Forever Brothers

Content Warning: This story contains themes of loss and emotional distress that may be upsetting to some readers.

It had been a tiring day for Mathew. Finals in math had made him sweat blood for a week, and in the end, he barely passed—but that was enough for him. He had much more pressing matters to attend to: summer holidays and finally playing a new game he had bought—Forever Brothers. All his classmates had been in an uproar when it came out, playing it on release day only to fail the math test. Mathew did the opposite. He studied and suffered, just so he could enjoy the sweet fruits of his labor a week later without having to take supplementary classes during the summer.

He ran home with a smile, barely greeting his parents, shut the door to his room, and booted up his PC. The screen lit up like a Christmas tree, casting a soft glow on his face. He immediately started the game and created his character, naming it as any thirteen-year-old kid would—MatTheTank. Forever Brothers was, as the name suggested, a team game where one wouldn’t survive alone—Mathew needed a brother, so he set out to find one.

MatTheTank: Hey guys, can anyone show me around? I’m new to this game, but I want to learn :)

Some people responded, but once they learned he was a kid, they stopped replying. It was always like this in online games—people didn’t mind teaching new players, but they didn’t want to babysit kids.

After an hour or so, Mathew was on the verge of giving up. A vein on his forehead throbbed as people mocked him in the chat for being a kid and making grammar mistakes. His anger reached new heights when someone started insulting his mom—but then, out of nowhere, a trace of hope appeared.

T0BY_SN1PER: Yo Mat, I’m Toby. I also can’t find any teammates. Wanna team up?

Finally, someone! After hours of waiting, Mathew didn’t care who Toby was—he just wanted someone to play with and enjoy the game. He quickly added him to his friends list.

MatTheTank: Dude thanks for the invite, I was about to quit loool.

T0BY_SN1PER: Yeah, me too! I had the same problem as you :D

And so, the two of them started playing together. Toby taught Mathew all the niche game mechanics he had picked up over the past week, and Mathew helped him with all the missions he hadn’t been able to complete until now.

T0BY_SN1PER: Thanks, Mat. It was real fun to finally play with someone my age. You really live up to your name, MatTheTank—I can’t even count how many times you’ve saved my butt :D

MatTheTank: Maaan I should thank you. Your skills are insane, and you saved me when you messaged, or else I’d still be looking for someone to play with. If you have time, we can play tomorrow too :D

T0BY_SN1PER: Oh, yes dude! I have a lot of free time, so we can grind and get all the legendary gear we can! 3:)

MatTheTank: Sure, see ya tomorrow!

T0BY_SN1PER: Byeeee :D

The next day, they played from morning until midnight—until Mat’s mom scolded him and told him to sleep or face a video game ban the next day.

MatTheTank: Maaaan, we almost finished that dungeon. Maybe we can do it tomorrow, but I need to be more careful around my mom next time xD

T0BY_SN1PER: Yeah, I know that feeling. My mom always scolds me too when I don’t eat properly while gaming xD

Mathew and Toby played day after day, week after week, chatting not just about games anymore but also about life—well, mostly Mathew talked about life. Toby was kind of reserved, though he became more talkative when they got back to gaming. Mathew didn’t mind—he liked his friend’s enthusiasm.

Time passed, and they weren’t kids anymore. Three years after they met, Mathew finally asked Toby:

Mathew Vanes: Hey Tob, ever thought about meeting irl?

Tobias Khan: I would love to, but… I live too far away.

Mathew Vanes: Wait—how do you even know where I live???

Tobias Khan: Dude, you underestimate my Facebook stalking skills -_- xD

Mathew Vanes: Gotcha xD

Mathew paused for a moment, sensing that there might’ve been more to Toby’s reluctance-he always dodged personal questions-but he let it go and read the next message.

Tobias Khan: Hey, if you have time, wanna play something? They finally released Brave Knights. It’s a lot of fun—I played the tutorial, and there are so many classes to choose from, even different types of tanks o.-

Mathew Vanes: You don’t even know how much I’d love to, but I have a date, remember?

Tobias Khan: Oh trueee. Sorry I am little slow these days...Good luck though ‘:D. Tell me how it went when you get back. I’ll be here to either congratulate you or console your broken heart :D

Mathew Vanes: I don’t know if I should kill you or hug you, but thanks. I’ll report back when I get home, and we can play something :D

That was one of the things Mathew liked about Toby—not just that he carried him through every game, but that he was always there for him. Toby didn’t talk much about himself, but he always listened.

