Ambergris Locakboxes Traveled Salt Routes by Hugh Calder 53

Chapter Fifty–Three: It Can Never Happen.

Azura was one of the most active players online.

Everyone knew him.

He logged in almost every day, sometimes for hours, sometimes all night. His name carried weight in the gaming community. His win records were impressive, and many new players looked up to him. Some feared him. Others admired him.

But there was one name that always changed the game.

NULLWRAITH.

Anytime NULLWRAITH appeared online, the entire game atmosphere shifted. Strategies failed. Strong players panicked. Confident players made careless mistakes.

And Azura?

Azura always lost.

That was exactly what was happening right now.

Cassienne leaned back against her gaming chair, one leg folded under her, the glow from the screen reflecting softly on her face. Her fingers were relaxed now. The match was over. She had already won.

Again.

The chat box was exploding with messages that caused confusion, shock, and arguments

Cassienne scanned through the comments, her lips curling into a slow smile. This was the part she enjoyed the most not the win, but the chaos that followed.

Azura had typed angrily, accusing her of being a robot.

Cassienne laughed quietly.

“A robot?” she murmured. “That’s new.”

Another player replied almost immediately.

[This is not a robot, Azura. You just can’t believe there’s someone who can beat you. Accept defeat and move on.]

The message came from a player named NYX.

Cassienne liked that.

The conversation quickly turned heated.

Some players defended Azura, saying it was impossible for one player to be this consistent.

Others defended NULLWRAITH, saying skill like that didn’t come from luck or cheating.

Messages flew in rapidly, filling the screen. Cassienne laughed again, louder this time.

She had caused all of this without saying a single word.

That was her power.

Chapter Fifty–Three It Can Naver Happen

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She didn’t need to explain herself. She didn’t need to prove anything. Her gameplay spoke for her.

Her phone suddenly beeped.

Cassienne frowned slightly and glanced at it. The first thing she noticed wasn’t the message–it was the time.

2:00 a.m.

Her eyes widened.

“What?” she whispered.

She hadn’t even noticed the hours passing.

With a sigh, she shut down her computer system, the screen going dark. The room instantly felt quieter, and emptier. She picked up her phone and padded toward her bed, her movements slow now as sleep finally caught up with her.

She climbed into bed and pulled the blanket over herself.

A yawn escaped her lips.

She was just about to close her eyes when she remembered the message notification.

She unlocked her phone again.

And froze.

The caller ID stared back at her.

It was Dreston.

Her heart skipped.

“What does he want now?” she muttered.

She tapped the message.

[Sleeping?]

Cassienne scoffed softly. Sleeping? At this hour? She typed back before she could overthink it.

Not yet.

The reply came almost instantly.

[Me too. Couldn’t sleep. Just playing games.]

Cassienne frowned at the screen. Playing games? She stared at the message longer than necessary. Dreston used to play games back in high school.

They used to play together–after classes, on weekends, during holidays. Gaming had been one of the few things that truly connected them. He understood her style. He understood how her mind worked.

Or at least… he used to.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind, making her sit up slightly.

Was Dreston one of the players I just played with?

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If that was true, then it meant one thing, He wasn’t as good as he used to be.

Cassienne swallowed.

Back then, Dreston had been the only one who could predict her moves. The only one who truly understood her

patterns.

Did he still remember?

Another message appeared.

[I read some comments online about you. Didn’t know you still play.]

Cassienne’s eyes widened. Her breath caught.

He remembered.

“Shit,” she whispered. Her mind raced.

Did he know? Did he suspect? Was he connecting the dots?

Fear crawled up her spine–not fear of exposure, but fear of him knowing her world. This part of her life was private and sacred

She didn’t reply.

Instead, she turned off her phone and lay back down, staring at the ceiling.

Her heart beat loudly in her chest. Why was she reacting like this? She wasn’t his wife anymore, so she didn’t owe him anything

With a frustrated sigh, she sat up again and grabbed her phone.

“This is stupid,” she told herself.

She turned it back on.

As the phone booted up, a small smile tugged at her lips.

What does he think of me now? she wondered.

Did he still see her as that girl who amazed him? The one who always surprised him? The one he used to brag about to his friends?

Back then, he gave her so much credit. His friends liked her because she always made their team win.

The phone chimed. Then Cassienne unlocked it. But her chest tightened the moment she saw the notifications.

Two missed calls from My Heartbeat.

She stared at the contact name. She never changed it. Her fingers hovered over the screen. Why was he calling her this late?

Her thoughts warned her to stop. But her body betrayed her. Before she knew it, her finger tapped his name.

The call was already ringing.

“Shit,” she cursed softly. “What now?”

Chapter Fifty The Crin Nav Hoppo

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She was about to cancel when his voice came through.

“Cassienne?”

Her heart stopped immediately, and her eyes blinked twice as reality hit her.

“Uh… yes,” she replied quickly. “I missed your call. Are you okay?”

The words slipped out too easily. She wanted to slap herself.

What is wrong with me? she thought.

Why was it so hard to hate him?

“Yeah,” Dreston said. “I couldn’t sleep. And since you weren’t sleeping too, I thought maybe we could talk.”

Cassienne scoffed silently. Since when did he want to talk to her?

At this hour?

She shifted under the blanket.

“If you want to talk,” she said calmly, “then talk.”

“Oh, thank God,” he breathed out. “I thought you’d decline. I’m really happy you didn’t.”

His happiness annoyed her.

“So,” he continued, “about the game… Auralink just joined e–sports. I was thinking maybe you could join my team. Part–time.”

“No.”

She didn’t even think twice.

“No,” she repeated. “That’s not possible. My company is also involved. I’d be going against policy.”

“Oh,” he chuckled softly. “I get it. I’m just worried that if our companies meet at the upcoming tech expo, we might lose. Someone like you working with them… that’s scary.”

Cassienne’s lips pressed together.

“Since when do you see me as important?” she asked quietly. “As far as I know, you never really cared. Why now?”

Silence followed.

She had touched something sensitive.

“I’m sorry,” Dreston finally said. “If that’s how I made you feel. Just forget I mentioned it.”

Cassienne stayed quiet.

She had nothing to say now.

The silence stretched, making Dreston uncomfortable.

“I was thinking,” he said quickly, “can we go back to being friends? Like before? I don’t want you to hate me.”

Cassienne closed her eyes. She loved him. That truth hadn’t changed. But she was trying to move on. And now, he was making it harder.

Chapter Fifty–Three It Can Never Happen,

“Don’t you think that’s asking too much?” she asked softly.

“I’m sorry, Dreston,” she said after a pause. “It can never happen.”

She ended the call and the room fell silent again.

Cassienne lay back down, staring into the darkness.

Her heart hurt. But she knew she had done the right thing.

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