Chapter 3: Late night decision.

He sat there, eyes glued to the screen, watching USSBBWEMMA being force-fed some weight gain shake made from all sorts of fattening and unhealthy ingredients. It didn't help her health that she was turning it into a challenge called “Drinking this shit till heart attack day: 38”. It was one of the more popular livestreams on Darkff. The chat was alive with people betting each other on how long she could survive. Max could see the damage her diet and weight had done to her body. He could imagine himself in that situation – some poor girl, immobile, sitting before him, slowly destroying what remained of her body.
He was torn between different types of feedees: those who were into it and allowed it to happen, and those who were tricked or forced into becoming morbidly obese. Option number two, where the girl was coerced, appealed to him more. It wasn't just about making someone fat; it was about watching them slowly destroy themselves, witnessing their struggle, seeing them try to fight back only to fail. It was about domination and control over their life – all of it. If only he could have it. To watch the parents of some girl commenting on her gains, to feel concerned, to humiliate her because of it, and ultimately to witness them in horror as she turned into an immobile blob. To hear her cry over her life. It turned him on so much.
It took him a few more minutes of playing and keeping himself on the edge before climaxing. After that, he lay in bed, contemplating the future and what to do with himself. He had always focused on what he couldn't do, but he had never thought about alternatives. If not this, then what else? Before he knew it, it was almost midnight. He had been so distracted by his thoughts that he hadn't noticed how time had passed. And then he realized one thing: There was nothing else. The sad truth was that his life was empty. Not in the sense of some emo girl who thought life was pointless because she didn't get a new iPhone, but genuinely empty. He had held himself back for so long. He had a loving family and a bright future, but it all felt hollow.
He looked at his desk, at the note with the number of that girl on it. It was almost as if destiny itself was telling him what to do, but he still wasn't sure. If destiny wanted it to be, then he would leave it in its hands. No more thinking, no more fighting. He pulled out his phone and decided to set his life in some direction once and for all. He searched for a drawing website. With a shaking hand, he wrote down two options: “To be” and “Not to be”. He decided that whichever option got drawn three times would win. He was giving destiny a free hand to choose the path of his life. He set the timer for each drawing to five seconds.
First draw: Not to be.

He felt like his heart stopped for a moment.

Second draw: To be.

Third draw: To be.

Fourth draw: Not to be.

He could hardly contain his excitement. This was it – the moment that would decide his whole life. He pressed the button on the screen and hid his phone for a moment. His stress level reached a level he had never felt before. And it was too much. He left the phone under his pillow and went on a late-night run.

…

Alx: So, did he text you?
Mira: Not yet, and I don't think he will.
Alx: Have more faith. I stalked him a little bit on Facebook, and he's into the same boring stuff like you.
Mira: I'm not into boring stuff.
Alx: Sure, rolling dice to do some math to see if you hit some imagined zombie. Right, so exciting.
Mira: Remind me why we're still friends?
Alx: Because you love me, and I dominate you xD?
Mira: Fair point. But still, my hobbies aren’t all that boring.
Alx: Sure, kiddo, sure.
Mira: ...
Alx: So anyway, if he won't text you, I'll pay him a little visit at school.
Mira: Pay him a visit? We're going to the same class.
Alx: You were thinking that I was going to school tomorrow. Well, I might have, if only to torture that guy a little.
Mira: You are unbelievable.
Alx: And sexy, don’t forget that. Anyway, I'm going to sleep.
Mira: Sleep well.
Alx: You too, my weirdo.

…

Mira lay in bed, the soft glow of her bedside lamp casting shadows across the room. She was cocooned in her cozy panda pajamas, her fingers gently flipping through the pages of her favorite manga. Each turn brought her closer to the end of the series she had grown to love, and the knowledge that there would be no more installments left her with a twinge of sadness. It felt like just another letdown in a life filled with disappointments.
As she read, Mira's thoughts inevitably drifted to her phone, lying dormant beside her. She couldn't help but check it every so often, hoping for a message that never seemed to arrive. The absence of a text left her torn between hope and resignation, a familiar battle she waged so many times late into the nights.
In these quiet moments, Mira often found herself contemplating her future. She envisioned various paths stretching out before her, each leading to a different destination. Would she become the successful businesswoman she dreamed of, navigating the corporate world with ease? Or perhaps she would follow her passion for science, delving into the mysteries of genetics or making groundbreaking discoveries as an inventor. The possibilities were endless, yet in every scenario, she saw herself walking alone, with maybe only Alexandra by her side.

The thought of a solitary future wasn't entirely unwelcome to Mira. There was a strange comfort in the predictability of loneliness, a sense of security in knowing what to expect. She had grown accustomed to being the odd one out, the girl who never quite fit in. It was a role she had played for so long that it had become a part of her identity.
Despite the weight of her solitude, Mira couldn't help but find solace in the familiarity of her own company. She had spent countless hours lost in her thoughts, finding refuge in the pages of her books and the worlds they contained.
With a resigned smile, Mira closed her book and set it aside, her gaze lingering on the ceiling above. She didn't bother to check her phone again; the silence spoke volumes, echoing the quiet resignation in her heart. If destiny had chosen this path for her, then she would walk it with her head held high, finding strength in her solitude and defiance in her acceptance.
Or so she told herself, to prevent herself from crying again.
…

It was 23:56, the world around Max seemed to stand still as he stood there, wrestling with conflicting emotions. The late night air against his skin helped him clear his head. Now he glanced nervously at his phone, its screen facing the ground, as if hiding from the weight of his decision. Time seemed to slow down, each passing second echoing in his mind like a ticking clock counting down to an unknown outcome. With each beat of his heart, the anticipation grew, mingling with the fear of being caught. 11:58. The pivotal moment was approaching, and Max's resolve wavered.

...

In the tranquility of her room, Mira stirred from her sleep, a faint sense of unease tugging at her consciousness. The digital display on her nightstand blinked 23:59, its soft glow illuminating the darkness. A gentle hum filled the silence, pulling her from the depths of her dreams. With a groggy sigh, she reached for her phone, her fingers brushing against the cool surface. As she unlocked the device, the sudden flood of white light momentarily blinded her sleepy eyes. Blinking away the haze, she focused on the screen, where a message from an unfamiliar number awaited her attention. It was from Max, and he was asking if she had time after school.