Zach Lev had it all.
Smart, composed, effortlessly the best-academics, sports, social life. For three years, he ruled as class president, the golden boy everyone admired.
But Zach had a secret.
He was a gamer.
And not just any gamer-a rage-fueled menace when it came to losing. His patience? Nonexistent. His temper? Snapped faster than a crocodile's jaw.
His game of choice? Soul World. A brutal multiplayer RPG where skill and strategy ruled. Zach had both-but patience? Not a chance.
Then, one match changed everything.
"Maybe you're just not that good," a smooth voice mocked.
Zach's eyes snapped to the leaderboard.
Username: SuperJstar.
Sitting smugly at the top.
Zach's blood boiled. "Bitch? Duel me then."
[Challenge sent.]
[Challenge accepted.]
Big mistake.
Except-it wasn't.
SuperJstar was too fast. Dodging, countering, predicting Zach's every move like he had ESP.
Then-
GAME OVER.
Silence.
"WHAT."
I'm a flash, Zach's headset flew across the room.
"Fucking hacker, imagine using cheats-imaginenothavingalife- HOPE YOU ROT IN HEL-"
[Warning: You have been temporarily muted, avoid cussing in VC!]
Laughter crackled through his speakers. "Damn. I expected more from 'Mr. Cool and Collected.'"
If they ever met in real life-
He was throwing hands.
...Unfortunately, they already had met.
...
The next morning, Zach walked into class as usual-calm, composed.
No one could tell he had nearly destroyed his headset.
He took his seat.
"Hey, wait a sec."
A voice from the back.
Zach barely glanced up-until the next words made him freeze.
"Zach, right?"
The guy leaned forward, smirking-like he already knew but was enjoying the moment. His sharp eyes narrowed.
"Your voice sounds... kinda familiar."
Theo Jacob.
Zach's academic rival. Always a step behind in every test, ranking, and competition. Close, but never first.
And last night's smug, trash-talking opponent.
SuperJstar.
A slow smirk spread across Theo's face.
Zach felt his soul leave his body.
*Wattys 2018 Winner / Hidden Gems*
CREATE YOUR OWN MR. RIGHT
Weeks before Valentine's, seventeen-year-old Kate Lapuz goes through her first ever breakup, but soon she stumbles upon a mysterious new app called My Dream Boyfriend, an AI chatbot that has the ability to understand human feelings. Casually, she participates in the app's trial run but finds herself immersed in the empathic conversations with her customizable virtual boyfriend, Ecto.
In a society both connected and alienated by technology, Kate suspects an actual secret admirer is behind Ecto. Could it be the work of the techie student council president Dion or has Kate really found her soulmate in bits of computer code? She decides to get to the bottom of the cutting-edge app. Her search for Ecto's real identity leads Kate to prom, where absolute knowledge comes with a very steep price.