The Path I Didn’t Choose

“I'm sorry, Dom,” I said, tears filling my eyes.

I felt awful after learning about his past. He was right, and he had every reason to distrust me.

In that moment, all I wanted was to share my memories with him and prove I wasn’t here to hurt anyone. But what memories? I wasn’t even sure of the things I knew. 

For the first time, I began to doubt myself.

“Did you hear everything, Rei? Are you still there?”

“Yes...”

I picked up my phone, went back to the call, and looked at Rei. He seemed both fearful and sad.

“Inertia, maybe this place is more dangerous than I thought. If you fall into the wrong hands, it’s over for us,” Rei said.

I thought the world now, in this future, would be less dangerous… maybe because of laws protecting life and forbidding homicide. But in the end, I sabotaged myself.

“Dom distrusts me, yet I trust them. I don’t even know why. Do you think I should be suspicious too? Am I just being immature?”

“Well… there’s no way they could have planned all this. I believe in them too, but after hearing that story, I’d still keep one foot back. Trust your instincts. If you feel you should run, then run,” he advised.

“Okay... Alba’s time in the machine is almost up.”

I ate, but I still didn’t feel full. I checked the other bags, and there wasn’t much left. It wouldn’t last a week.

A moment later, the timer went off, and Alba stepped out of the detox machine, walking toward me as she began to explain. “I couldn’t get much… there isn’t much food, but it’s enough to plant in Chefe’s land. Don’t worry. The only problem is the meat, we’ll have to stretch it as long as we can.”

“Was it hard to get the food? Do you think your dad might have suspected?” I asked, worried.

“I can’t rule that out. I was careful, but you know how he is… he tracks me. Every step I take is calculated. For now, though, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Alba was taking risks for me. I couldn’t imagine her being deceitful or dishonest. And when I thought about it, I really had no choice… for now, if I left, I’d die. All I could do was trust and wait.

And that’s exactly what I did.

***

When I realized it, morning had already come. I woke to the sound of the alarm on my old phone, which went off every day. Old phone, or ancient phone? Well… it was really old. My family couldn’t afford to buy a new one unless it was absolutely necessary, and I didn’t really care either.

I got up and went downstairs for breakfast before heading out. Toby seemed to have settled in with my family and had grown very attached to my younger sister. He was still skinny, but we were doing the best we could with the money we had at the time.

For Inertia, night had already fallen, while my day was just beginning. 

When I arrived at school, the first thing I did was head to Kei’s room to grab the earphones. I didn’t want to risk being kicked out again.

“Kei, did you bring them?” I asked.

“Good morning to you too. Here,” he said, handing me a small box with the earphones. I wasn’t sure about the quality, since I’d gone for the cheapest option, but at least they were small enough to hide from the teachers.

“Thanks, I’ll pay you later,” I told him before heading to my classroom.

At the door, I bumped into Eri. One of us had to go in first, so I stepped aside and gestured for her to go. But she just stood there and said,

“Rei, I need to talk to you. Can you wait for me after class?”

Is today the day the world ends? Or are we witnessing a miracle? I might be exaggerating, but Eri wanting to talk to me after an argument was the last thing I expected.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

“So, she’s the one you fought with?” Inertia butted in. She’d been quiet this whole time and suddenly decided to pop up now.

“Yes.”

I sat down with the new earphones, wearing only the left one since that was the side by the window.

“Hmm... Rei, don’t forget to keep your phone in the front pocket of your shirt. I want to see it too,” she added.

It felt like my morning had turned into the nightly soap opera for her, and for whoever else was with her. Dom still hadn’t come back, and Alba was busy organizing things for Inertia. I figured she must have been bored.

Class ended, and after saying goodbye to Eri, Saori left. Eri glanced at me before leaving as well. I took that as a sign she’d wait for me outside, so I packed up my things and followed.

She was waiting at the school gate, ready to walk home with me, even though she lived on the opposite side of town.

“Let’s go to the square,” she said as we headed to the one just a block from the school.

She stayed quiet, and I didn’t dare break the silence, even with the strange feeling it left hanging between us.

“Rei, I’m sorry.”

I could tell the silence came from an internal struggle. She was really forcing herself to say those words. Eri usually had strong opinions and rarely changed her mind when she believed she was right. Most of the time, that trait was a strength, since she used it to influence people in a positive way.

“I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean to offend you or your family. I just... I just didn’t want you to give up on your dream, even if it seems impossible to everyone else. You’ve been talking about it since you were a kid, and I know I shouldn’t have interfered in your life, but I crossed a line,” she admitted.

“Eri, there is no other option for me right now. My mom needs me, my family needs me,” I said.

“Your mom doesn’t know about this yet?”

“Not yet, but it’s already settled, she doesn’t need to know. She forbade me from working this year, but next year I have no way out.”

“I understand... I promise I won’t bring this up again. I’m sorry,” she said, apologizing once more.

“Thank you. It’s okay, Eri.”

She didn’t seem ready to give up yet, but I had no choice except to follow this path in life.

Well, my dream was different, yet in many ways very similar to Dom’s.

I’ve always been a fan of online games, like most people, but unlike the majority, I had above-average skills and often stood out in the rankings.

For most people, personal tastes and hobbies tend to change over time or remain just a form of entertainment, and in the meantime, decisions about which career path to follow also emerge, usually one that offers a more traditional direction.

In my case, while still in my teens, I was invited to join a team in a popular game, and fortunately, I was able to earn money as a professional player. But, unfortunately, a few years later the company went bankrupt, the game was shut down, and my contract was terminated. Around that same time, my dad decided to abandon our family, leaving my mom to support us on her own. I tried to keep making money on the side through gaming, but it wasn’t enough, so I gave up on that dream.

Last year, I began studying in another field, one that could bring in money more quickly. Since the future is uncertain, I decided that if I don’t get into college, I’ll work wherever I can.

Last week — I don’t even remember how we got on the subject — but Eri found out what I was planning to do, and we started arguing. She was trying to defend me, but ended up bringing up my dad in the wrong way.

I didn’t want to give up on my future as a professional player, but I had no other option. Unlike my dad, I didn’t give up out of cowardice; I gave up so that we could have a decent life.

“Well, I’m heading out now, Rei. I really hope you can forgive me,” she said as she said goodbye, and then we went our separate ways.

For the moment, I felt like everything was okay. Despite being stubborn, Eri is a good person, always trying to make a positive impact on those around her, and I was no exception.

“I’m glad everything worked out in the end, Rei. I still don’t know what happened, but you seem to have good friends,” Inertia said.

“Yes, they are.”

Inertia felt like a second consciousness now, an omnipresent presence.

Either way, I was no longer alone.

End of Report 12