Part 10 (Final?)
I don't know how long I've been typing.
Minutes?
Hours?
Days?
My fingers hurt.
My brain feels numb.
All I see is the screen.
"…"
"still here"
"don't stop"
The other two players are still going.
Barely.
Their messages are slower now.
Shorter.
Like they're fading.
One of them types:
"i cant"
They stop.
Just for a second.
"eliminated"
Gone.
Just like that.
Now it's just me…
And one other person.
Their messages come in:
"we got this"
"just keep typing"
I try to respond.
But my hands feel heavy.
Everything feels delayed.
I type:
"…"
They reply:
"don't give up"
For a moment…
It almost feels normal.
Like we're just two people trying to outlast something stupid.
Like it's just a game again.
Then their messages slow.
More.
More.
A long pause.
Too long.
I stare at the screen.
No.
No no no.
Type.
TYPE.
Then—
"…"
Too late.
"eliminated"
They disappear.
Silence.
Complete silence.
I stop typing.
I don't even realize I stopped.
I just… did.
My hands fall still.
I look at the screen.
Nothing happens.
No "eliminated."
No message.
Just quiet.
Then—
A new message appears.
From "Server."
"winner"
I don't feel like a winner.
Another message:
"reward granted"
My screen flickers.
Everything resets.
Channels back.
Users back.
Messages flooding in like nothing ever happened.
"lol that was weird"
"did the server lag???"
"anyone wanna vc?"
They don't remember.
Of course they don't.
I check the member list.
Everyone is there.
Alive.
Normal.
Like none of it happened.
Except…
Me.
I look at my roles.
Admin.
Above that…
A new role.
Higher than everything.
"Server"
My heart drops.
A final message appears.
From "Server."
But this time…
It's from me.
"moderate."
I stare at the screen.
Hands shaking.
Because I understand now.
The server didn't choose me randomly.
It didn't trap me.
It didn't test me.
It trained me.
And now…
I'm not just the mod anymore.
I'm the one watching.
I close Discord.
Slowly.
But before the app shuts—
I see someone type:
"can I be mod?"
I smile.
Just a little.
And whisper to myself:
"you don't want this."