Masks are, without a doubt, one of the greatest inventions of humanity.
They hide scars, doubts and let even the most pathetic cowards pretend as if they are someone worth admiring.
I have worn more masks than I can count.
There was the mask of an orphan boy.
Then came the mask of a so-called genius game developer, the one who created the highest-grossing game in the country.
And now, well… Now I wear the mask of the youngest billionaire in the country.
The game I created, "Legacy: Rewritten", had just broken through the international barriers, becoming the best seller across the whole world.
… And yet, I didn't find the happiness I once as a child dreamed of having.
So why am I ranting like some melodramatic anime protagonist about to awaken their god-tier cheat skill at the brink of death?
Because I'm literally about to die.
Some lunatic just stripped in the middle of my interview.
And while I wouldn't normally have objected to spontaneous public nudity if it was some gorgeous woman who did that… but this particular nutjob had a very large and real bomb strapped to his chest.
Now, how could a person end up in such a ridiculous situation?
I, myself, didn't know the answer to that question just this morning when I woke up to the thousands of notifications from people I didn't even know about, congratulating me.
Naturally, I was confused.
I mean, yeah, I am someone worth congratulating for simply existing but this idiotic world had never truly appreciated my value before.
So what changed?
Then I saw the newspaper and on its front page an image of a ridiculously handsome young man…
… Who else but me, obviously.
It was accompanied by a bold headline.
[RAEL ASTRALIS HAD MADE HISTORY!! CONGRATULATING THE BIRTH OF THE YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRE OF THE COUNTRY!!]
My eyes widened as I scanned the headline.
What the—?
"How am I looking so perfect in this picture?"
That was genuinely the first thing that crossed my mind.
Because let's be honest, me becoming a billionaire was never a question of if. It was just a matter of time.
I mean, I was the creator of the country's top-grossing game… and just yesterday, my company entered the international market.
It seemed to have boosted the stocks to a whole another level. And I, being the majority shareholder, well, you get the picture, right?
That was the beautiful morning I woke up to.
Immediately, hundreds of TV channels wanted my interview and to know what my future plans were.
Naturally, I asked my secretary to arrange a press conference.
I had something important for the company to announce anyway.
And this… was supposed to be that conference.
But just as I was about to speak, a lunatic barged in.
"Why did you do that?"
His voice was genuinely heartbroken as if I had stolen his wife or something.
Now, I'm not the kind of man who remembers every single crime I have committed, mainly because I haven't committed any.
But I still gave it a good minute of thought, just in case I had, I don't know, insulted his fashion sense on social media or cursed him as 'baldy' in school days.
But nothing came to my mind.
So, I asked my bodyguards to remove the gentleman from the premises… and maybe teach him some basic manners along the way.
But that dude started stripping his clothes right in front of hundreds of cameras.
At first, everyone was shocked… then came the awkward laughter as if they thought this was some big prank.
Hell, even I thought this was some unique PR stunt from my staff.
Finally, when everyone saw the multiple bombs on the man's body… their laughter stopped completely.
They started screaming and running towards the nearest exit they could find.
Hell, even my bodyguards, the highly trained professionals I paid far too much for, abandoned me without a shred of hesitation
But I stayed rooted to my spot.
Not because my fear of death had vanished.
I mean, I was still very much afraid of dying, but I stood because running was pointless.
There were multiple industrial-grade bombs on his body, enough to flatten the whole building… and maybe even a few surrounding blocks.
And I was the target. If I so much as try to move, that bastard would definitely press the trigger.
So yeah, running away was useless.
Honestly, I was even more curious about how the hell he got past security in the first place.
But now wasn't the time.
Right now, the most important thing was to hope he wouldn't press whatever trigger he was holding.
Or, if the universe was feeling particularly generous, maybe I could convince him to step away from his mutual suicidal tendency.
But fate, that petty little bitch hated me with the passion.
Still, I knew one thing… When Fate decides to screw you over, you should never moan because it'll think you are enjoying it and just go harder.
So, I controlled myself from cursing whoever was writing my fate and calmly looked towards the guy, trying to convince him to die somewhere else where I wasn't present.
"What did I do?"
That was the simple question I asked him.
But his reply had been anything but simple.
"You slept with my wife, you bitch."
"…"I'm sorry—what?"
The man laughed bitterly.
"I already lost everything I held dear. She deleted every photo of us the night after she met you. You erased me with one smile."
"…Hey, wait—"
… But before I could clarify it or even pretend to remember what he was talking about, that bastard pressed the trigger.
My heart started pounding… louder.
Everything was silenced. Time slowed enough for me to see a massive shockwave of fire coming towards me as if it wanted to embrace me.
And in that suspended moment before death, I had just one thought:
What a ridiculous reason to die?
And
BOOM!!
The shockwave collided with me.
I felt immense pain as my body started melting and everything went numb.
And only at my final moment, I understood,
The trick was never to wear a mask…
…it was to remember who you are underneath it.