Depressed as Fuck [Completed]

Chapter 19

I had never expected the message to come like this.

I had just finished cleaning up my room---one of the rare moments I actually felt like I could accomplish something---when my phone buzzed, its vibration sharp against the silence of the room.

The notification flashed on the screen: ShadowViper.

I had been talking to ShadowViper just yesterday. Things had felt... better between us, even if everything wasn't perfect.

But the message that came now was different. It wasn't a normal "Hey, how's it going?" or "What's up?"

It was blunt. Simple. And heavy.

ShadowViper: Luna, I need to tell you something important.

I felt a jolt in my chest. The tone of it---it felt off, like something was wrong. I quickly typed back:

Me: What's up? Is everything okay?

It didn't take long for the reply to come.

ShadowViper: No. I... I've been in the hospital. I'm not okay. I wanted you to know.

My heart skipped a beat. My fingers hovered over the screen, unsure what to type.

Hospital?

What did that mean? Why hadn't they told me earlier? Why hadn't they mentioned anything?

Me: What happened?

I typed, my mind racing. My pulse quickened. It was as if the world was slowing down, but the anxiety was speeding up.

There was a pause. A long one. My thoughts were already spiraling. What if something happened to ShadowViper? What if they were really sick?

Finally, the message came. It was simple, but it hit me like a punch to the gut.

ShadowViper: I've been dealing with heart problems. It's something I've had for a while now. I didn't want you to know. I didn't want to worry you. But... it's getting worse.

The words blurred as I stared at the screen, trying to process them.

Heart problems?

ShadowViper?

The person I had laughed with, played games with, talked to for months... had been fighting something I never knew about.

Something serious.

I felt a chill run down my spine, a sharp pain piercing through me. My breath caught in my throat.

Me: How bad is it?

I typed, my fingers trembling.

The reply didn't come immediately. The silence stretched between us, filling the space with a suffocating weight.

ShadowViper: Bad enough that I don't know how much time I have left.

That single sentence shattered me. The weight of it crashed into me like a tidal wave, washing over me, leaving me breathless, empty.

I couldn't process it. I couldn't understand it.

How could this be happening?

I thought back to all the conversations we'd had, all the messages, the late-night chats, the moments where everything felt normal, where we talked about everything and nothing.

Me: How had I not known?

I typed again, words coming out in a frantic jumble.

Me: No. No, this can't be happening. You'll be okay, right? You can get better, you can get treatment, right?