Chapter 3: Episode 0 - Aftermath (1)
Episode 0 – aftermath (1)
Philippines, December of 20XX, Monday
The emerging of game capsules took the world by storm and gaming companies taking opportunities to the games related to capsules to make profits and tune in the world of cyber reality to make scientific research which why also many scientists also studying it.
Right now in the Philippines, many rental capsule establishments are taking place so who didn't have enough money to buy capsule can experience and play this virtual reality games.
In the era of capsule gaming, there is one game that a lot of players waiting for its official release and still playing it even it is in beta for 2 decades.
GAIA, a capsule MMORPG by Tri-Gon, will be going for a Launching of the official game despite being disregarded for years by the company
-------------------------------------------------
-"Tri-Gon, proudly saying that they will release their very first and might be possible the last release game of the company, GAIA in the public.
Despite 2 decades in Beta, many games in their belt and the success of the first company made the gaming capsule. The company didn't give on the game they just experimented in their early years.
The company president Dr. Rita Furukawa's statement shook the world by this unexpected revelation to the public. The company's official press conference is not yet determined as of this moment but some speculation said that the official release Da—"-
All of the newspapers, Television, and the internet are shocked by the company's movement. It's questionable that they are releasing their last game as a gaming company since they are smashing the gaming industry and also they are not in some sort of crisis.
And here I am, sitting in front of the TV resting for minutes when I see the news. Heavily breathing exhausted and drench of sweat in my forehead, this is so pain in the ass doing rehabilitation exercises.
"Jon, Ten minutes is over. We need to continue." She said
"' 'Insan, can we just stop. The exercises are so painful, I don't know why I need to this kind of rehabilitation even I can recover my feet by just walking."
"Gago, you really need this! This is much better and faster way to recover your feet by the accident, by walking only the body will make all the muscles functioning properly so that it will recover completely and enhance functionality. Come on, don't make this hard for me, this is for your own good too. "
"Okay okay I'll do it, but can I rest more? This is too new for me."
"Alright, five minutes Jon. Five minutes only."
"Yeah, Thanks Ate Kyle."
She leaves me alone for a moment while tending to the other patients, it's not I'm the only one doing rehab this kind of day. Its Monday—Three months have passed since my accident, and still miserable of what happened to my life has gone through this past months. All of my plans in the future have been cut off to me and slipping to my very own hands.
Based on what the police said in the investigation, the accident is intentional and the suspect confesses to it. I don't know who the guy was and why he did it to me but they said that he loses a ton of money to the Loser's Final in the Pacific Championship Series, the money he lost was the money he earned from drugs has gone through the bet and it is taking the frustration out on me.
Since we won the game by the crucial winning gameplays made by subbing me in the Jungle role, he is so mad on how the comeback was gone through the series that's why he intentionally wait for me and rammed using his car while influenced highly on drugs then flew out in the glass door of the flower shop banged my head on it bleeding out to where I bought flowers for Maribelle based on what I remember.
All my family was shocked by what happened, they want to sue the suspect but his father was a politician from the senate in the Philippines so that's why the media is controlled and no one is reporting it on the news.
Someone come to the hospital when I was in a comatose state, the father of the suspect namely Senator Francisco Dimayuga, threatening to keep this quiet and give compensation money.
The family retaliates that my lost future cannot be paid by some petty money they gave to us, but he said that I'm just an Old E-sport professional athlete and my time as a player is fading that's why accept by how much he is willing to give which I can earn only in 3 years being a Pro – Athlete.
All things escalated in the court even though it's an uphill battle but the media explodes of what happened and the public enraged of what is the decision of the court. The result was HOUSE ARREST for 3 years, one of the punishments together with drug rehab by the government by the party defending the son, John Alexander Dimayuga.
He is basically free even though they are fined with the expense must be paid to the winning party and also full hospital expense with rehab fees. He is still living comfortably in THEIR vacation house in Batangas, there is nothing we can do to change the punishment since they have the power of the law with them. They were devastated and hoping that I will wake up despite the chance is going low by the day pass by.
Two and half months has passed that I woke up that my family and Maribelle celebrates it, with all the apparatuses connected into my body but I can't move or speak that I was crying.
For all I thought that I was paralyzed for the rest of my life, but they operate my spine to save me for paralyzation with the immediate consent of my parents, and grateful that I can play professionally as I grasping my hands.
In one week that I was awake, I can now speak and ask what happened. They tell me that I was in a coma for months and my team goes to the worlds as wildcard participants then got lost in the semifinals of the tournament. My team was going to visit me when they got back to the Philippines.
"5 mins is up Jon."
"Coming to you, Ate." As I stand up slowly feeling the pain especially my back, patiently taking my time to walk to start the remaining exercises.
