Sweat trickled down Dan's forehead as he muttered, "Hail a taxi? No way," his voice burdened with exhaustion. The weight of his bag pressed against his weary arms, begging for relief. With a stretch of his shoulders and a tilt of his neck, he hoped to ease the tension coursing through his body. "There must be a tricycle or any kind of kuliglig around here."
Beside him stood JC Gutierrez, a close friend from Batangas. Sharing the same ambition of becoming an esports player, he accompanied Dan to Manila for a tryout. Thanked God JC had already been here thrice or more, at least he could guide Dan as a first timer in the city. "Kuliglig? What the hell? We're gonna be late, Danskie. I'll pay for the taxi, if that's your concern."
Dan fished into the pocket of his worn-out jeans, retrieving his phone to check for the time. Only thirty minutes remained before the tryout commenced. Panicked, Dan entrusted his belongings to JC and dashed toward the crowded street, scanning for an available taxi. His eyes lit up when he spotted a vacant taxi pulling up to the curb. But, just as he stepped forward, another figure appeared from the corner of his vision and made a beeline on the same cab. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, both determined to claim it for themselves.
"I saw it first!" Dan blurted, his voice laced with frustration as he reached the vehicle almost simultaneously with the guy.
The guy's lips curled into a mischievous grin. "Slow hands. I guess you'll have to be quicker next time," he retorted, his hand hovering near the open door of the taxi.
Dan leaned down to speak through the window and bargained with the driver, "Sir, I'll double the price." Knowing that his friend would cover the taxi fare and being a genius, he didn't hesitate to reach into his pocket for his wallet. But in his haste, an ID card slipped out and fluttered to the ground, landing right in front of the guy.
The stranger picked up the ID card, a mix of surprise and curiosity flickered across his face. He glanced at the photo and then back at Dan, his eyes almost begging to remove his sunglasses. Did he know Dan?
Unaware of the commotion, JC arrived at their location and slipped the bag into the car, thanking the stranger for opening the door. "Let's go, Danskie?"
"Quite a nosy taxi-stealer, aren't you?" Dan snarled at the guy as he snatched back his ID card and immediately got into the car. Dan sat next to JC, whose head was already leaning back, eyes about to close.
As the engine started, Dan stole a glance at the stranger through the rearview mirror. There was something about him, an elusive aura that tugged at the edges of Dan's memory. Who was he, and why did he seem so intrigued by the ID card?
"So..." the driver mumbled, breaking the silence as he stretched out his arms to the steering wheel. "Double the price, Sir?"
"What?!" JC exclaimed, his eyes widening abruptly, jolting him awake from the verge of sleep.
***
As Dan and JC stepped foot into the e-sports bootcamp, their eyes marveled at the sight before them. It was a realm they had never experienced before, a place pulsating with the energy of passion and dreams. The air leaked with ambition as they view the gaming equipment and the walls adorned with posters of legendary players in the league.
"Impossible!" JC exclaimed, his voice filled with a mixture of awe and excitement. "I must have been a saint in my past life to find myself in this heavenly place, don't you think, Danskie?"
Speechless, JC simply nodded, his eyes sparkling with a shared enthusiasm. As they navigated the halls, Dan's gaze darted from one gaming station to another. The hum of chatters filled the air from the scattered swarm of players who would also take part of the tryout just like them. Every detail of the scene seemed to be surreal--the journey from their small hometown to this bootcamp felt like a sweet dream for Dan.
His trail of fascination was interrupted when a man in his thirties entered the hall, his presence commanding the attention of every aspiring gamer.
"Who is he?" asked JC while munching on his panutsa fresh from Batangas. "He looks oddly familiar."
Keeping his eyes fixed on the man who was about to take on the small platform, Dan answered, "It's Bonbon of Aqua Fury. He played in the Clash of Legends Professional League for seven seasons. He was teammates with--"
"Knightzy, yeah." JC interrupted, a line forming on his lips with small crumbs of panutsa peeking through. He knew this would turn into a long conversation once Dan's ultimate role model in the pro scene was mentioned. "Such a fanboy."
"A proud fanboy," Dan emphasized. "Knightzy is the best roamer... I mean was the best roamer in the world."
"Just how many times have you exactly told me that?" JC grumbled, rolling his eyes.
"Well, you can't blame me for that. His great sense of macro play, it's just--"
Dan was cut off when a voice reverberated through the room. "Welcome, aspiring players! I am Von Lastimosa, a.k.a. Bonbon, the head coach of Ethereal Esports. Today, you will face the ultimate test to prove yourselves worthy of a spot on our team." Von paused for a second, his face reflecting a sudden realization. He joked, "Wow, that must have been a very formal opening for a tryout."
The room erupted in laughter at his remark. Von's plain baggy grey shirt and his JWU hairstyle didn't exactly match the formality of his words.
"So, the mechanics of this tryout is very simple. You just need to clash against each other in groups, and you'll be selected based on your individual performance during the matches. Out of the twenty players, we'll only get five for the main lineup."
The announcement created a buzz of excitement across the hall. Dan, like the others, expected that Ethereal Esports would need at least ten players, five for the main lineup and five as backups, just like the other teams in the industry. This meant a small chance of winning for Dan, but he was undeterred by the idea. It only fueled his determination to give his best on the battlefield.
Suddenly, the place fell into hushed silence as a certain individual made a grand entrance, albeit a late one. Wearing a black leather jacket with a white inner shirt, the person carried himself with an air of self-confidence. Dan couldn't help but notice the admiring glances directed toward him. A pang of annoyance stirred within Dan's chest as he realized that it was the same person he met just an hour ago.
"Wasn't that the guy from the street who helped us get the taxi?" JC wondered aloud as he shaped the banana leaf in ball from his suman latik.
Did the guy even help Dan? Acting unperturbed, Dan continued to listen to Von's speech, but his attention wavered. The room was filled with whispers, speculations filling the air.
"Is that King Alcantara?" whispered a girl from the back. That was why he looked very familiar!
Dan exchanged a questioning glance with JC, both of them trying to piece together the puzzle of King's presence.
Confusion mingled as Dan contemplated why someone with King's caliber would audition for an amateur team like this one. What secrets laid beneath this lad's decision? Dan couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance, a tiny seed of competitiveness sprouting within him.
"Who does he think he is?" Dan muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing slightly. "A pro player auditioning for an amateur team? Something doesn't add up."
Unbothered by the little commotion, Von continued his speech, "Now, let me announce the groupings of this tryout. In Team A, we have Tarrasque, Lenqt, Sai, Jeysixth..." Dan turned sideways when he heard JC's IGN, "...and King's Guard."
