He Came Back, I Broke Him

Eighteen months ago, the man I loved shattered my heart, claiming everything between us was a mistake. Now, he's back, a ghost of his former self, a rookie tryout in my pro esports team. And I will make him regret crawling back. Clifton, captain of a legendary esports team, was secretly battling a severe wrist injury that threatened his career, every match a fight against his own body. He pushed through the pain, ignoring doctors' warnings, desperate to maintain his god-like status. His world was already on the edge, but nothing prepared him for seeing Justice Terry again in the team basement. Justice, pale and trembling, his eyes wide with naked terror, was now a rookie tryout. Clifton had spent a year and a half trying to forget that rainy Chicago alley, the raw revulsion in Justice's eyes, the whispered "it wasn't real" that had left him heartbroken. Justice had vanished, and Clifton had erased every trace. Now, the boy who once looked at him like he was the sun was back, flinching at his touch, displaying a deep, primal fear. Amidst sponsor pressure and whispers of being "washed," Clifton saw Justice's return as a chance for vengeance. He publicly humiliated Justice on a live stream, forcing him into a suicide mission, then coldly benched him. Yet, the satisfaction never came. Instead, a hollow emptiness and a torrent of questions: What had truly happened in the past? Why was Justice here, and what trauma had carved such fear into his bones? Clifton, unwilling to be fooled again, swore to uncover every secret and every lie. He would force Justice to explain why he had returned, even if it meant tearing down everything they both had left.

Chapters

Chapter 9

Clifton POV

At 8 PM, Clifton sat in his private streaming room. He adjusted the webcam, tilting it up so the frame only showed his chest and face. The fresh black brace wrapped around his right wrist had to stay invisible.

Delmus rolled in a cart of sponsor-branded energy drinks. Clifton grabbed a Monster, popped the tab with his left hand, and took a slow sip. The sugar and caffeine would inflame his joints. He didn't care.

"The lights in the basement are still on," Delmus said. "That Justice kid is in the alcove again. He's going to kill himself playing like that."

Clifton's fingers crushed the aluminum can.

Delmus left.

Clifton stared at the "Start Streaming" button. He clicked it.

The viewer count exploded. Thousands per second. The chat became a blur of screaming fans and toxic haters.

Did Ash really get solo-killed by a nobody trainee?

Is the god washed?

Clifton read the comments. His eyes were ice. Normally, he'd have his moderators start banning. Tonight, he didn't.

He leaned into his microphone. "Since you all care so much about the new kid, let's do something special."

He opened the Aegis internal Discord. Found the ID he was looking for.

Ember.

Justice was sitting alone in a locked, password-protected voice channel. Solo practice.

A cruel smile curved Clifton's lips. He used his server administrator rights. Clicked and dragged his own icon—Ash—directly into Justice's locked room.

A sharp ding echoed in his headset.

The frantic clacking of Justice's keyboard instantly stopped. Like someone had pulled the plug on his life support.

Clifton didn't say a word. He just listened to the heavy, ragged, panicked breathing coming through Justice's microphone.

Fifty thousand viewers heard the dead silence.

Clifton spoke slowly. "Let me introduce you all. This is the genius tryout who 'solo killed' me this afternoon. Ember."

The chat exploded.

Ten seconds of agonizing silence. Then a sound came through the headset.

"Captain." Justice's voice was faint. Trembling.

"Get in the lobby," Clifton ordered. "Let's see if Ember can do it again in front of fifty thousand people."

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