Time has passed through the day and I finish the session at 3 pm since it is a 3-hour session. I commute from home to the hospital for about 3 hours every day, it is not that hassle since I just go 2 transportation to the hospital, SUV from Paliparan going to Alabang then Pedicab from Alabang on route to the hospital.
The South East Asian hospital is one of the best private hospitals in the Philippines due to early response to emergencies and diagnosis of diseases through the highly trained doctors and nurses working at the hospital together with the modern approach to healthcare.
The Physical Rehab center is kind of big for a common rehab center; it has complete set of equipment which is up to standard since this is the newest department from the hospital.
The exercises are not that extraneous as I thought would be but those specific exercises give pain to the chosen muscle that Ate Kyle wants to aim to recover so it will be tiresome after the session.
Kyle Villasanta, my cousin who is specializing in physical therapy and rehab is one of the staff here in their newest clinic. She's not that tall, long-haired chubby woman in her late 20s, she is about to graduate as a doctor major in physical rehabilitation together with her being a nutritionist. Her dream is to be a fitness expert that I saw on TV for diets and shit, I'm proud of her of all the milestones she went through studying.
"Is that the guy on the news lately? The Victim of the suspect intentionally rammed?"
"Yes, he is. Despite the accident, he is still fine though."
"I pity for the guy, he is an E-sport professional. He misses the important tournament; I wish he can come back though."
"Some say that he should retire since he got to a coma which some of his brain processes are slower now."
"That's why he is here, to get back in shape as fast as possible."
They talk behind my back silently and I can still hear them talking about me, I just ignored it since it will not produce a positive impression about me and also I'm a professional, I need to deal this since my face and name is in the public which is a normal occurrence of being an E-sport Pro.
------------------------
6:24pm
I just finished the session and got back to my house. I said bye to my cousin and talk to her to come to my house sometime in Lavida Dasmarinas, she said 'next time on the next weekend' then I go out to the hospital.
Soon as I go back home. The interior of my house is basically empty except the room and the kitchen, the living room is a literal space of the bungalow house which is kinda bummer.
The only thing there was is my High – end PC which I go to practice my games online with my teammates. It's hard to live alone since my parents got divorced and has different families now; we're okay in me but to each other, not so much.
They call me time to time, just annoying nowadays since I got to an accident. They worry about me since I'm basically cannot work and I got shorthanded to play in the worldwide tournament which held twice a year.
I didn't know when I come back to play to PCS since the result of my test in my neurologist is coming by tomorrow at the same hospital in the afternoon after the rehab.
My teammates con-call me in my phone to check up on me, but basically we are just bantering to each other of what happened to the tournament last 3 months ago. Diego, Kit, Ren, Jha, and Cha are the names of my teammates that I playing with representing Team Bonfire sponsored by Genius telecommunication company.
Despite what happened, Charice forced to play jungle to cover up the team. It was a disaster since the social media flaming to put a woman on a major role that the team specializes on but they got silenced when she is smashing the jungle most of the time but got shorthanded in the semis.
It is no small feat for a team that losses a crucial teammate on the team and still she was devastated to what happened to me since she was near to my accident at that time but still we didn't win which our aim to be since I'm in my retiring age of 28.
Being an E-sport professional of 28 years old, you're basically 45 in a standard sport. That how high is the turnover this kind of sport has, since this accident happened there is a high chance that I retire which that I didn't achieve what I want as to win another Worlds despite being a substitute player in this team.
What can I do? It's just circumstances; at least I gave myself a heads up of what will happen in the future.
I'm staring down in my PC, tempted to play League but shrug it out of my mind since I will not be satisfied with how I play the game. Instead, I crack some eggs, chop scallions and carrots then mix it up to cook some egg rolls together with instant soup noodles for dinner tonight like some broke Asian college student.
As I eat alone sighing, a home so empty that the sound of wind makes it unbearable. I'm so used to it but sometimes what it feels like to have someone to be with you when you come home and greet you every time, this is one of those times wishing to have someone in this house. Then I take a shower, preparing to sleep early to end this fucking day.
I just want to play professionally, please give me good results tomorrow so I can play for the next season. Crying myself in agony wishing to play longer until my last breath; this is all I have, don't let this accident affect my career. I fell asleep with struggling thoughts in my mind.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Raysly
Raysly 8/18/2020
hello reader,
I'm an amateur writer that wants to publish my stories. many of my stories got stuck here, piling dust might as well put it here to get a chance to publicize my works (also digitized since I will dispose of it anyway.
if there is anything to improve on, comment down below. Please give it stones if you like it.
Sincerely,
Sly Lopez
9/22/2020
Thank you for rereading this after this month's overhaul.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone