Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

Resolving to integrate herself into a band of orphans, she approached with cautious hope. But her silence betrayed her efforts. She rarely spoke, never pulled back her hood, nor removed her weathered cloak. Her shrouded presence unnerved the other children who soon began to see her as an oddity. Whispers of suspicion and disdain grew louder. To them, she was mysterious, aloof… and unsettlingly different.

It wasn’t long before their unease turned to cruelty. Bullying became their way of rejecting what they didn’t understand, isolating her further from the sense of belonging she so desperately craved.

“Hey look, it’s that weirdo,” sneered one of the older boys, his smirk widening as he nudged his friends. “What’s she got under there, huh? What’s she hiding?”

The other children gathered around her in what had become a routine, blocking her path. She tried to move past, but they crowded her, their hands reaching out to shove her playfully, but with an edge of cruelty.

“You’re just a freak, aren’t you?” a girl taunted, poking her with a sharp finger.

The little girl shrank back, pulling her hood tighter around her face, hoping they would leave her alone. She had learned from experience that silence was the safest option. If she didn’t fight back, they would eventually grow bored and leave her to herself. But today, they didn’t.

“Don’t hide your face. Let’s see what’s under there,” the ringleader, a tall boy with a crooked grin, said. His voice was laced with mockery. Even as his friends shoved her around, he reached out and grabbed the edge of her hood, pulling it with force.

The little girl’s heart pounded in her chest. She gritted her teeth, a chill running through her veins. She felt an overwhelming surge of anger rise inside her unlike never before, something she couldn’t control. Suddenly, she screamed—a sound raw and feral—and with all the force in her small body, she shoved the boy back.

The moment her hands made contact, it was as if the world itself trembled. The ringleader flew backward with a sickening thud, slamming into the stone wall of the alley. He crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain, his eyes wide in shock. The other children froze, staring in horror.

One of them scrambled to help the fallen boy, but their hands shook so harshly that they couldn’t. The ringleader’s gaze was fixed on her now, confusion and fear filling his expression.

“Sh-She’s a monster!” one of the boys stammered.

The little girl’s hands trembled uncontrollably, her breath coming in short, rapid bursts. She stared down at her palms, her heart racing, still processing what she had just done. She hadn’t meant to—she didn’t even know she could do that. The power that surged through her body felt alien, terrifying.

Without thinking, without another glance at the children, she turned and ran. She couldn’t stay there. She couldn’t stay anywhere. Her power had terrified her—she had terrified herself. She ran through the alley, her steps frantic, and the world around her blurred. The tears she held back for so long finally spilled, but she wiped them away, determined not to look back. She had no place with those children. They had made that painfully clear. Her only choice was to fend for herself. But the nights were especially frigid and frightening when she was alone.

In a desperate attempt to ignore the painful growling of her stomach, the girl often found herself staring up at the night sky. Her crimson eyes, dull from hunger and fatigue, were always drawn to the same star—a distant, solitary glow that stood apart from the others. It beckoned to her in a way she couldn’t quite explain, a quiet presence in the endless dark.

Could I ever reach it? She wondered, imagining herself soaring through the night, drawn toward that single point of light. But the thought felt impossible, like a dream too far to touch. Still, the mystery of it lingered in her mind.

What exactly is a star? The question floated in her thoughts, unanswered. She squinted up at the glimmering dot, her gaze softening with an odd sense of connection. Is it as cold and lonely as I am? She pondered, her heart aching. Does it have dreams, like me? Does it long for something more than the vast emptiness around it? Why does it stay alone?

For a fleeting moment, she imagined that perhaps she wasn’t the only one lost in the darkness, waiting for something more. Maybe, just maybe, that star—so far away—understood what it felt like to be lonely, to feel the weight of misfortune press down on everything.

Is there a way to escape it? The thought clung to her like a flicker of hope. Could we both find happiness somehow?

As if answering her silent question, the heavens suddenly rumbled with a deafening roar that echoed through the narrow alleyways of the slums. The once-clear skies were now overtaken by thick clouds that cast the city in a blanket of grey. The wind picked up, biting against her cheeks with an icy sting, carrying with it a chilling whisper—a dark omen of things yet to come.

Before she could react, the sky tore open, releasing a deluge that drowned the streets in a torrent of rain. The girl barely had time to seek shelter before she was consumed by the downpour, her cloak clinging to her skin like wet clay, its weight suffocating in its oppressive reminder of her misfortune. Her bare feet, already cold from the harsh conditions of the slums, grew numb as the water pooled around her ankles.

From the edge of the alley, her expression vacant and resigned, the girl stared unseeingly at the busy district ahead. The rain did little to hinder the relentless flow of life around her. People moved through the plaza with purpose, weaving in and out of the vibrant stalls, their laughter and chatter punctuated by the bright, warm glow of multicolored lights reflecting off the wet cobblestones. The smell of freshly prepared food, tantalizing and rich, lingered in the humid air.

Yet, none of it reached her. Instead of feeling the allure of the bustling city, all she felt was an overwhelming sense of despair. The lights, the food, the laughter—everything seemed foreign, distant. With every passerby, with each fleeting glance that landed on her, whether out of curiosity or scorn, her chest tightened painfully. Each frown, each harsh word that she could almost hear in their silence, chipped away at her resolve.

Her breath grew shallow, frantic. Her heart pounded in her chest as if trying to escape the overwhelming weight pressing down on her. The world around her blurred, the sounds mutating into a cacophony of whispers, and her mind spiraled into a dizzying panic. Her vision swam as if the very air was suffocating her. The grief, the hunger, the rejection—it all became too much.

In that moment, she felt everything crash down on her. Her knees buckled beneath the weight, and without warning, the world around her went black.

Across the street, a customer at one of the food stalls caught sight of the girl crumpling to the ground, and the woman’s eyes widened with alarm. She had seen the child’s distress, felt it in the air as her eyes followed the little figure. The girl’s fall stirred something deep within her—an instinct to help, to protect, and her heart ached with compassion.

***

A tiny bird perched on the windowsill of an open window, its head jerking in quick, rhythmic motions as it surveyed the room. Its beady eyes locked onto the small figure lying soundlessly on the bed. The creature chirped softly, almost as if in curiosity, but the moment the figure stirred, its wings flapped in a blur, and it vanished into the sky.

The cool morning breeze swept through the room, carrying with it the faint scent of dew and earth. The girl’s lashes fluttered as consciousness slowly crept in. Her chest rose and fell steadily as her mind wrestled to shake off the heavy remnants of her deep slumber. Then, in an instant, her crimson eyes snapped open.

The sight of unfamiliar walls and furnishings sent a jolt of panic through her, and she bolted upright, her small frame trembling. Her breath hitched as she clutched the sheets, her gaze darting wildly around the room.

Wh-Where am I?!