Faraway
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91Chapter 7
Music track: With You by Luke Bergs & AgusAlvarez
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
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Having to stay a few hours in class after its long lecture about math, Sunny was later spared of being stuck here throughout the entire night when the professor suddenly changed his heart in letting him go. And suffice to say, he can't feel happier about being granted this mercy she offered.
But the one thing he couldn't shake off was the dream he had—the deep feeling of flying through the skies with someone guiding his hand. It was an experience he had never felt before in the longest time. As he walked outside of the building and onto the water fountain in front of him, he sighs happily to see the light still shining at him from above.
"Thank goodness." A smile graced his lips at the sight of a blue, clear sky. "It's not night," he doesn't want to imagine being trapped inside the darkened classroom. "I'm free," he muttered to himself.
"Finally, I'm free." The thought alone makes him feel as if he were a bird set loose from the cage. "Now what?" His response came out of the blue, lost in what to do since he was no longer bound to a single place, which is the classroom itself. Not like he even cared about learning in the first place.
A faint memory entered his mind: "Right," how hadn't he remembered? Mei and Lei are going to pick him up, so it would be better to just stay here; however, would he want that? Sitting in this crowded place with dozens of annoying people walking around him was not his idea of fun, let alone passing the time.
"No," he decided, "I'll find a better spot to wait for them." Walking away from the place, Sunny exited the campus and headed outside to the main, busy streets of the city, saying, "I'll come back when I feel like," expressing confidence in his decision.
Being in the heart of the city has its own perks and downsides. On one hand, there was the constant noise of people talking, the honking of cars, and the smell of exhaust fumes.
On the other hand, the bright lights of the shops, the busy people walking by, and the sheer amount of life that was present in this one place. He could feel the energy of the people—their hopes and dreams, desires and fears—and it all made him feel alive. It was the perfect place to be lost in his thoughts.
Walking not far from the entrance of the school, he then went to the lone bench where Sunny sat and placed his shoulder bag on the side, pulling out his earphones before plugging them in his ears as he took out his phone and began to play music in high volume, drowning out the sounds of the world.
The song of choice? Something calming—something to make him feel at peace as well as to blend in with the emotions he felt in the dream he had. It's the least he can do to remove the worrying emotions inside of him.
The emotion of being caught red-handed by his professor, which is falling asleep in class, Something he swore to never do again.
But the fact remained: he did, and it was a mistake he couldn't even begin to explain. How was he supposed to concentrate in the first place with the way his mind was wandering all over the place? It was like a storm, raging without any control. It is not his fault that her class is damn boring; seriously, why would anyone be interested in whatever crap she is teaching?
He's just a regular guy, nothing special, and he had no desire to go out of his way to become some well-known, famous person, no matter how tempting it might be. What he truly wants in this life he has now is to be left alone to his own devices, letting him do whatever the hell he wants without any judgement.
That's all he ever asked for, and he was pretty sure it's not too much to ask for.
"I just know I have to be with you~♪"
Sunny followed the lyrics of this song while playing a shooter game on his phone, where he fights against a team of soldiers as they must defend the flag from being captured.
"Thought I sitting the breakfast on my bed~♪"
Singing along with the tune, the young man felt a sense of calm wash over him, the chaos of the city blending into the background, where the only thing that mattered was the melody and the beat of the music.
Smiling happily, "I'm glad I'm here," he murmured, looking up to the sky. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he wondered, feeling a connection to the vastness of the universe itself.
When he was a child, Sunny always loved the sight of the stars twinkling in the night sky, the same way the people in his dream did. "I promise to never forget the beauty of it," he vowed. "I'll remember this moment forever," he added, taking a deep breath before dissociating himself from reality.
"Mom..."
While the music continues to play, he will never forget his mom. How sweet and kind she was to him, always making sure he was well fed and happy. Her voice was warm and gentle, full of love and care. It was a memory he never allowed himself to feel—the pain of losing her every since the world became the way it is.
How he could've given anything to have her back, to see her smile once more. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm so, so sorry," tears filling his eyes. "I miss you," he confessed. The words came out broken, choked with grief.
It honestly hurts to be reminded by someone close to him, especially since so many years have passed. Sunny finds it better to just not remember her, but no matter what, she always finds a way to slip into his mind, reminding him of the family he's lost.
"But I'll be okay, mom," he promised. "I'll make you proud, I'll survive, and I'll protect those who can't protect themselves," he swore, "so don't worry, I'll be alright," the last part a silent plea to the universe to keep his mother's spirit intact.
Then he noticed his game icons blinking, signaling a message. "Mei," he said with surprise, "I can't quit the game though," sweat pouring down his face as he watched his own team die horribly from the enemies. "I'll be right there," he replied, ending the call.
"I gotta finish this," he muttered to himself, hoping they would understand the reason why he was taking so long. Hopefully, the sisters will arrive late to the campus because that would be a godsend. "Just a little bit longer; that's all I need."
Tapping away the message, he went back to the game before selecting a sniper position. "This is it, the perfect spot," he thought as he scanned the area within a deserted road full of destroyed vehicles and broken buildings. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in his own skill.
