Ever since Haru was a child, she stood out thanks to an intelligence that set her apart from the rest of her classmates. She only needed minimal effort to excel in school, but behind her high grades there was always a reason: the search for recognition from teachers and relatives.
All of that changed when her mother passed away after a long battle with cancer. The faint passion she had for studying faded away along with her.
María García Torres, a beautiful dark-skinned woman who had lost her parents in a car accident at a very young age, was Haru's emotional pillar. She celebrated every one of her daughter's achievements as if each were a once-in-a-lifetime event. That's why, after losing her, the girl found herself drowning in unbearable emptiness, searching for something to fill it.
She found that "something" in video games.
When Kimura Hiroshi —her father— gave her a console, he hoped it would bring back at least a little of the sparkle she had lost. But her reaction far exceeded his expectations. The moment she powered it on, she was hooked. Those vast, colorful worlds on the screen swallowed her whole. And the way she picked up every mechanic and challenge with ease was the icing on the cake.
For the first time in her life, she felt that her efforts were rewarded instantly. In games, there was no need to wait years for minor progress; just a few hours of dedication yielded tangible results that improved the skills of the characters she embodied.
In those virtual settings, Haru discovered a version of herself she never would have imagined: strong, fearless, and clever. But above all, she loved the one rule that made those worlds magical: death wasn't final. Hit a button, and everything could begin again.
The charm of that first console soon opened the door to an insatiable hunger for more. More stories. Adventures. Chances to become someone else. And Hiroshi didn't hesitate to indulge her. As long as it kept his daughter from sinking into sadness, he was more than willing to give her whatever she wanted.
He had always feared that María's death would leave a permanent mark on her —especially because Haru had witnessed firsthand how the illness weakened her once-energetic mother until she was confined to bed. In the end, his fears proved to be right. She kept her obsession hidden for years, even from her father. Everything came to light when it was time to talk about college.
When the subject came up, she was blunt. She had no interest in pursuing a meaningless degree. She believed her brains and skills were enough to make it on her own. Her true passion lay in the nights spent in front of the screen, in manga and novels; she didn't feel the need to search for anything else.
Hiroshi was hesitant at first, but in the end, he supported her. He couldn't abandon the only family he had left; not after everything he'd been through with his relatives in Japan. So, he struck a deal: he'd give her a monthly allowance, as long as she completed a few online courses each year—subjects like languages, finance, basic programming, applied math. Nothing too demanding, just enough to keep her mind sharp.
He knew that, as a renowned businessman in a foreign country, his daughter's image was always under scrutiny. He was well aware of his rivals and envious colleagues who would take advantage of any weakness to criticize him. The last thing he wanted was for her to be mocked by being compared to him.
As for the idea of her becoming independent and starting a family, that never worried him. As far as he was concerned, Haru would never need to worry about money. Not while he was alive, and not after he was gone. That belief was what drove him to work hard, day after day.
And she never let him down. She completed all the courses he required, some even ahead of the deadlines set by their respective platforms. Over time, she accumulated numerous digital certificates that Hiroshi printed on parchment paper, framed, and hung in his offices, both at home and at work.
He didn't always get the chance to tell her—what with the time difference and his packed schedule—but he was incredibly proud of her.
For Haru, however, those achievements never truly mattered. Her view of reality hadn't changed much since she was a kid: she preferred the comfort of fantasy to the bleakness of the real world.
That mindset often led her to act without thinking, and more than once, it got her into trouble…
. . . . .
After grabbing the plate of food Ana had left for her in the pantry, Haru added a bag of chips to the haul; something to munch on later. She had decided to pair them with an energy drink from the mini fridge she had asked her father for as a reward for successfully completing her Mandarin course.
She washed her hands in the kitchen sink, not bothering with the trip to the bathroom, and then headed up to her room on the second floor. More than just a house, it was a mansion with a mix of elegance and complexity that reflected the comfortable life Hiroshi had secured for his wife and daughter.
