Enemies in disguise | Gamers

Part 1

"And the noob misses again! Another L for the so-called LegendHunter. What a joke!" Anna laughed, her voice laced with smugness as the kill screen flashed on her stream.

Her chat exploded with emojis and roasts. It was another day of victory in the virtual arena for her online persona, PixelQueen. And another day of humiliating her archrival, the pompous, ever-infuriating LegendHunter.

Anna leaned back in her chair, pulling off her headset with a victorious grin. "Easy peasy," she muttered, taking a sip of cold soda.

LegendHunter, or Kian in real life, was her biggest competition in the online gaming world. Their rivalry was legendary—every time she beat him, which was often, he’d throw a salty tantrum live on his stream. And his audience ate it up. Their feud had become a full-blown saga that kept both their fanbases glued to their screens.

And Anna? She lived for it.

“PixelQueen strikes again!” she announced dramatically to her audience. "Maybe LegendHunter should take a break from streaming and go back to—what was it?—learning the basics?"

Her viewers spammed laughing emojis and inside jokes about Kian's latest losses. She basked in the validation.

What made it even better was that he took everything so personally. LegendHunter didn’t know how to lose gracefully.

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, Kian slammed his headset onto his desk, glaring at the "defeat" screen on his monitor. His chat exploded with comments like, "PixelQueen clowns you again!" and "Another L, Hunter?"

Kian’s jaw clenched. "Relax," he muttered to his viewers. "I let her win. Just wait till next time."

But deep down, it stung.

He hated PixelQueen. Not just because she was good—no, annoyingly good—but because she made it her mission to humiliate him at every opportunity. The way she always laughed at his losses, the way her audience hyped her up and mocked him—it drove him insane.

But Kian wasn’t one to back down. He’d win eventually. He had to.

After ending his stream, he collapsed into his gaming chair and opened his anonymous messaging app to unwind. There was only one person online who could lift his spirits.

Hunter34: Rough day. Got humiliated again.

A few seconds later, the response popped up.

QueenBee: PixelQueen again?

Kian chuckled. This person just gets me.
Hunter34: Yeah, who else? The devil herself.

QueenBee: Oof. Maybe it’s time to retire? You’ve been through enough losses this week.

Hunter34: Rude. I thought you were supposed to be supportive!

QueenBee: Haha, sorry, just saying. But hey, don’t let her get to you. She’s probably not that bad in real life.

Kian rolled his eyes. He doubted that. PixelQueen was exactly the kind of person he couldn’t stand—arrogant, smug, and a know-it-all.

Still, chatting with QueenBee was always the highlight of his day. It was strange how this anonymous friend felt closer than anyone in his real life. He didn’t even know her real name, and yet, they talked every day, shared inside jokes, and even offered advice when he needed it. It was the one thing keeping him sane amidst the constant chaos of his rivalry with PixelQueen.

Two hours later.

Anna lay sprawled on her bed, scrolling through her anonymous app messages.

Hunter34: So how was your day?

QueenBee: The usual. Destroyed my rival, made a grown man cry. You know, the little things in life.

Anna smirked at her own message. It was refreshing talking to Hunter34. He didn’t know who she was—or that she was the infamous PixelQueen. With him, she didn’t need to be "on" all the time.

Hunter34: Haha, you really know how to make someone’s day sound interesting. Wish I could watch that kind of drama unfold.

QueenBee: Trust me, you’d love it. It’s glorious.

Anna smiled, feeling lighter as they continued chatting. She could talk to Hunter34 for hours—about anything and everything. It was funny how they’d become so close without ever revealing their real identities.

And there was no need to. That’s what made it feel safe. They could be honest without the weight of expectations or judgments.

The Next Day.

Anna woke up to a notification that made her heart skip a beat.

"PixelQueen vs. LegendHunter: Charity Tournament Invitation."

"Oh no," she whispered, realizing what it meant. The tournament was an in-person event—and both players would have to show up, face-to-face. For the first time ever, she would meet her sworn enemy.

Her stomach twisted in knots. She wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t like she feared him… right?

On the other side of town, Kian stared at the same notification on his screen, his expression shifting between excitement and dread. Meeting PixelQueen in real life? Finally confronting the person who had made his life miserable for months?

He had no idea what to expect—but one thing was certain: he wasn’t going to let her win. Not this time.

Later That Night.

Anna texted Hunter34.
QueenBee: Guess what? I just got invited to a tournament. Gonna meet my biggest rival in person. Not sure if I should be excited or terrified.

The reply came instantly.
Hunter34: Sounds intense. But you got this! Just be yourself.

Anna smiled, her nerves easing slightly. It was comforting to have Hunter34 in her corner.

Little did she know, on the other side of that conversation, Kian was thinking the exact same thing.

Because QueenBee and Hunter34 were about to meet—and neither of them had a clue.

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