Game As Novels & Stories

A cup of coffee that had been falling from a businessman’s hand was suspended in the air, the liquid frozen in a perfect, brown arc. We were the only things moving. We were the "Active Assets" in a paused program. "They're selling us," I said, a cold, hard knot forming in my stomach. "They aren't just making a show. They're making a **Game**. And someone is sitting in their living room right now, deciding if we’re worth thirty dollars." "Look at the timer," Rowan pointed to the bottom corner of my vision. **[SHUTDOWN IN: 04:59]**

"We will see who wins first, Brother," He stood up and smirked at me, sparking a challenge I won’t back away from. "Either your revenge... or my extortion?" My smirk also grew wider as I replied strongly, having no intentions of failing. "We will see," He let out a quiet jeering laugh and left me all alone in my undesirable thoughts after starting a lethal game. I stared at the crack in the glass with a blaze igniting in my eyes as I threw the glass away, shattering it to pieces.

And tomorrow, one way or another, I was going to find out who. I lay awake until dawn, body aching, mind racing. The game had changed. And I was no longer sure I knew the rules.

But not without side whispers, curious about the woman that came with the devil tycoon. The suffocating feeling in my chest had not fully settled. My gown tangled up with my heels and I stumbled forward. “Slow”. His grip on me tightened instantly, pulling me back to my side before I fell. As we got to the empty space, I felt someone coming behind us. Clap! clap! clap. “ I must say Congratulations to you”. I turned to the sickly disgusting voice and saw Vincenzo staring at me wide eyed, smiling, as he continued. “The game was such a good one. It's been a while since I've had so much fun. Or what do you think, Miss Grey?”.

What if the air here was taxed? We’d been invited by Campt Games, one of the biggest game companies in the country. They had invited Silvio Alvarez, the famous producer from our company, Crystcorp Gaming. As Silvio took a seat, I quickly sat next to him, holding a tablet, and pretending I was important. The host of the meeting, a cheerful man with a mustache named Mr. Grant, stood up. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Alvarez," he said. "We want to introduce you to our newest game: ECHO LEGENDS"

Archer notices and rubs my thigh, and I order a Sprite to try to help. “So, what do you do, Quinn?” Mr. Jones asks. “I think you were still a college student the last time we saw you.” “I design and program software,” I say, keeping things simple. Usually, there’s no point in explaining further than that. Most people don’t understand what I do. “Sounds interesting. And complicated.” “She’s being modest.” Archer gives my thigh a squeeze. “She invented and sold an app to Apple and now she manages one of the most up-and-coming software companies in the country.”

Ashely looked around, taking his time, before he stopped and pointed at a stall, catching the attention of the man he was with. “You…want to try this one?” Gabriel asked, pointing towards the stall Ashely was pointing. The boy nodded. “Alright,” he shrugged. “I guess we’ll be trying this one first.” Stepping into the stall, both Ashely and Gabriel were welcomed by the bright lights, colorful props and a cheery man, who was running the game. “Welcome! Welcome!” He exclaimed. “Please pick your weapons and let’s get the fun started.” “Oh, I wanna chose this one!” Ashely excitedly pointed at a random gun.

As Legacies, we have a lot of traditions. And of our many traditions, the most important one is selecting “The Game.” The story goes that The Game first started as a way to enhance cooperation and competition among the Legacies. After leaving the school, many cohorts continue the game into the real world. What happens here at school is just practice. When we graduate from the Academy, each of us is ready to take a spot in the leadership of our family and the True Game that follows. “Shall we begin?” I look around to see that everyone has settled. “Any proposals or addendums since our last meeting?

Michael applauded as he raised his hand to his forehead to give me a salute that got me embarrassed “Welcome my boss!” he growled I turned my head to side jokingly in shyness and we all laughed together at our goofiness “I didn’t know that you play games so well. I thought all you cared about was articles and news” Gabriel remarked and I chuckled “I learnt to play games because I needed something to relieve myself of stress. Since I didn’t like going out a lot, I picked up the habit of playing games and I almost became an addict but I managed to balance everything” I explained and they both wowed at the same time.

Renee's expression changed as she looked at Toph, chuckling lightly, "Playing games all day long… Be careful not to let it consume you!" "Renee, you don't understand!" Desiree laughed, "This game is called God of War, and it's incredibly fun! You start as a small soldier and gradually rise to become a general, expanding your territory step by step. The game tests your patience, perseverance, strategic thinking, and more! "Heh! Maybe you won't quite understand anyway since most girls like you don't enjoy playing military games." Renee glanced at her. "Aren't you a girl?"