Chapter 25:
The door creaked as Rayn stepped into the house, his school bag slumping to the floor. Another regular day—lectures, laughter, whispers about ranks and win streaks. In the corridor, a boy had been bragging about reaching Mythic again.
Rayn didn't say a word. He just listened and walked past.
At home, he slid into his seat, booted up Legends of Dawn, and tapped into a new match. Just one to clear his head.
He selected Calyn, the support mage. Quiet, balanced, and smart. The kind of hero most players overlooked, but Rayn liked how much control she offered.
The game started smoothly. His rotations were tight, vision placement perfect. He pinged early threats, shielded allies just in time, and set up a clean fight near Lord with a single, smart zone.
Victory.
He exhaled. No one praised him. That was fine.
Just as he was about to close the app, a notification popped up.
Friend Request: Aether_77
Rayn blinked.
He tapped the profile: Grandmaster rank. Jungle main. High win rate.
Another notification followed.
Message: "Were you the Calyn in my match two days ago? You pinged Lord trap before my gank. Was that luck or... skill?"
Rayn didn't reply. But after a moment, he accepted the request.
The screen flicked again.
Game Invite: Aether_77 wants to team up.
Rayn hesitated... then tapped Accept.
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In the lobby, a mic lit up.
> "Yo! You joined! Let's gooo," the voice rang with friendly energy. "I'll jungle — unless you want it?"
Rayn quietly picked Calyn again.
> "Support it is! Alright then, mystery teammate," Aether laughed. "Strong and silent type. I like that."
The match started.
Rayn didn't talk. He never did.
Aether talked enough for both of them — joking mid-game, calling rotations, even hyping up the team when someone died.
Rayn focused. He placed wards, shielded Aether's dives, and used zoning magic to set up team fights. They weren't dominating, but they were in sync.
At 12 minutes, they secured Lord and pushed the base together.
Victory.
> "Yo… solid game," Aether typed at the end. "We should duo more."
Rayn stared at the chat.
Then typed back:
> "Okay."
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