The sound of the keyboard being furiously assaulted made me consider that I might be overreacting.
I couldn't remember the last time I was this pissed. This stupid game really ended with all the heroes and heroines dying and the bums asking us to wait for a sequel!
And they said that ten years ago!
Ten years of checking for a new chapter, YouTube videos, freaking anything. I still kept my stat sheet for each character, still made lore videos, and played PvP. The game was just that deep.
But we needed more. I needed more. I needed to know my favourite characters would live and that the sour feelings that had grown between them in the darkest moments would be cleared up. But what did we get instead?
Nothing. Just the silence of thoughts and hopes.
Once my angry review was done, once I was done lambasting them for being lazy hacks wringing us of money with endless trash DLCs and merch, I clicked "post" and sighed.
There wasn't going to be a reply.
These guys were silent as ghosts.
In the silent absence, I reclined on my couch. The laptop's light burnt into the darkness of my room. The smell of instant ramen lingered in the air, making me hungry again.
The soft hum of the AC and the comfortable chill it brought made me relax for a second. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up. I have work tomorrow. I can't waste time—
Ding!
I sat up immediately. My heart stopped. This wasn't fucking real.
They replied.
"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit…"
I clicked on the forum, and my expression turned blank. My anger reared its head once again.
[GateOfAvalon: Some people have no patience these days. You can't rush art.]
My fingers flew over the keys.
[GrandmasterBum: But you can rush merch for side characters? RIGHT?! I'm sorry if I offended you with my review, but I've LITERALLY been a day one for you people. I've defended you up, down and behind. I've gotten DEATH THREATS FOR YOU!]
[GateOfAvalon: I see. Well, thanks for your support. Not surprised it ended though. Like all the others, you now want us to release a half-cooked story for some hype and cool videos to share with your friends.]
[GrandmasterBum: The fuck are you talking about? No one plays this game for complex storylines—you aren't who you think you are, buddy—we play this game for the interesting characters and day-to-day lives. The action moments are peak, but I play this game because Raiden's aspect is fucking awesome and I like the romance between Nijra and Fast.]
[GrandmasterBum: It's a goddam story about Gates and Hunters. What did you think you were doing here? Inventing the wheel for the first time?]
[GateOfAvalon: Glad you like Raiden's Aspect ;) It was one of our favourites to design.]
I froze over the keyboard for a moment.
"Um… okay? Ignoring everything else I said?"
But they replied a second later.
[GateOfAvalon: The problem is that we've lost a crucial part of the final piece while the world was developing. A family that was eradicated before the story started, nothing we can do about it.]
[GrandmasterBum: So when can you resolve this?]
[GateOfAvalon: Idk (Shrug emoji.)]
I almost smashed my laptop there. These people can't be serious.
I got up and paced around my room quickly, feet tapping against the cool, wooden floor.
Once I felt calm enough, I came back and slowly typed.
[GrandmasterBum: Aren't you the writer of the story?]
[GateOfAvalon: Yeah?]
[GrandmasterBum: THEN MAKE UP SOME BULLSHIT AND GET BACK TO THE STORYLINE!]
What the hell is this?!
You're telling me they couldn't find any solutions in ten years!
[GrandmasterBum: Why are you acting like anyone even cares?! Just say the mcguffin floated across the ocean to Kai while he was fucking fishing! Omg, you guys are so incompetent!]
[GatofAvalon: Do you think you can do better?.]
This pretentious prick! I'm going to rip out my fucking hair!
[GrandmasterBum: Yes. Yes, I can obviously do better! Give me the rights, and I'll make something up. I'd rather die than leave the story in your hands for any longer!]
Fellow obsessive players of Gate of Avalon began to gather as they saw sudden activity on this forum.
[DegenerateOne: What the hell! They actually replied?!]
[GreenHatGiver: Damn, bro is chewing them out.]
[SonOfAvalon: Please. I'll trade my firstborn for a new Chapter. He's like five now, he can be useful.]
[StardewEnjoyer: Bro, why are you so angry? There are thousands of games to play. Stop obsessing over it.]
My anger reared its head again, and I was about to eviscerate that last guy when the devs responded again.
[GateOfAvalon: Thank god. We were really lost on how to fix this. But if you'd rather die than leave it in our hands….]
[GateOfAvalon: Then die.]
What the—
CRASH!
I only had a second to look up before my life ended.
The thundering crash got me on my feet. Plaster and white dust poured down like a waterfall as my roof collapsed. Something brown and wide fell through the ground. It happened so fast, I barely turned up when everything went black.
Is that a piano?
There was no pain. My vision just went black. All sound faded away, like I was falling into an endless pit.
◇◇◇
In the apartment room, the laptop screen still glowed in the darkness, illuminating a piano on top of a crushed body.
On the screen, a new reply to the review popped up.
[StardewEnjoyer: No response? Did he get scared?]
[GateOfAvalon: Nah, he's just gone to work. Hope he can live up to all his big talk, haha.]
[StardewEnjoyer: Nice. So about the new chapter…]
[GateOfAvalon: Uhhhh. Bye.]
The laptop screen went dark without anyone touching it. Uninterrupted silence returned to the apartment.