The sun hung low in the sky, casting warm orange slants through the narrow apartment hallway as Adrian, Alice, and Sarah stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the dreaded storage unit door.
It groaned ominously when Alice unlocked it, revealing a chaotic avalanche of old boxes, dusty holiday decorations, broken furniture, and—oddly—an unsettling number of ancient fans stacked like a forgotten shrine to past summers. The air reeked of dust, stale plastic, and a weird blend of sunscreen and mildew.
"Well," Alice muttered, planting her hands on her hips, "let's get this over with."
"I call not lifting anything heavy," Sarah chirped immediately, stepping backward like she might vanish if anyone dared point at a box.
"Nope." Adrian shut that down before she could retreat. He was already rolling up his sleeves. "We've got less than two hours before the order window closes. If we fall behind, we all miss out."
Sarah groaned like she'd been personally betrayed. "Fine. But if I break a nail, you're paying for the fix."
The next hour and a half unfolded in a blur of sweat, dust, and increasingly aggressive sneezing fits. Adrian went straight for the heaviest boxes in the back, stacking them with mechanical efficiency. Alice worked methodically, as calm as ever, her headphones looped around her neck for once as she sorted through piles of chip snacks with surgical focus. Even Sarah, despite her protests, found a rhythm stacking the lighter boxes near the door.
At one point, Adrian caught the sisters laughing.
Alice had unearthed a battered karaoke machine and dared Sarah to try it out. Never one to back down from a stage, Sarah gave an impromptu performance of a cringy early-2000s pop hit. It was terrible. It was glorious. Adrian doubled over laughing, hands on his knees, even as sweat dripped from his brow.
Time ticked fast.
Adrian checked his phone: 1 hour, 57 minutes.
His heart skipped a beat. He shoved the final box into place, dusted his hands off, and turned to the girls.
"We're done!" he shouted, already bolting down the hall.
Alice blinked. "Where are you—?"
"ORDER WINDOW!" he yelled over his shoulder like it was a codeword for battle.
He crashed into his apartment seconds later, nearly tripping over a rogue energy drink can, and slammed into his desk chair. His fingers flew across the keyboard like his life depended on it, booting up the official Reaper's Echo website—the collector's edition pre-order portal.
A sleek, animated homepage greeted him. Fire licked across the game's jagged silver logo, dramatic music pulsing faintly in the background.
Adrian didn't even blink at the aesthetics. He dove straight into the order form.
Email — check.Shipping — check.Card info — check.
Then he froze.
Total: $389.99.
His brows knit together. That was way more than he'd expected. A glance at the fine print told him everything—he'd been redirected to the international vendor portal. The U.S. one had crashed earlier, and the site had auto-switched to import pricing.
He clenched his jaw. Backing out now would mean risking everything. The window was closing. Fast.
Screw it.
He hit Confirm.
The screen blinked.
"Thank you for your order. Your Collector's Edition of Reaper's Echo will be delivered within 5 hours. Server opens at 9 AM tomorrow."
Adrian slumped back in his chair, heart racing. It felt like he'd just defused a bomb.
A voice called from the doorway. "Did you get it?"
He turned. Sarah and Alice stood in the hallway, blonde heads stacked one above the other like curious cartoon characters.
"Yeah," he said, pointing to the screen. "Got it. Barely. The price almost killed me, though."
Alice stepped in and dropped onto the edge of his bed, brushing platinum strands from her eyes. "So what's the damage?"
"Four hundred, basically."
Sarah whistled low. "Damn. That's like ten nights out. Or one really bougie party."
"Or one game that's gonna consume our souls for the next year," Adrian muttered, rubbing his temples.
Alice stretched out across the bed without asking, hoodie rising just enough to flash a glimpse of her waist. "Well, thanks for buying it. Guess we owe you one."
Adrian waved her off. "Your dad helped us, so don't worry about it. Just... don't make me carry you in-game."
"Oh, I'm absolutely making you carry me," Alice said with a lazy grin.
Sarah plopped beside her, scrolling through her phone. "They're delivering to the front desk. Says estimated arrival in five hours. So, like... 11-ish?"
Adrian groaned. "Perfect. Midnight zombie hour."
