A Pathetic Existence

Saturday afternoon, a time when most people make memories, enjoy the company of loved ones, or unwind from a week of hard work.

For Alex, it's when he finally drags himself out of bed. At 28, he's the definition of a man-child, living in the heart of Europe, in a large town in Germany. He stands about 1.78 meters tall, a little over 5'10", with a soft, round belly that speaks of too many nights spent in front of a screen. His face? Plain and forgettable, just like his life.

The previous evening had been the same as every other. He spent hours lost in web novels, scrolling through YouTube videos, and stirring up trouble in online comment sections. Now, groggy and bleary-eyed, he checks his phone. The screen lights up with notifications—responses from Reddit, forum posts, and web novel comments, where he's left his mark, mostly as a sarcastic know-it-all. Alex enjoys theorizing about games and engaging in discussions, though trolling is a guilty pleasure of his.

Despite all his time online, he has no real friends—not even virtual ones. His interactions are shallow, spiked with moments of bitterness and frustration. The internet's his outlet for all that disappointment he feels, his gripes bleeding into every keyboard stroke.

Virgin? Check.

Internet troll? Check.

No friends? Check.

Fat? Check.

Unkempt? Check.

He's got the whole loser checklist down to a science.

After shaking off the last of his sleep, he does what he always does: wastes away another day doing nothing of significance.

Alex had always been smart, he graduated high school with above-average grades, mostly because of his natural intelligence. But ambition? He never had any. He coasted, doing just enough to avoid falling behind. After high school, he halfheartedly enrolled in college, but his laziness caught up with him. Classes? Skipped. Studying? Barely. He drifted through semesters, changed his major once, and finally dropped out without ever connecting with a single person.

His parents, tired of his excuses, pushed him to attend community college. He did just enough to earn a decent degree and landed a standard office job with a mediocre salary. It's not much, but it's enough to scrape by, maybe in a few decades, he'll even be able to afford his own apartment or, if he's lucky, a house. With minimal effort, his financial future isn't glamorous, but it's secure enough.

His stomach growls, cutting through his thoughts. "Damn... I'm starving. Too bad there's nothing left in the fridge". He sighs and resigns himself to the usual. "Guess I'll hit up Mario's." he finally decides. "If I want to replay Golden Sun this weekend, I better hurry."

Mario's is the typical greasy pizza joint down the road. Given that Alex lives in a big city, he could easily buy something healthy and cook a decent meal, but why bother? It's already late afternoon, and the sun will be setting soon. Why waste time? Cheap and unhealthy food, just like his lifestyle, will do the job.

He pulls on some wrinkled clothes and steps out of his apartment, a chaotic mess he hasn't bothered to clean in weeks. His destination is a short walk away, located just outside the city center in the suburbs, where the streets are lined with small stores and restaurants.

As he walks, his thoughts wander. They always do. Alex prefers to live in his head. His reality? Dull, unremarkable. But in his imagination, things are different. In his mind, he's the hero of grand adventures in anime worlds, game worlds, and movie universes. One Piece, Hunter x Hunter, Star Wars, Mass Effect, World of Warcraft, you name it, he's dreamed about being there. His interests are vast and varied. Why shouldn't they be? He spends every waking moment watching anime, playing games, and avoiding the world outside.

But the real world? It doesn't even cross his mind. To him, it's a place that's always been disappointing. A spoiled, entitled man-child with opportunities most people would die for, Alex refuses to see his own privilege. Instead, he dreams his life away, doing the bare minimum to sustain himself while his youth slips through his fingers.

Call him a loser, call him scum, or maybe just call him a dreamer. Either way, he's barely living. A sad existence, to say the least.

Reaching Mario's, he stands at a traffic light, debating whether to order three or four pizzas. If he buys enough, he won't have to leave the apartment tomorrow. More time to game, more time to escape reality.

That's when he notices a small kid on an e-scooter. The boy can't be older than ten, and he's zooming across the street even though the light is red. "Damn... I hate scooters, and I hate kids. Little brat deserves to get run over". It's a thought that passes through his mind, unfiltered. Alex isn't inherently evil, far from it. But his frustrations often give birth to fleeting, twisted thoughts. He watches with disinterest as the boy weaves through the cars.

Then, the scooter gets caught on the tram tracks.

Alex's mild irritation turns into alarm as a BMW comes speeding down the street, the driver oblivious to the boy in its path.

"Shit... I've got to save him. He's really gonna get hit. This isn't a game. It's real!"

His heart pounds, and for a brief moment, Alex's better nature surfaces. He doesn't want the boy to die. He doesn't actually wish for anyone to get hurt, his impulsive thoughts were just that, impulsive. In reality, he wants to help.

But his legs feel like lead. His hands tremble. He hesitates. His body refuses to move.

And just like that, he does what he's always done in the face of real action: nothing.

He stands frozen, staring at the scene. But the crash doesn't happen. The boy gets out of the way at the last second, the BMW screeching to a halt. Relief washes over Alex, and he exhales, releasing the tension that had gripped him. "Thank God nothing happened."

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he notices something wrong. The BMW hasn't come to a complete stop. The driver, in a panic, has swerved onto the sidewalk—the same sidewalk Alex is standing on.

The last thing Alex sees is the terror in the driver's eyes as the car barrels straight toward him.

"Motherfuc…"

After that, the entire world goes dark.