Chapter 4

The rejection sent them into a rage. Ethan had expected it. What he hadn't expected was the speed and viciousness of their retaliation.

Within hours, Sarah was live on her stream, her face a carefully constructed mask of sorrow and betrayal.

"I tried, you guys," she said, her voice cracking. "I really tried to help him. I reached out. Mark and I, we offered him a partnership, a way to bring his ideas to a bigger audience. A real audience."

She paused, letting the drama build.

"He refused. He... he threatened us. He said he' d rather see his project die than work with people who are actually successful. I think... I think the failure of his first game really broke something inside him. It' s so sad."

Mark, playing the role of the supportive partner, chimed in on the chat from his official account. `It' s true. We just wanted to help an old friend. He became very aggressive. We' re worried about him.`

It was a masterclass in manipulation. They painted him as an unstable, bitter failure and themselves as benevolent saints. Their millions of followers, who had no reason to doubt them, flooded social media with hashtags like #PrayForEthan and #GamersSupportSarah. It was a smear campaign disguised as a wellness check.

Ethan watched it all unfold with a detached sense of finality. He didn't bother to defend himself. A war of words was a battle he couldn't win. He had only one weapon: his work.

He posted a simple message to his Discord community. "Final warning from them. Now, back to work. Release date coming soon."

His small community rallied behind him, their trust absolute. They saw the truth because they were part of the process. They saw the code, they saw the passion. They knew who he was.

A few days later, Ethan left his apartment for the first time in weeks. He needed to clear his head. As he walked toward a local coffee shop, he saw them. Sarah and Mark, stepping out of a sleek, black car. They were swarmed by a small group of people.

At first, he thought they were fans. But their faces weren't filled with adoration. They were filled with anger.

"You sold us a broken game!" one of them shouted, holding up his phone. "The DLC is full of bugs!"

"And the microtransactions are a scam!" another yelled. "You promised new content, not new ways to take our money!"

It was a group of disgruntled "Chrono Rift" players. The initial hype for the "Shattered Isles" DLC had faded, replaced by the reality of a rushed, greedy product. The cracks were starting to show, and the people who had paid for the illusion were getting angry.

Sarah' s smile was gone, replaced by a panicked look. Mark stepped in front of her, puffing out his chest.

"Hey, back off!" he snarled. "We delivered the most successful game of the year. If you can' t afford a few optional items, that' s your problem. We' re visionaries, we' re innovators!"

He was actually trying to bully his own customers. The arrogance was breathtaking.

As they argued, Ethan felt a buzz in his pocket. It was a notification from an encrypted messaging app. A single message from a contact named "Oracle."

`It' s almost time. The exposé is scheduled for Friday.`

Oracle was the lead investigative journalist at "Press Start to Play," a major gaming news outlet known for its integrity. They had contacted Ethan weeks ago, having noticed the suspicious circumstances around "Aetheria' s" launch. He had given them everything. The entire "Reckoning" folder.

Friday. The storm was coming.

Ethan looked back at Sarah and Mark, who were now being shielded by a hired bodyguard as they pushed their way through the angry players. They were so busy fighting a small fire they had no idea a tidal wave was about to hit them.

In that moment, Ethan made a decision. He wasn't going to hide and wait for the exposé to save him. He was going to face the storm on his own terms.

He walked back to his apartment, a new resolve hardening in his chest. He opened his community Discord and a text editor.

He looked at the calendar. The exposé was set for Friday. He would light the fuse himself.

He typed out a new announcement.

"Thank you for your faith in me. The time has come to show the world what we' ve built together. 'Aetheria 2.0' will launch this Thursday at midnight."

He was releasing his game the day before their world came crashing down. It was a final, silent act of defiance. He was no longer reacting to them. He was taking control of his own story. He hit send, the message flying out to his small but fiercely loyal community.

Let them have their drama. Let them have their lies. He had a game to launch.