Two years ago everything fell apart in one night. The hospital called after midnight to say their parents were gone, no warning, no goodbye, just a nurse telling him to bring documents the next day.
Luis sat on his bed with the dead phone line pressed to his ear, hoping the call would come back with different news. Nothing happened.
A light flashed over his pillow instead.
[System initializing...]
[User: Luis Alvarez]
[Status: Active]
He stared at the floating screen until his eyes burned. Eighteen, broke, suddenly the head of the house, and now some fake game wanted him to run missions. He wanted to smash it, needed his mom, needed literally any adult to handle this.
The only sound he got was Lulu choking on a sob in the hallway. Luis swiped the window away, wiped his face with both hands, and went to the twins. He held them until sunrise, telling them they would be okay even though he knew it was a lie.
The days after that blurred together. Wake up at four, make toast that burned on one side, tie Lulu's braids, fix Lisa's ripped pocket, drop them at school, sprint to his shift, act like everything was fine, go home, fight the bills, repeat until the week disappeared.
Every time he blinked, the system floated near the ceiling.
[Mission Available]
[Pay rent in 5 days]
[Reward: $400]
He hit accept. He needed the money. The mission gave him overtime and some random tip from a stranger. It kept the lights on. It didn't fix the crack that opened up in his chest.
He hoped his girlfriend would. Naledi used to say he was the calm one. She liked how steady he was. So he called her. He told her about the funeral, the system, the way he felt like he was drowning.
"Luis, I can't do this," she said. "I didn't sign up to be a mother at eighteen."
The line went dead.
He watched his cracked phone screen until another timer popped up.
[00:12:09]
The numbers meant nothing; they ticked on while his chest stayed empty. He whispered "stay" to a girl who was already gone. No answer.
That night he sat on the living room floor with bills spread out like trash, hands shaking too much to hold the pen. Lulu padded in with her blanket wrapped around her shoulders and sank down beside him without a word.
"You should sleep," he said.
"You should too," she muttered, leaning on him.
Lisa shuffled in with a warm juice box, shoved it into his hand, and told him to drink because he was useless when he was dehydrated.
Luis laughed even though tears were already rolling down his face. He pulled them close and finally cried for real. The twins just held on until his breathing slowed.
The system dimmed in the corner.
[Timer paused]
Luis got it then. The missions and rewards were just background noise. The only thing keeping him upright was the weight of his sisters leaning on him. Everyone else left, but they were still there.
He wiped his face, kissed their heads, and spoke into their hair.
"We got this," he said. "Even if it's just us."
The system stayed blank, but he believed himself for the first time since the phone call.