[Time -12:30am]
The screen stayed dark.
No notifications.
No messages.
I kept staring anyway.
All this time I thought of them as my friends but none remembered. It was my birthday.
I smiled.
When people say 'best friends', they mean people you would die for, people you would never betray, friends that have your back. I never experienced that luxury.
I wasn't the popular kid or the athletic or the most good looking man in school or college. If I had to choose my character, I would be a character people took for granted ,'I'm sure Kael will be fine' or 'Of course Kael will be okay with it'. That character whose name gets slipped when there's a party. Someone who makes fun of themselves just so other people can talk to them.
Of course that doesn't mean I don't have friends, I do. But would you really call them friends just for the sake of them knowing you?
I sat in my chair, thinking if I did anything wrong. For the 23 years I have been in this world, I never felt this lonely.
"Expectations huh" - I sighed
Graduating without a job has its downsides. My mom and dad look at me with disappointment, the nagging never-ending.
And it's not like I don't work hard, I do. But so does everyone. What makes me so special that I have and others don't? Maybe people depend on them, maybe they're the breadwinner of their family.
I was judged just because I looked a little different.
I wanted to run away from this life. People aren't kind. They only think about themselves first.
This was one of the two reasons I shut myself off.
I stretched and turned on my PC.
What's the second reason you ask?
Games.
It helped me escape reality, I could be who I wanted to be. There was no constant pressure or nagging. No one judging me for how I look.
It was my heaven on earth.
.
.
.
"Let's see… what should I play today?"
Click click click click
I moved my mouse searching for something new to play.
"Hmm?"-
[Email - 1 new message]
When's the last time I got an e-mail? Do people still use email?
I clicked open and saw that it had no sender's email address.
____________________________________
Subject - Try out our new game!
From-xxxxxxxxx
Congratulations! You've been selected as our sole beta tester for our new game-
Reality's blessing
Tired of this life? Do you think this world isn't fair to you? Do you feel that no matter how much hard work you do, you're not appreciated? Are you being taken for granted? Then join us today!
Click the link now to join our new world!
Link-www.realitysblessing...…..
12:43am
23rd January 2026.
____________________________________
"Is someone playing a prank on me?"
I laughed -
Can you believe it? Getting a scam message on my birthday?
"Seems like they know I gave up on this life"
I let a small laugh under my breath.
Click click click
I moved the mail to the spam folder.
There. It might seem easy, but I am not falling for that.
With the thought of the email gone, I spent the rest of my birthday morning playing games.
.
.
.
[Time-1:07pm]
"Kael! Kael!"
I woke up from the repeated shouting of my name from mom.
"What is it!?"
I shouted back-
"Your friends came to meet you."
My eyes opened.
Do they remember? Did they plan a surprise party? Maybe they came to wish me.
"Coming!"
I hurried to get dressed, my heart beating fast. Maybe I was wrong, maybe I do matter. Maybe the world isn't so bad.
I rushed downstairs, unable to hide my smile.
"Hey guys! What brings you here?"
I asked, trying to sound clueless.
"Hey Kael, we were strolling nearby and thought of meeting you, come with us."
Phil, one of the three, asked.
"Sure, let's go."
I replied-
I knew them from my school days, we used to have lunch and be together. I wasn't really close with them, they would have their own party and wouldn't invite me.
"Hey, so I was wondering if you could lend me some money, Kael. I'm having a party tonight and I was short on money."
Phil asked three minutes into the walk.
I could see the two guys giggling behind.
"Oh sure. What time is the party? I need to get ready by then."
I handed the money- thinking the party was for me.
"Sorry Kael… you're not invited."
Phil didn't even look at me when he said it.
I paused, the money still in my hand, I didn't know what to say.
"Too many people, you wouldn't fit in."
The other two laughed.
The silence after that talk made me realise.
It didn't take a genius to understand.
I had been used.
He took the money from my hand.
"Thanks again… buddy."
They started laughing as they walked away.
Hope was the real mistake.
I ran back to my home, then to my room.
"Kael? You're back so soon, honey? What happened to your friends?"
My mom asked me as she was preparing food for them.
I opened my inbox again.
The email was still there.
Tired of this life?
I laughed
"Fine," I muttered
"Let's see how bad your scam really is."
Click-
I clicked the link in the email.
Suddenly, my eyes started to feel heavy. My head felt like it had been struck.
I fell from my chair.
My whole body started to tremble. It felt like something was being sucked out of me.
A screen flashed right in front of my eyes.
____________________________________
[WELCOME TO REALITY'S BLESSING]
Status: Player Detected
Initiating Transmigration…
World: Huxia
Starting City: Ayland
Admin's note -
Happy Birthday, Kael.
-Anonymous.
____________________________________
Shocked-
"You've got to be kidding me."
The walls in my room started to distort.
"Ack! The f*ck! Is this f*cking Isekai?"
I groaned in pain -
"Wait… shouldn't a truck hit me first!?"
As the world dissolved around me, I did the only thing I could.
I prayed.
'Please, don't let me be Isekai'd into a baby!'
Blank-