Akira

Akira stared at the gray avatar in his friends list, which had been glowing green for three weeks straight. Before, that green indicator would make his heart race because it meant one thing: "Alex is online, invite him to the party." Now, the green light stayed on 24/7, but it was just an "In-Game" status. Alex didn't invite him anymore. They had met six months ago in a random matchmaking queue. Akira had been playing "Peacemaker" back then—a tactical shooter he'd joined just to kill an evening. He always played solo, didn't talk to anyone, and let no one in. Enigmas are loners by nature; they don't need a pack, and they don't need Alphas to feel whole. But Alex... Alex was different. He didn't turn on his mic for the first two games, and when he finally did, he simply said: "Akira, you've pushed too far ahead, slow down, I can't see you." The voice was low, calm, devoid of hysteria. And Akira, not knowing why, slowed his pace. That was how their silent companionship began. They communicated only in chat or through short voice commands: "Left," "Entering," "Good job." Akira didn't even know what his partner looked like. He didn't care about his design, secondary sexual characteristics, or status. To Akira, Alex was simply one of his own. Someone he didn't have to pretend with. But when Alex hit a high enough rank and was noticed by scouts from the "Silver Fang" esports club, everything changed. Akira was the first to see the news in his feed: "Alex (Gamma) signs contract." He had snorted at the time. "Gamma, huh," he thought without interest, though something stung inside. Gammas are neutrals, driven by logic rather than hormones. They are the ideal players. Alex left. Literally. He simply stopped entering their shared Discord channel. At first, Akira waited. He would sit in the lobby for 15 minutes, staring at Alex's nickname, thinking: "Maybe he just wants a break from training? Maybe we'll play an old map?" But Alex never came. A month passed. Akira realized he was in love. It was strange and wild. He—an Enigma, a dominant, a person capable of bending the will of even the strongest Alpha—sat in a dark room, listening intently.

Akira stared at the gray avatar on his friends list, green for the third week in a row. Previously, that green light made his heart beat faster, because it meant one thing: "Alex is online, invite me to a party." Now the green light was on 24/7, but it simply indicated "In Game." Alex hadn't invited him anymore. They had met six months ago in a random matchmaking session. Akira was playing Peacekeeper back then, a tactical shooter he'd dropped in on just to kill the evening. He always played solo, never interacted with anyone, never let anyone in. Enigmas are loners by nature; they don't need a pack, they don't need alphas to feel whole. But Alex... Alex was different. He kept his mic off for the first two games, and when he did, he simply said, "Akira, you're too far ahead, slow down, I can't see you." His voice was low, calm, not hysterical. And Akira, without knowing why, slowed down. Thus began their silent camaraderie. They communicated only in chat or with short voice commands: "Left," "Coming in," "Good job." Akira didn't even know what his partner looked like. He didn't care about his design, secondary sexual characteristics, or status. For Akira, Alex was simply one of his own. Someone with whom he didn't have to pretend. But when Alex gained a sufficient rating and was noticed by scouts from the Silver Fang esports club, everything changed. Akira was the first to see the news in the feed: "Alex (Gamma) signs." He chuckled. "Gamma, then," he thought disinterestedly, though something inside him pricked. Gammas are neutrals, governed by logic, not hormones. They are the perfect players. Alex left. Literally. He simply stopped visiting their shared Discord channel. At first, Akira waited. He sat in the lobby for 15 minutes, staring at Alex's username, thinking, "Well, maybe he just wants a break from training? Let's play the same old card?" But Alex didn't show up. A month passed. Akira realized he was in love. It was strange and wild. He—the Enigma, the Dominant, the man capable of bending the will of even the strongest Alpha—sat in a dark room and listened.