Ep-1

I still remember the first night I downloaded the gaming app {Soulxhunter}

It was raining outside my hostel window, the kind of rain that made the whole world feel distant and blurry. I wasn’t looking for friendship. Honestly, I was just bored. Exams were over, my roommates were asleep, and my screen was the only thing glowing in the dark.

That night, I entered a random squad match.

And somehow, four strangers became my favorite part of life.

Cherine was the first voice I heard. Loud, dramatic, and impossible to ignore. She laughed at everything—even when we lost terribly.

Then there was Ruaan.

Quiet at first. The kind of quiet that made you curious instead of uncomfortable. He played like he had all the patience in the world, always covering for us whenever we rushed into danger like idiots. Sometimes he disappeared for days without explanation, then returned with a simple, “Missed me?”

And for some reason… we always did.

Theon was different. Smooth voice, sarcastic comments, late-night philosopher during lobby waits. He lived in another timezone entirely, yet somehow he was awake whenever one of us needed him. He used to say, “Sleep is temporary. Rank is forever.”

None of us believed him because he was always the first to fall asleep mid-conversation.

And then there was me

Susen.

The one who stayed online long after matches ended just to hear everyone talk about their lives. Different countries. Different weather. Different languages slipping into our conversations accidentally. Yet inside that tiny glowing team lobby, distance felt unreal.

We weren’t just players after a while.

We became routines.

“Good morning” texts from one side of the world while another was saying goodnight. Random voice calls. Sending pictures of food we couldn’t share. Laughing until someone muted their mic because their family was yelling in the background.

It felt strange sometimes—how people you’ve never met could know your heart better than people sitting beside you every day.

But the funny thing about online friendships is that they exist between reality and imagination.

You know their voice before their face. Their silences before their secrets.

And sometimes…

You begin to wonder what would happen if the screen between all of you disappeared.

Would Cherine still laugh so loudly in real life that strangers turned around to stare?

Would Theon still act confident face-to-face, or would he become awkward the moment conversations weren’t hidden behind a headset and keyboard?

And Ruaan…

Would his eyes look as calm as his voice sounded at two in the morning?

It’s strange, isn’t it?

How people miles away can slowly become part of your everyday life. You start memorizing their schedules without trying. Knowing who stays awake late, who gets quiet when upset, who sends random memes instead of admitting they miss everyone.

We never saw each other properly at first.

Just profile pictures. Usernames. Fragments of lives shared through blurry photos and unstable internet connections.

TO BE CONTINUED~

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