Close Second

Chapter 6

CLOSE SECOND

Chapter 6 — Kai

Kaelan's POV

There were very few things in life Kaelan Voss genuinely looked forward to.

Winning a business negotiation was satisfying.

Watching a difficult investment finally pay off was satisfying.

Making his father admit that he'd made the right decision was almost addictive.

But none of those things compared to logging into Ashfall.

The moment the headset settled over his ears, the world became quieter.

No board members.

No family expectations.

No arranged marriage.

No Damian Voss.

Just the game.

Just competition.

Just Ashen.

Kaelan leaned back in his chair and stared at the screen.

His private gaming room was hidden behind a bookshelf in his apartment.

To anyone else, it looked like an ordinary study.

Dark wood.

Bookshelves.

A desk.

Nothing suspicious.

But behind the bookshelf was an entirely different world.

Three monitors.

Professional gaming equipment.

A custom-built computer.

Soundproof walls.

A second entrance.

Nobody from his family knew about it.

Nobody except Marcus.

And that was exactly how Kaelan wanted it.

He clicked into his account.

KAI

WORLD RANK: #1

His eyes moved immediately to the second name.

ASHEN

WORLD RANK: #2

Kaelan smiled.

"Still there."

A message appeared.

MARCUS: You're online.

Kaelan didn't answer.

Another message appeared.

MARCUS: You ignoring me?

KAELAN: Yes.

MARCUS: Rude.

Kaelan smiled.

Marcus appeared in the voice channel a few seconds later.

"You're impossible."

Kaelan adjusted his headset.

"You're distracting."

"You're playing Ashen again."

"Probably."

Marcus laughed.

"You're obsessed with her."

"She's the best competition I've had."

"That's not what I said."

"I know."

Marcus paused.

"You know, most people would be terrified of someone who can almost beat you."

Kaelan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"That's why I like playing against her."

"You're weird."

"So I've been told."

The match lobby opened.

ASHEN INVITED YOU TO A MATCH.

Kaelan accepted immediately.

Marcus groaned.

"You didn't even think about it."

"Why would I?"

"You have a meeting in forty minutes."

"I'll be finished."

"You said that last time."

"I won last time."

"You were three minutes late."

Kaelan ignored him.

The loading screen appeared.

Ashen's character appeared across from his.

She sent one message.

ASHEN: Ready?

Kaelan smiled.

KAI: Always.

The countdown began.

3

2

1

FIGHT.

---

Ashen attacked first.

Fast.

Aggressive.

She wasn't testing him.

She was hunting him.

Kaelan blocked her first combination.

Then another.

He countered.

She dodged.

He switched direction.

She anticipated him.

His eyes narrowed.

"She's getting better."

Marcus laughed through the headset.

"She's always been good."

"Not like this."

"What changed?"

Kaelan didn't answer.

He didn't know.

But something was different.

Ashen was faster.

More unpredictable.

And instead of reacting to him, she was forcing him to react to her.

His health dropped.

81%.

He grinned.

"Finally."

"What?"

"She's learning."

Marcus sighed.

"Only you would sound happy about losing health."

Kaelan ignored him.

Ashen landed another attack.

64%.

Kaelan countered.

51%.

Her health dropped.

43%.

Then—

She disappeared.

Kaelan's eyes widened.

"Where—"

A strike came from behind.

CRITICAL HIT.

His health dropped to 27%.

Marcus shouted.

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

Kaelan laughed.

"Beautiful."

Ashen had predicted his movement.

She had baited him.

And he had fallen for it.

For the first time in months, Kaelan felt something he hadn't felt during a game in a long time.

Uncertainty.

He didn't know what she was going to do next.

And he loved it.

The match continued.

His heart hammered.

Her health—

18%.

His—

12%.

One mistake would decide everything.

Kaelan inhaled slowly.

He knew her pattern now.

She would attack from the left.

He waited.

She moved.

He countered.

The screen flashed.

VICTORY — KAI

Kaelan leaned back.

His breathing was heavy.

The result appeared.

