Chapter 1

The neon glow of the monitor reflected in Sarah's focused eyes, her headset blocking out the late-night silence of her dorm room.

Solo ranked, again.

Alpha Squad, her university team, rarely practiced this late.

Ethan, her boyfriend and team captain, was probably out.

She sighed, pushing the thought away, and queued for another match.

Her specialty was support, keeping Ethan, the star fragger, alive and dominant.

But tonight, she played DPS, her secret love.

The map loaded: a tight, urban environment.

Almost immediately, two enemy players singled her out.

They were coordinated, aggressive.

One kill. Two. Three.

Spawn. Die. Spawn. Die.

Twelve times.

A male voice crackled through the enemy team's voice chat, dripping with arrogance.

"Too easy. She's trash."

A girl giggled beside him.

That voice.

Sarah's blood ran cold.

It was Ethan.

And the giggle... Tiffy Hayes, the new girl on their extended roster, an influencer wannabe.

The match ended, a brutal loss for Sarah's side.

She ripped her headset off, hands shaking.

Ethan wouldn't. He couldn't.

Her monitor still showed the Discord screen share from their strategy session earlier.

Ethan's channel was active. He was still in a call.

His voice, clear now, not distorted by in-game chat.

"Man, that was hilarious. Did you see her panic?"

Tiffy's voice, saccharine sweet. "She's so bad, Ace. I don't know why you keep her around."

"Relax, Tiffy," Ethan said, a smugness in his tone that made Sarah's stomach churn. "Sarah's useful. Her support plays, her shot-calling? Flawless. She'll carry us through the early Collegiate Champions League qualifiers, no problem."

Another voice, one of Ethan's buddies, chimed in. "And then?"

"Then," Ethan chuckled, a low, cruel sound, "once we've got a solid playoff spot, Tiffy takes over. I'll sideline Sarah. Say she's cracking under pressure."

He paused, and Sarah could almost see the smirk on his face.

"After we win the tournament, I'll dump her. Make it public. 'Couldn't handle the big leagues.' It'll be perfect."

Tiffy giggled again. "Oh, Ace, you're terrible."

"She actually thinks we're gonna win together, build this dream," Ethan scoffed. "Her loyalty is pathetic, but damn, it's effective for now."

The words hit Sarah like physical blows.

Each syllable a fresh betrayal.

Her vision blurred. The room felt like it was closing in.

Her dream, their dream, was a lie.

She was just a tool.