"The perfect shot," he aimed the gun at an enemy soldier, "got you bastard." However, what he didn't notice was someone running up to him from behind. "Shit!" It was too late, as his character fell to the ground, the screen turning red.
"Oh, come on!" Sunny exclaimed, frustrated, "I was winning!" he couldn't believe it. "I'm not done yet," he muttered, slamming his palm to the bench, causing the phone to fall to the floor. "Darn it," he cursed, bending down to pick it up.
He glared at the screen. "I'm not giving up; I'll play again." He gritted his teeth. "I'm not done," he repeated, refusing to accept defeat. He is the best sniper in this game, and no one can tell him otherwise.
"I'll show them," he declared, tapping the screen to start the game anew. "I'm going to win this time," he mumbled. "With or without my team," he added. "Bring it on; I'll prove myself."
In a matter of minutes, his character was back from the start, with his new team standing beside him. The round timer appeared on top of his screen, displaying thirty seconds before the match began. It is game on, and now he is ready to face whatever challenge is facing him in this match. I'm hoping that the people he joined don't stink up the game.
The round started, and the battle began. A sharp crack of the gunfire filled the air, a cacophony of bullets and explosions erupting around his team as they quickly ducked for cover.
"What?!" Why are they targeting their spawn? Is someone hacking? "They can't do that? Can they?" Sunny is sure it's impossible in this post-apocalypse city map the game recently picked for them. Trying to make sense of the situation, he decided to take the chance, firing at the enemy with his AWP, trying to regain the upper hand regardless of the unfairness of the game.
He felt upset by the fact that they managed to get into their safe zone. "The game is bugged or something," sighing in disbelief, Sunny scanned the screen. "I'll just have to adapt," he decided, changing his tactics. "If we can't play by the rules, then we'll make our own."
He grinned at this challenge, jumping out from the cover, the AWP in his hands. He vowed to take out as many of the enemies as he could. "Let's see how far I can go,he thought, a fire of determination burning in his heart.
His character was now sprinting out in the open, exposed to the enemy's line of sight. The once-peaceful desert road had now transformed into a warzone, with the deafening roar of gunfire and explosions echoing in the distance.
In the midst of the chaos, his character moved with grace and precision, the red dot of his AWP rifle steadily tracking the moving targets. Here and there, he could hear the panicked screams of his teammates, but he blocked them out, focusing solely on the task at hand.
The HUD flickered with information, health, ammo, and time dwindling away, but he paid no heed to the countdown. Instead, he was in a state of flow, the world around him fading into the background as his fingers danced over the touchscreen with expert finesse.
Each pull of the trigger, a symphony of destruction, and the satisfying crunch of the virtual bodies hitting the ground were music to his ears. His character's adrenaline is pumping, the heartbeat flashing on the screen, mirroring the thrum of his own racing heart. He was in his element, the world of the game melding seamlessly with the reality of Sunny, the lines were blurring.
Taking out as many of the seemingly unending waves of enemies as he could, each kill bringing a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. With the clock ticking down and the match nearing its end, he was well aware of the futility of his actions.
But he pressed on, playing the game with the intensity of a man fighting for his life. Taking down a staggering number of opponents, his character stood tall amidst the wreckage. He couldn't help the smirk that tugged at the corners of his lips.
The unfairness of the match only served to make the victory sweeter. His fingers flew over the screen, and once again, he dove headfirst into the chaos, the adrenaline coursing through his veins and the thrill of the fight invigorating him.
Then the entire chat on the enemy team begin to go wild, calling him a cheater or hacker, but he didn't pay any mind because Sunny knows the truth. He was just a really good player, and that was all to it. The final countdown flashed on the screen, the last few moments ticking away. Tasting the tears of these upset players that were spamming the chat about how he was a noob, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and satisfaction.
"Cheater!"
"This guy must be hacking!"
"I'm reporting him to the moderators!"
Despite their cries, he felt the game was no longer just a game. It had become a testament to his resilience, a metaphor for the fight he'd been waging against all odds in the real world. The virtual battlefield is a reflection of the one he navigated daily.
And, in the eye of the storm, he found his strength. As the city continued to buzz with energy and noise, Sunny remained seated on the lone bench, his focus now entirely on the game in his hands. The rhythmic beat of the music faded into the background, replaced by the crack of gunfire and the sound of explosions from the virtual world.
In his mind's eye, the post-apocalyptic cityscape morphed and shifted as he led his team through the battered ruins, his finger agile as he navigated the touchscreen with ease. Each kill, each victory—a small triumph against the odds—is a testament to his indomitable spirit.
When the screen finally blinked to black, the game was over, showing his team as the winners in this match and giving him great joy. "Yes!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. "We did it! We pulled it off, despite the odds!"
Taking out his earphones, he placed them and his phone back into his pockets, a bright smile plastered on his face, grinning ear to ear at how much he had just accomplished.
Stretching his arms, he leaned back with hands over his back neck as Sunny looked up at the morning sky, a sense of peace washing over him. However, that peace came to an abrupt end when he heard a scream coming from an alleyway across the streets.
"Huh?"
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