The date went well. And not just the date—many things went well. Mathew got serious about life: he began exercising, eating healthier, improved his grades, and even landed a part-time job. Gaming with Toby gradually moved to the background, though they still texted occasionally to check in. Mathew shared updates about his life, while Toby mostly talked about games. Not that Mathew minded—he was glad his friend was enjoying himself.

Mathew graduated, and they started playing together again—though now, it was Toby who responded less often. Mathew assumed he was busy with work and didn’t ask.

Finally, after a month of job hunting, Mathew landed a position in a mid-sized company. To celebrate, he played Brave Knights 2 with Toby that night.

MatKnight: Finally, things are looking good, mate. I landed that god-awful corporate job :)))

TobKnight: Good job, bro! I told you—smile and wave. That’s a bulletproof tactic xD

MatKnight: I think I got the job because I stopped doing that—but thanks, I guess? XD

MatKnight: BTW, things are looking good with Kate. Once I get a few paychecks, I’ll buy the ring and ask her.

TobKnight: Yoooooo, good luck, mate. I remember when you asked her out when we were just kids. Time sure flies…

MatKnight: True… That’s just more of a reason to act :D What about you? Any girls on your radar? 3:)

TobKnight: Not really. You know me—once a gamer, always a gamer xDDD

That was the last message for a while. Mathew got busy with work, and Toby… did whatever Toby did.

Some time passed. Mathew settled into his new routine. He liked the job, had nice coworkers, and even his boss wasn’t a jerk. Everything seemed to be going well.

Until it didn’t.

Rain pelted the windows of Mathew’s house like war drums as he rushed out the door, trying to catch the last bus. He’d overslept after arguing with Kate about wedding flowers. He barely squeezed into the bus as the doors were closing, looking like a wet poodle. But he figured he had time to dry off before the client meeting.

He didn’t.

The clients were already there. Waiting.

Mathew froze. His suit was soaked. Still salvageable. He took it off and prepared the presentation. But when he reached into his bag for notes—they were gone.

His heart jumped, then dropped. Cold sweat joined the rain. He delivered the presentation anyway, but it was a mess. The clients gave him cold, judgmental stares. His boss later told him they declined the offer.

Mathew wanted to collapse in bed and forget the day ever happened. But sleep wouldn’t come, his veins buzzed with adrenaline and the anger kept him wired. He just lay there, staring at the ceiling with a vacant gaze.

Then his phone buzzed.

Tobias Khan: Hey mate, sorry I haven’t been around. I was... busy. But I bet you smashed it at work today! Wanna let off some steam and play games? :D

Mathew exploded.

Mathew Vanes: No, Tob. I don’t want to play your dumb games. I didn’t “smash” anything - I screwed up—big time. And you know what? Talking about games like nothing matters doesn’t help. I’ve got real crap to deal with. I don’t have time to waste like you.”

Seen by Tobias Khan

That was it. Mathew felt a twisted sense of relief, like releasing steam. Maybe now Toby would finally talk like an adult.

But he didn’t.

Two weeks passed. Mathew’s guilt grew. He thought he’d ruined everything, so he wrote an apology, hoping he hadn’t lost his best friend.

A day later, he got a reply—but it wasn’t from Toby.

Tobias Khan: Hello Mathew, this is Toby’s mom. I’m sad to tell you that my son passed away a week ago.

I know he didn’t talk much about himself, so maybe he never told you—but he was chronically ill since childhood, I guess he wanted to keep a brave face in front of his best friend. I’m sorry you ended on a bitter note, but he would have forgiven you. He always told me how much he looked forward to playing and talking with you. You might not know it, but your friendship was the thing he cherished most in the world. Thank you. He would have been proud of you. Love, Toby’s mom.

Mathew crumbled. His world fell apart. The tears came like the rain that day.

He took time off work, but it would take longer than that to heal.

Years later, Mathew ran home from work with a smile. Finally, he had time for his family. He kissed his wife, Kate, and went upstairs.

He sat at his desk. The screen lit up. He clicked on the icon for Forever Brothers. The graphics were outdated, but he didn’t care.

MatTheTank: Hey Toby. I never properly thanked you for messaging me that first day. I don’t even know how we played this game so long—but I guess it was because we were playing together. I’m sorry for that night. I didn’t get how much you really meant to me… until I lost you. I hope you can forgive me.

Oh—one more thing. I have a son now. And he’s already better at games than I ever was. His name is Toby. I tell him stories about you sometimes. He would have loved you like a real uncle. Thank you. You’ll always be my Forever Brother.