He was running purely on caffeine and adrenaline now, but it didn't matter. It was all worth it.
He'd made it.
Tomorrow, when the servers opened, he wouldn't be left behind. He'd be logging in with both Carter sisters from the very start.
No lag. No FOMO. No regrets.
Alice rolled onto her side and gave him a look. "You gonna nap, or just sit there twitching until it arrives?"
"I'll probably twitch."
"Cool. Wake me when it gets here," she mumbled, pulling her hood down over her eyes.
Sarah, still awake, scooted toward the headboard. "We should start theorycrafting builds. I found a forum post that breaks down starter classes. Apparently, going Spirit-heavy early can unlock some broken chain combos."
Adrian chuckled. "Alright. We'll go over it together."
Outside, the sky deepened into a violet canvas, the last rays of sun fading from the horizon. A soft stillness crept over the apartment—the quiet kind that only comes before something big.
For the first time in a long time, Adrian wasn't doing this alone.
10:57 PM.
The soft hum of Adrian's PC was the only sound in the room. Alice was asleep on the bed, her breathing slow and steady. Sarah had curled up near the foot, phone still clutched loosely in one hand, her gum long forgotten, and a soft snore escaping every few minutes.
Adrian sat upright the moment he heard it.
Three firm knocks.
Silence.
He was on his feet in seconds, chair spinning behind him and thumping softly against the wall. Alice blinked awake, groaning, "That better be the game…"
Sarah stirred too, blinking blearily. "Whu—time to go?"
Adrian didn't answer. He was already down the hall, heart pounding.
He arrived at the front desk just as Mr. Carter, half-asleep in a robe and slippers, opened the door for a courier wheeling in three massive black boxes.
Each box was matte and sleek, etched with the silver crest of Reaper's Echo: Collector's Edition.
Adrian's breath caught. They were here.
All the anticipation, the streams, the hype, the daydreams—it was now.
"These yours?" the courier asked, yawning mid-sentence.
"All three," Adrian confirmed, stepping forward like a knight retrieving sacred relics.
"They're heavier than they look. Watch your back," the man said, scribbling a signature before rolling his cart away.
Mr. Carter eyed Adrian. "If this thing makes my daughters miss rent again, I'm holding you responsible."
Adrian gave him a sheepish grin. "Wouldn't dream of it, sir."
He bent down, wrapped both arms around his box, and heaved. It was massive—wider than his torso and heavy with densely packed contents—but he managed to lift it against his chest.
Halfway down the hall, he passed Alice and Sarah, both now in oversized hoodies, eyes wide.
"No way…" Sarah whispered, running to her box.
"They're huge," Alice muttered, crouching to inspect hers. "Did they pack a small coffin in here?"
Adrian chuckled, nudging his door open with his foot and placing the box gently on the carpet. "Told you it was the real deal."
Sarah braced herself, lifted her box, and nearly toppled backward. "Okay, not that bad—wait, wait—nope. This is dumb." She dropped it with a thump. "How'd you carry yours?"
Adrian leaned against the doorway. "Gamer muscles."
She scowled. "Ugh. Showoff."
Alice gave hers a try next. She lifted it a few inches but shuffled like a penguin before giving up. "Yeah, no. This is not the vibe."
"You want help?" Adrian offered, already stepping forward.
"…Yes, please," Alice replied, deadpan.
"Same," Sarah chimed in. "Come on, buff nerd."
Adrian hauled Alice's box inside first. She followed close behind, arms crossed and smirking.
"I bet this is your dream, huh? Carrying stuff for two beautiful girls?"
"I dream of good ping and perfect synergy," he shot back.
He returned for Sarah's and groaned a bit, lifting it. His muscles were officially done for the day.
Sarah skipped after him. "This is actually happening. Like, we're logging in tomorrow. Day One squad. No catch-up. No spoilers."
"Welcome to the no-life squad," Adrian said, placing her box beside hers.
The three of them gathered around the unopened packages in silence.
Sarah started tugging at the tape, practically vibrating with excitement.
Alice leaned back, hoodie slipping from one shoulder. "So… five hours well spent?"
Adrian smiled faintly. "More like the last month, but I'm glad it finally came so we can play."
It wasn't just about a game.
It was about having fun with sisters.
No regrets.