KAI — 12%

ASHEN — 0%

He stared at the screen.

Another victory.

But barely.

A message appeared.

ASHEN: You're lucky.

Kaelan laughed.

KAI: Luck is part of the game.

ASHEN: Enjoy it.

KAI: Always.

A pause.

Then:

ASHEN: One day, I'll beat you.

Kaelan stared at those words.

Something about them felt different tonight.

Not a threat.

A promise.

He typed:

KAI: I'll be waiting.

---

The Real World

Forty minutes later, Kaelan walked into his father's office.

Damian Voss looked up.

"You're late."

"By two minutes."

"You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago."

Kaelan sat down.

"I apologize."

His father studied him.

"You seem distracted."

"I'm fine."

"Is it the university?"

"No."

"The business?"

"No."

"Then what?"

Kaelan said nothing.

Damian's eyes narrowed.

"Everest?"

Kaelan looked up.

"No."

The answer came too quickly.

His father noticed.

Kaelan realized his mistake.

Damian leaned back.

"You haven't even met her properly."

"I have."

"Then why are you already defensive?"

"I'm not."

His father sighed.

"Tomorrow's dinner is important."

"I know."

"You need to make an effort."

Kaelan stared at him.

"How much of an effort?"

"Enough to convince the Calloways that you're serious."

Kaelan almost laughed.

"I'm being asked to marry someone I've barely spoken to."

"That's how alliances work."

"That's how business works."

Damian's expression hardened.

"Exactly."

Kaelan said nothing.

The meeting continued.

But his mind kept returning to the same thing.

Not Everest.

Not the engagement.

Not the family alliance.

Ashen.

The way she'd moved.

The way she'd predicted him.

The confidence behind every attack.

He wondered who she was.

What she looked like.

Where she lived.

What kind of person could spend hours mastering a game simply because she refused to accept second place.

He'd never seen her face.

Nobody had.

Ashen had kept her identity completely hidden.

Kaelan respected that.

Perhaps more than anything.

Because he understood what it meant to have a life everyone else wanted to control.

---

Later That Night

Kaelan stood before the bathroom mirror.

His phone buzzed.

A message from Marcus.

MARCUS: So, future husband. Ready for tomorrow?

Kaelan frowned.

KAELAN: Stop calling me that.

MARCUS: Future husband.

KAELAN: Marcus.

MARCUS: Future husband.

Kaelan put the phone down.

Then another message appeared.

MARCUS: What are you going to wear?

Kaelan looked at his wardrobe.

"Nothing complicated."

He selected a black suit.

Simple.

Elegant.

Controlled.

Exactly how he liked everything.

He placed it on the chair.

Tomorrow he'd meet Everest Calloway properly.

The billionaire heiress his family wanted him to marry.

He wondered what she would be like.

Then he remembered her expression at university.

That sharp look.

That stubborn confidence.

He smiled faintly.

Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be as boring as he'd expected.

---

Across Manhattan

Everest sat in front of her own gaming setup.

Her headset was still on.

The defeat screen remained visible.

KAI — VICTORY

She stared at it.

Again.

She hated him.

She hated his timing.

His strategy.

His confidence.

And especially that smug way he always responded to her messages.

She leaned back.

"One day."

Priya's voice came through her headphones.

"You said that yesterday."

"And I'll keep saying it."

Priya laughed.

"You know what I think?"

"No."

"I think you're enjoying this."

Everest frowned.

"Enjoying losing?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"The challenge."

Everest went quiet.

Maybe Priya was right.

Because despite the frustration, despite the anger, despite desperately wanting his ranking—

She couldn't stop smiling.

Kai was the only player who made her feel truly challenged.

And she wanted more.

Neither Everest nor Kaelan knew it yet.

But their rivalry was no longer simply about #1 and #2.

Something had begun.

Something neither of them could see coming.

And tomorrow, they would sit across from each other for the first time.

Not as Ashen and Kai.

But as Everest Calloway and Kaelan Voss.

And neither would recognize the person they had been fighting all along.