desk. It was one of those rare, quiet moments where he could hear nothing but the faint hum of his computer. His fingers danced across the keyboard, pulling up his LayRead account—an account under the pseudonym Finale. The irony of the name always brought a smirk to his lips. Finale, the writer of half-finished stories. Unfinished projects that his small but loyal reader base continually begged him to complete.

His latest work-in-progress, "Through the Shadows", sat untouched for weeks. Dean had pulled the latest chapter for his stream as Epitaph but hadn't gotten around to publishing it on LayRead. He chuckled at the thought. The poor readers there didn't know that they were missing out on an entire chapter he'd already shared with his virtual audience in ReAL.

Sighing, Dean ran a hand through his slightly curled black hair. His eyes flicked back to the screen where the unpublished draft stared at him. Guess it's time to give LayRead some love.

As he began typing, an idea crept into his mind. Something mischievous. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before a sly grin tugged at his lips. He had always kept his two online personas—Finale and Epitaph—separate. But what if, just for fun, he blurred the lines a little?

Later that evening, Epitaph was back on ReAL, his avatar already sitting on a virtual hill overlooking a pixelated night sky. His oversized black gamer shirt hung loose, and his signature black mask hid everything but his piercing dark eyes. The usual crowd started gathering—followers who always flocked to his streams for the soothing voice, the mysterious storytelling, and the enigmatic presence that Epitaph cultivated.

The chat box lit up with messages.

GhostByte: Epitaph! We've been waiting all day.
ChibiMist: He's back, yessss.
ToxicHaze: Bro, drop the next part of the story. We're hooked!

Dean cleared his throat, preparing to shift gears. He had something planned for tonight—a little surprise that his followers would never see coming.

As the virtual room grew quiet, he took a deep breath and dropped his voice to a high, playful tone. "Well, hello, everyone! You've probably been waiting for Epitaph, but he's not here right now. I'm filling in for him today!"

The chat froze for a moment, then exploded with confusion.

MidNightWitch: Wait, who is this??
BlazeKnight: Dude, what the hell happened to your voice?!
PixelChime: Is this a prank?!
Seraphine: LOL WHAT is happening??!

Epitaph, still using his avatar but now sounding nothing like his usual self, couldn't help but laugh out loud. It was a strange, high-pitched sound, so different from the smooth, low voice that usually carried his words. He held it together as best as he could, fighting back his own laughter as the chat spiraled into chaos.

"I'm Epi! Epi, Epi—taph's... uh, cousin," he said, the falsetto voice grating in its absurdity. "He told me to take over while he's out grocery shopping. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!"

The followers were losing it now, the chat scrolling too fast for him to keep up.

HexGirl13: THIS IS GOLD.
SkyHunter: I AM DYING.
MidNightWitch: Crying rn.
ToxicHaze: Don't ever do that voice again, I swear.
Seraphine: LMAO this is brilliant!

Dean leaned back in his chair, smirking behind his mask as he watched the reactions flood in. It felt good to mess around sometimes, to break away from the seriousness of Epitaph's usual persona. For the next few minutes, he kept the act going, talking in that ridiculous voice, answering questions as "Epi" and reading random, nonsensical excerpts from his unpublished drafts.

"...and the hero gazed into the eyes of his mortal enemy," Dean squeaked, still in character, "and said, 'I've had enough of your nonsense, Gerald. It's time... for a nap.'"

The chat erupted again, with followers sending laughing emojis and broken keyboard smashes.

GhostByte: Gerald?! Not even trying anymore.
PixelChime: I'm in tears, please stop.
BlazeKnight: This is peak content.

Dean finally couldn't hold it in any longer. He doubled over, laughing so hard that he almost had to pull his mask off. His followers were all in on the joke now, the energy in the stream completely shifting from its usual moody, mysterious vibe to something more chaotic and hilarious. For the first time in a while, Dean felt completely free.

But eventually, the fun had to end.

He dropped the act, letting his voice slide back into its familiar deep cadence. "Alright, alright. That's enough of 'Epi' for today. Let's get back to what we're really here for."

The chat immediately shifted back into excitement mode, the anticipation for the next part of his story rekindled.

Meanwhile, Seraphine and her friend Sunburst—Claire in real life—were watching the chaos unfold together. Seraphine's avatar, dressed in her usual white oversized gamer shirt adorned with cute motifs and accessories, stood beside Sunburst in the virtual space.

"Okay, but that voice!" Sunburst cackled through her mic. "I almost fell off my chair!"

"I don't even know how he kept a straight face," Seraphine replied, still giggling. "This is the kind of prank that only works because it's Epitaph. His followers adore him."

Sunburst's fiery red avatar twirled in place, the bright colors of her outfit flashing against the starry backdrop. "Imagine if someone did that in real life. Like, just completely switched personalities on the spot."

Seraphine laughed. "Oh God, people would be so freaked out. But here? It works."

They watched as the chat buzzed with lingering excitement, still reeling from the prank. As much as Seraphine had joined ReAL out of curiosity, moments like this made her realize just how entertaining the platform could be. It wasn't just about the stories or the streamers—it was about the community, the way people came together to laugh, joke, and share in these strange little moments.

"You think he's got a day job?" Sunburst asked, her tone a little more serious now.

Seraphine shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, someone like him could easily have a normal life outside of ReAL, right? Or maybe he's just an incredibly shy introvert who only opens up in these streams."

Sunburst laughed. "You're thinking too hard about this, Saff. Sometimes, a guy's just a guy."

Seraphine smiled, her mind drifting back to Epitaph. Maybe Sunburst was right. Maybe there was no mystery at all, just a guy having fun online. But even so, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of person Epitaph really was—behind the avatar, the voice, and the mask.

Back in his room, Dean ended the stream with a satisfied sigh. Tonight had been a good night, one filled with laughter and light-hearted chaos. He leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head. The idea of Epitaph pulling pranks on his audience was something he'd definitely revisit in the future. Maybe he'd make it a regular part of his streams—something to break the tension between his heavier storytelling sessions.

But for now, he had other things to focus on. He turned back to his LayRead account, staring at the unfinished chapter of "Through the Shadows." His followers had no idea that tonight's story had been a sneak peek of his next chapter as Finale. He hadn't published it yet, but he'd promised himself that he would... eventually.

With a smirk, Dean clicked save and closed his laptop. Finale could wait. For now, Epitaph had the spotlight, and Dean was more than happy to keep things that way.