Rise

The Finals of the Season 1 World Championships was the day that Lin Feng’s short life came crumbling down around him. He still remembered the hype he felt that morning, the excitement as he won the first game. But that all changed in the final game of the series. The score was 2-2. There was one last game to decide who would become the World Champion. The game started off well for Lin Feng. It was an intense back and forth from the first minute, with neither team giving an inch. His heart was racing and his hands were sweaty. The laning phase ended and the team fights started. What little advantage he’d built up in lane wasn’t enough to win over the opposing Midlaner. The fights became trickier and trickier as the minutes went by. All the champions reached Level 18 and most had completed their item builds. One misplay and it would all be over. One lapse in judgement would end the game. His nerves got to him and he made a rash play. A huge blunder. The opponent capitalized on it. They aced his team, stormed his base, and destroyed the Nexus.

Lin Feng remembered the defeated looks in the eyes of his teammates. The way they looked at him still haunted him to this day. They didn’t say it, but he could feel their disappointment. It was his fault that they lost, and his alone. He had let them down. Everything they’d worked so hard for, he’d made it all worthless. It was all too much for him. He couldn’t take it. So he ran away, far away from all those judging eyes! He didn’t even stop to tell Fatty, who was the teammate he got along with best. The only person he told about his decision was his mentor, a man he deeply admired and respected.

His mentor had always been there for him. In fact, it was this mentor who’d helped him with the problem of competing at Worlds. When the Global Esports Association told him he couldn’t participate because of his age, and when even the Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Esports Association wasn’t enough to change this decision, it was his mentor who had helped him. A few words from him were enough for the Global Esports Association to change their minds and let Lin Feng participate at Worlds despite his age.

When Lin Feng told this mentor his decision to retire from the esports scene, he wasn’t given a lengthy speech about how young he was and how much more potential he had left in him. Instead, his mentor calmly listened to his little speech and then nodded. “Oh, if that’s what you really want, alright. Take some time off and get your thoughts sorted out. When you’re ready, give me a call.” He left Lin Feng with a pat on the shoulder and a note with a phone number on it.

It wasn’t until today, almost four years later, that Lin Feng finally called that number. He weakly said, “H-hey… it's me.”

There was no response, just silence. Then, the man on the other end of the line started chuckling, a bit amused. “Oh? Wow, It’s you! Here I thought you’d walked away for good. I never thought you’d call this number again.”

Lin Feng scratched the back of his head. He couldn’t help but feel he'd let this man down four years ago. His mentor had done so much for him, and what had he given back in return? A failed tournament and early retirement. He tried to think of something to say, anything! But he couldn’t. His mind was empty.

“Hey! If you need something, hurry up already! You’re costing me a ton of money.”

Lin Feng was caught off-guard. He felt a sharp pain in his heart. He’d prepared himself to be lectured, chided, or even yelled at, but certainly not this. He asked, choking up, “I’m sorry for calling you. Do you not want to talk to me? I can hang up…”