Special name… blocked. *

"Eve, darling, are you alright?"

Maya stared at me with concern. I knew how I looked. My eyes couldn't stop stealing glances at the screen of my phone. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing his messages, but they never came. It had been more than a month. 

"I am alright, Maya."

"No, you are not. Darling..."

"Maya, please, just let me wait for a little more, okay?"

I wanted to give Thunder a chance. I knew it was foolish to believe puppy love from a teenager, but I'd never experienced something like that before. 

The feeling from that night was so sweet, so pure, and innocent. I wanted to jump in glee and preserve it for a bit longer. 

However, to be left out, to be rejected, fucking hurt. I didn't want to believe that he had abandoned me when he seemed like he was feeling something for me. I couldn't accept it just yet. 

Maybe my mind needed this pain to remember and become mature again. Maybe I needed this disappointment in my heart to stop any distractions from making me deviate from my plan.

I should move on…

But I waited, I wanted to give Thunder an opportunity to contact me again. I knew that if I put my mind to it, I could hack the server of the forum and find his real identity. I was risking being traced back and violating the rules, but this was a matter of life and death. What if he was in danger?

However, days passed, and no messages, no calls. My eyes turned cold and indifferent again. 

Maya tried to cheer me up several times, we made a disaster in her house, we bullied the shallow girls in our classroom, and we dressed up Vin quite a few times to make him look more handsome. 

She even introduced me to many gorgeous young boys, but it was useless. I know I wanted him, Thunder.

The next day we ate at a restaurant just a few blocks from the school. My eyes were unfocused and indifferent as I hadn't slept well for days. Even the taste of my favorite chocolate truffle cake was not the same.

*Ring*

That was the entrance bell of the restaurant. I got distracted by the sound and looked at it without paying attention.

I saw a young tall boy enter with an attractive young girl with golden hair and an amazing pair of blue eyes clinging to his arm. 

He looked at her with gentleness and warmth. He even smiled at her with those dimples my mind kept on remembering.

'Thunder.'

My heart shattered, and I turned my head to the side to hide my face with my long black hair. I didn't want him to recognize me. 'How pathetic.' 

"Eve? Are you okay? Darling, what is going on?"

"Maya, can we go out? I don't like it here... please."

She looked at me with concern and took my hand, dragging me outside fast after leaving a huge amount of money on the table.

We walked for hours in the streets until it became dark and the cold breeze from the night made us sneeze and shiver.

"Darling, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yes, Maya, just not now."

"Alright. Then come to my house, we can order anything you want to eat. We can fatten on chocolate ice cream and rom-com movies for the night, what do you think?"

I was glad she said so. I didn't want to return to my so-called home. They will make me feel more depressed than I was already. I phoned Hannah, and we headed to Maya's apartment.

That day, I made a vow to never let myself be swallowed again by such idiotic feelings. It was just one dreamy night, just some beautiful online messages and nothing else.

* * *

[DangerousCloud: Master, are you ready?]

[Storm: Yes.]

We connected to the contest server in the middle of the night. I was so excited. The prize would be an easy one this time, the other competitors just don't know a Storm will swallow them up tonight...

Over a hundred participants were inside the server waiting in the chatting groups, while the host gave the instructions. 

It was a game, a very complicated game of stealing some encrypted data from a very intricate and protected database. The first participant to break through the firewalls will get the money, and of course, the winner will gain tremendous fame among the hackers and the IT community.

The participants were no amateurs as they passed the first phase of the process. Signing up was the first stage and Vin could do it just fine by himself, the hardest part was the game.

Before the starting bell rang and the timer on the screen stopped, I looked around at the list of usernames of the other participants. It was easy to recognize several names as I worked with them in some profitable jobs. 

However, the one I was looking for unconsciously appeared. That one special name, one that I was very familiar with. It was the complement of my Storm, so I should consider changing it.

Thunder was inside the server too. He was connected and was also a contestant. I was expecting it, after all, he was a very talented boy.

I bet he knew I was going to try this out. A notification came right at that moment.

[Thunder: Hey! Storm.]

I blocked his number long ago. No more calls, no more messages, nothing. I decided to block his existence from the time I saw him in the restaurant. I just wished he stopped trying to contact me.

Not only that, but I blacklisted his user again. Now my only focus was on winning this game as I wanted my escape plan to succeed.

[DangerousCloud: Master the countdown is about to stop... Wish me luck.]

[Storm: you will do fine, disciple.]

The game was not only for the money but for the ranking too. 

The ones participating were the best hackers from around the world, some of them were geniuses and were considered top hackers by AI-THRONE. 

The ranking list was very useful to create fame to find very profitable jobs and good connections to other hackers.

I came to this world not long ago, so I had no ranking, as I had never taken part in any contest. I was considered a newbie and unknown, even my disciple was more accomplished than I, his master. However, that would change tonight.

[Host: We will begin in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...]

The game started... Wish me luck!