3 Game World 0: Aectaeon Foester (2)

The voice wasn't even the least bit cordial. If anything, it was as cold as the winter night air. However, Aectaeon's concern wasn't related to how the man sounded. Hell, he didn't even care about the man's appearance that embodied the word bizarre. The only thing that he wanted to address was how the man knew his name.

Aectaeon tried to heave a sigh, yet it got caught up in his throat. He was too exhausted, disgruntled above that, to confront someone who merely made his day even worse. The man then closed his eyes to calm himself down.

'There isn't much that I can do at this point. I don't know if this person is a loan shark or not. I just want to go home and get a good night's sleep. I should answer his questions to get this over with.'

Once he was done, Aectaeon halted his contemplation right away. For a second time, he took a deep breath and faced the uncanny mien of the individual behind him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. What games?" He asked, exasperation evident in his voice.

"Why are you making it sound like you're not aware? You know them. RPG's, FPS, Simulators, Action-adventure, and a whole lot of other genres. They're all over this land!"

As the man spoke, the gestures he was doing were exaggerated, to say the least. It was as if he was drawing enormous scribbles in the air. That alone would make him look eccentric. Although, that's aside from the fact that his eyes had turned red, as if they were tiny pools of blood.

For sure, no child would willingly approach a clown who could pass off as a character in an indie horror movie. A black balloon would definitely complete his attire.

"Televisions! Computers! Mobile Phones! Shops! The streets! Inside your home! Even in the comfort room! You can play games anywhere! Why are you lying?!"

Even though his mouth was wide open while talking -- prompting him to appear as if he was shouting -- the clown of a man's voice was airy. Just imagine a person speaking all the while they're yawning. For Aectaeon, he sounded more horrible than someone who was screaming from the top of their lungs.

"I'm not lying. I'm too busy to play those."

"Too busy?" The strange man asked as he tilted his head to the side. "Aectaeon Foester, it's not that you're busy. The truth is that you've come to hate the very existence of these games!"

Those sentiments served to snap Aectaeon's self-control. He was already wasting his time as it was, yet he still had to deal with something utterly preposterous.

"If you're sentient and considerate enough, can't you see that I've just finished a long shift at my work?" Aectaeon growled through gritted teeth, "I also had to help my mother set up her store at four in the morning. I went to six classes, two of which had exams, and fulfilled my work as an assistant for a professor after. I was supposed to be in my bed by this time since I have to repeat this cycle tomorrow. But here you are, being all weird and crazy. So, can you please let me go now? I need my bed not your sh*t."

After he was done speaking, Aectaeon tried to catch his breath. He intimated all of his grievances in one go, creating a prickling sensation in his chest. Aectaeon wasn't the type to show what he was feeling on his countenance.

That being the case, his outrage clearly displayed how upset he was at the moment.

Another stretch of silence visited the conversation. Aectaeon couldn't be any more thankful that he was able to force the personification of weirdness afore him to shut his mouth.

Since he didn't want to drag the quietude any longer, he wanted to say his farewell as the last form of respect that he could give.

"It was nice meeting you. I'll take my leave now."

Aectaeon then turned around and resumed his walk. He didn't forget to wave with one of his hands as he sauntered away.

"If we meet again in the future, I will give you a warmer welcome. Goodbye."

Truth be told, Aectaeon still had the fear that the bizarre man would follow him home. Or, perhaps, make an appearance somewhere on his pathway.

To his delight, he got home without encountering any incident of some sort. Although it's strange to say, Aectaeon was the happiest that he had been in a month.

There were just a lot of things on his plate and more were about to come. He was busy to an extent that sleeping for more than three hours was the greatest luxury to him. The end of the semester was near, hence he had to study all the while working.

The demands of his job as a professor's assistant had also been increasing, mainly because of the projects and examination papers that he had to compile.

The man seriously needed a year's worth of recuperation to regain the vigor that he once had.

After a good ten-minute walk, Aectaeon felt relieved when he saw the facade of the apartment building where he lived. The darkness of the streets leading to the entryway managed to calm him down. He hastened his steps, eager to get a few hours of sleep.

Aectaeon entered his apartment as quietly as he could. He didn't want to wake his mother who was sleeping in the room beside the entrance. He quickly made his way to his bedroom and threw his bag on the floor.

With an audible sigh, Aectaeon sat on the edge of his bed and took it easy for a brief moment.

'I'm too tired to take a shower. I'll just do it later.' He thought while yawning.

The man proceeded to pick up the phone in his back pocket. He squinted his eyes as he looked at the screen, thus his vision blurred for a bit. Aectaeon went on to set an alarm for three-thirty in the morning.

'There, all done. Now, thank God... some f*cking sleep this is.'

Before he could even lie down, sleep claimed Aectaeon's consciousness and gravity did the rest. Lamentably for him, it would be the final slumber of his life in the world he had come to know.