It had it all: a spacious kitchen, a lounge, a foyer, a pool, front and back gardens, and a garage big enough for two large cars. On the first floor, there was also a home office used by Hiroshi, a guest room—currently occupied by Ana—and the main bathroom. Upstairs, three bedrooms, each with its own en-suite and walk-in closet, plus some small indoor balconies. There was even a basement used for storage, and a small private chapel dedicated to María, her portrait placed lovingly beside a crucified Christ.
Its flashy design was due to the original owner having built it to his taste, even though he never lived there, having moved abroad for work.
When Haru opened the door to her room, darkness greeted her. But a single flick of the LED strip lights on the walls brought the space back to life. A large spherical ceiling light hung above, but she rarely used it: it was too bright. She preferred the soft, bluish glow that bathed the room.
Even when she had to do assignments for the courses she was enrolled in, she usually relied on the evening sunlight filtering in through the window. Now, though, that window was hidden behind a thick purple curtain that blocked out the outside world.
After setting the food down on the nightstand, she slipped off her hoodie to reveal a sleeveless top and changed into a pair of comfy shorts that barely reached mid-thigh.
Once ready, she headed to her desk, where a sleek, triple-monitor setup awaited. After hitting the power button, she dropped into her oversized gaming chair, way too big for someone her size. As the machine booted up, she let her thoughts wander.
That afternoon's encounter had been memorable for several reasons.
Not just because it was the first time she'd met such a bold stalker—but because of the disturbing image that burned into her memory when she saw him standing there, half-lit by the roadside headlights.
His face didn't match the awkward, clumsy act he put on at the store. There was something in his eyes—something heavy. Not desire. Not malice. Just… emptiness. Like someone who'd seen things no one ever should. That cold, hollow stare was what shook her the most. All the bravado she'd summoned to follow him had vanished in a flash.
At first, she thought she could outrun someone built like him if things got dangerous. But in reality, fear rooted her to the spot. She froze, bracing for the worst.
However, the outcome was very different from what she expected. There were no threats or intimidating moves. Instead, she received an unexpected gift from him, which left her confused.
So much so that, once she got into a taxi ride home, she ripped through the package, searching for hidden trackers, bugs, anything suspicious.
Paranoia drove her to tear apart several items in the package, but no matter how hard she looked, nothing seemed off. Still, she wasn't fooled. She was sure he had lied to her. His story was full of gaps. At that time, she played along only to get away safely.
The deception became evident when Haru tested him by pretending her father was unaware of her hobbies. Of course, Hiroshi never questioned her purchases or got involved in details, but he had always known her interests and had even given her gifts aligned with them on several occasions.
"Dylan… Dylan Castro," she murmured, recalling the name he gave her before saying goodbye.
Now that she was safe at home, Haru couldn't resist the urge to find out more about him. She could feel her wounded pride demanding an answer, something to erase the humiliation of having behaved like a newborn lamb in front of him.
How did he know so much about her and her father? No one sane would share that kind of information with a stranger. Had he been spying on her? Following her? Was he some obsessive lunatic?
So many questions raced through her mind—questions with no answers. After all, he hadn't harmed her. Not even when she had deliberately mocked him.
None of it made sense to her. He was undeniably intimidating; everything about him radiated a sense of someone who had stared death in the face. And yet, if he had truly intended to hurt her, why had he hesitated?
After a few minutes turning the situation over in her mind without reaching any clear conclusion, she began searching for him on social media using the name he had given her, narrowing the search to the city where they had met. She didn't expect to find anything—she only did it for the sake of a "maybe," though she figured any criminal would know how to hide his tracks.
But then she exclaimed:
"Gotcha!"
There he was. His face, unfiltered and public, right there on her screen. Seeing him in that context made her fear completely vanish. What once seemed like a threatening shadow was now nothing more than an ordinary man on a screen.
That shattered the sophisticated villain image she had built in her mind. Not that smart. Not that mysterious. Not that intimidating.
"So easy to find… and I was freaking out like a total idiot," she laughed, shaking her head.
Buzzing with excitement, she dove into every corner of his page. With each scroll, more ideas came flooding in.
If he thought their little encounter was over, he was dead wrong. He'd caught her interest… and now, she was going to make sure he regretted it.