MIKE POV -

"He doesn't even take an umbrella!" Nancy clicked her teeth like an old woman scolding the 'youth of today', muttering on about the rain and Mike's absence all to herself before slamming her door shut.

[ERROR DELETION: 69% COMPLETE]

No! it appeared again, warning him, taunting him,

Standing in the hall, he glanced into the mirror, catching a glimpse of his own refection in the eeriness of the quiet house, a reminder of the ticking time – his figure appeared strangled, almost alien like; blurry, unfocused and distorted. It was as though the mirror saw right through him, merely taking account of his shadow.

Without much thought, he turned, rushing down the stairs, still in his pyjamas as he bolted out the front door, not even bothering to grab a jacket straight into the unforgiving rain.

Earth's teardrops pelted him; water soaked his pyjamas, his socks, his hair, and yet he didn't care. He barely noticed.

One by one, he dialled his friends' numbers, surely someone needed to answer, hear his pleas, his cries for help. The calls would go through, yet time and time again it mysteriously cut off, as if the game warned him not to make that choice.

Desperation elevated, the rings coming back null, "Come on... come on..." he muttered under his breath, fingers trembling, both from the waterlogged screen and fear; Max, El, Lucas, Dustin, Troy, the calls bouncing back with no reply, not even going to voicemail, like he was lost to the void.

[ERROR DELETION: 76% COMPLETE]

Where should he go? His heart pounded, the rain making him lightheaded and hazy, his world beginning to unravel and blur. He stumbled down the streets, brushing past strangers who didn't even pass a second glance; they couldn't see him either. A few students from his school walked past, seniors, freshman, sophomores, juniors, all in uniform, some with umbrellas while others took their chances with a mere hood.

Thunder matched his pressure: erratic and wild. He felt himself slipping away, his feet moving on autopilot to the school; maybe his friends would see him?

He rushed pass the entourage of students at the gates, practically pushing them out the way, however they paid no mind, almost as if his actions didn't affect them.

How could they not see him?

Squelching of his slippers followed his footsteps upon entering the shelter of the school, scampering the halls, feet slipping on the wooden floors. Water dripped from his soaked pyjamas. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes wide, red and alert.

Everyone acted like he wasn't really there; a mere mirage running through the hall. His heart ached with every step; was this how his last day was going to be? A pure husk of his true self? Why even have him here then? He couldn't interact with anyone or anything, he might as well be better off dead then stuck in this maze.

The ravenette pulled his phone out his pocket; it refused to switch on, clear it was out of power, and that, combined with the rain, essentially turned it into a paper-weight.

Despite it all, he needed to try.

Pushing himself further, he saw familiar faces - Dustin chatting idly with Max and Lucas like nothing was wrong, their conversation unappeased by the raging storm both outside and inside his head. He called out to them,

"Hey guys!" his voice echoed down the hall; loud enough to be heard across continents,

Not a single head turned his direction.

Adrenaline pumped him forward, rushing past; not them... they couldn't see him. He continued running, seeing Troy with his little sister, barely processing their smiles and casual demeanour. He didn't even bother to protest, what was the point? They didn't see him anyway; no one could miss the almost six-foot boy in pyjamas dripping from the rain.

RINNNNG -

The bell rang, announcing the start of the last day; students went to their class for the final time... it was his last day too. He jumped up and down, creating a scene, screaming, shouting, everything... but nothing worked, they continued to their classes.

Doors slamming echoed in the air, leaving the hall in an eerie silence; why was he even here? Mike stumbled, his slipper catching on the tiled floor... dropping his phone, the screen cracking.

That was the last straw -

Unable to contain himself any longer, he crouched down, sinking to the phone with a little yelp as he curled into a ball,

"What do I do?" he whispered to himself, covering his ears like a child.

It became a habit to talk to the world as if it were its own entity, perhaps it made him feel more connected? Or perhaps it gave him something to blame when things went wrong?

Hair stuck to his forehead, clothes weighed him down, even if he wanted to get up, he wasn't sure he'd even be able too; why did no one care? If he saw someone in the rain, in their pyjamas running through the streets, he would at the very least pass a glance, but everyone passed indifferently.

"Are you bullying me because I can't win?"

His lungs inflated and deflated like cheap balloons; how did other people live? How did they keep it up? Days passed the same, with no change in sight. Why was it so easy for them?

This feeling was familiar, hitting him like a ton of bricks; he hadn't felt it in a while; he was an outsider. In his reality, he didn't belong no matter how hard he tried, deemed an outcast. And here too, with mere hours left he was still somewhere he didn't fit in. His cracked phone lay on the ground mockingly as a puddle pooled beneath him,

Would it have been easier if he had a family, friends, someone to care for him in the real world? Would that have made him able to form connections with his whole heart?

Would he have won this game?

Mike felt weightless, like a simple melody playing in the wind, reaching where it needed to be before spending an eternity in darkness.

Just then, a soft chime sounded in his mind, followed by a notification flashing before his eyes,

[Entering The Love Supremacy Zone]

Then it all just stopped.

The rain, the electricity, the thoughts.

"Mike...?" a voice called out,

The tall boy lifted his head, feeling the faintest of warmth's reaching the pit in his stomach; was this an illusion?

Will stood a few meters away, bathed in soft florescent light, yellow sparks shimmering around him. Sparks danced in the air, trailing him until they were face to face.

"What are you doing here dressed like this?" his voice gentle despite the hurt Mike put him through.

"How-" The ravenette's throat closed, unable to continue,

"I thought it was you," a sympathetic, sad smile graced his features, "Why are you dripping wet?"

"Will- I'm... I'm..." Mike tried to explain, his voice cracking, and the words leaving a jumbled, gargled mess, like speaking through a damaged radio. His mouth was dry despite his wet skin, leaving a flurry of nonsensical sounds in its wake.

Stepping forward, the brunette crouched down before him, making eye contact, "It's okay," taking off his blazer without another word and placing it atop of Mike's shoulders.

Hazel eyes stared back at him, shifting to a green when the light hit it at the correct angle; it was something he loved most about Will. His reflection was clear in his eyes.

Will saw him.

The moment seemed to last forever, not even noticing when he was escorted to his feet, nor the hands on both shoulders leading him down the hall. Will took slow steps, careful not to exhaust Mike.

Mike opened his mouth to speak, stray raindrops flowing down his silky flesh, landing on his lips, but nothing came out, just a mere squeak. His eyes pricked, feeling hot and distant.

This wasn't something to cry about; if he cried, he lost.

He didn't want to cry,

"Let's go warm you up, I'll get you a towel and fresh clothes," no malice or hatred behind his words.

They made their way down the quiet halls, Will glanced at the hunched over ravenette in his arms, his eyes softening each time he saw the dazed look on Mike's face. "You're not hurt, are you?" tightening his grip just a tad upon hearing no response,

Eventually, the boys reached the quiet art room, the warm space filled with an aroma of paint and wood; soft and homey. Will pushed the door open, immediately placing the boy on the seat by the radiator before grabbing a clean towel from a nearby hook and gently draping it over Mike's shoulders, his hands lingering for a mere moment to securely wrap him tight.

Heat rushed to every inch of Mike's core, feeling his brain and heart overflowing with information, his synapses going haywire,

In that moment, he was helpless, a mere shell of himself, eyes watering despite his brainstem yelling at him to suck it up; he never cried; not when his parents left him, not even when Nancy died. Especially not in front of other people...

"You're freezing," Will crouched down, looking up at him, his hands atop of Mike's; it's clear he wasn't taking advantage of the situation, he was just genuinely concerned, trying to help.

Teardrops poured like molten lava, down Mike's cheeks and onto the brunette's fingertips.

"Are you..." Will couldn't even finish the sentence, wiping the tears with his thumb, his expression bewildered, yet hot like melting ice-cream.

But Mike couldn't respond, choking on the sobs that refuse to come out right. He wanted to explain everything, tell the truth but all he managed were gargled sounds... this time it wasn't even the game world stopping him, it was just... him.

Acting accordingly, the brunette slipped a bottle of water out his bag, opening the cap, allowing it to hover before Mike's lips, "Drink some water,"

Despite the water stuck to his hair, clothes and body, Mike accepted the bottle with both hands, quenching the thirst bellowing inside him; tears mixing with the rain down his cheeks. Sips later, he lowered the bottle, not even noticing he had finished its contents; all that running, screaming and shouting left him dehydrated and tired.

...

...

...

A comfortable silence enveloped them. The raven-haired boy sat on the edge of his seat, clutching the empty bottle tight, the weight of his thoughts, words and everything he had just experienced bubbling to the surface, threatening to drown him. Will secured the towel over his shoulders, keeping his touch warm and steady - sitting side by side, a contrast to the last time they had talked.

Yet, Mike felt cold – his tears stopped, but he was still in turmoil.

"Will..." he began, his voice trembling, fidgeting with the bottle as it complimented his jumbled thoughts; why couldn't he find the right words? He wanted to explain; he didn't care if it was his last day... he needed to do this,

"I still like you," the words simple yet powerful; that part was clear to him, no matter how much he denied it - Mike liked Will.

"Ah..." Will groaned, unsure of exactly what he had just heard, "This is a dream... isn't it?" convincing himself that Mike couldn't have possibly said what he did,

"No," Mike furrowed his brows, stretching the words,

What came next was surprising, Mike leaned over to Will's face, kissing him on the cheek and leaving a small, simple peck, but it sent a flurry of emotions through both of them; excitement... and worry, "Thank you for everything,"

"Does that mean we can-" Will was a tad too excited by the kiss, thinking of all the possibilities it meant. He mentally berated himself. Lucas said that sometimes couples break up over little things and get back together in a matter of days... was this that? He was so stupid; why did he have to make such a scene?

"I'm sorry," Mike cut him off, his gaze dropping to the floor; he couldn't bear meet Will's eyes, seeing all that hurt, anger and regret return. The words were heavy but necessary, "But- we still can't get back together," he exhaled, swallowing the words down to his gullet.

A punch to the gut.

His brows pointed downwards, Will frowned in silence, watching him with deep sadness, "It's okay -" he would have also broken up with him if he was in Mike's position; he didn't know why Mike chose him in the first place. Maybe Mike just wanted companionship and Will was the closest person! Will was fine with that, at least Mike liked him... he's the only one able to say that.

"No- I want to explain," the tall boy interrupted, needing to get his point across. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't tell the truth about this world being a game, about his time running out, or how he didn't even belong here in the first place.

The system wouldn't let him.

Mike's voice was shaky, starting slowly, unsure where to begin, tasting gravel grating his tongue with every syllable. It felt like an admission much worse than a breakup, like an apology for something bigger....

"I won't be here much longer,"

----

2146 Words

Double Update today ;)

Stay Safe <3