Chapter 3: The Pro, The Secret, My Name

The stream was already trending, chat moving a mile a minute. Jax had that kind of magnetism—everybody wanted to watch him play, even if they didn’t care about the game.

My idol—not only was he insanely skilled, but he was also good-looking, with features and a build that could give any Hollywood actor a run for their money.

He was the kind of guy you’d see on billboards—sharp jaw, dark hair, eyes that could cut right through you. And that smile, when he let it slip, could make anyone’s day.

But lately, he seemed out of it on stream.

He played like he was on autopilot, barely talking, barely reacting. The usual banter was gone. Even the chat noticed.

Fans in the chat were concerned:

"Jax, something up lately?"

"Championships start next month, get some rest, man."

Someone sharp-eyed noticed: "Jax keeps glancing at his other phone."

"Looks like he’s checking someone’s stats."

"Yeah, I saw it too. The stats page is all Seraphine—must be a girl."

"No way, is my Jax taken? Ugh, there goes my shot."

"If he looks this sad, maybe they broke up. We still have hope."

"Appreciate the optimism."

Jax glanced at the comments, set down his phone, and looked a little annoyed.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Why are y’all so nosy? Yeah, I was in a relationship. But she doesn’t want me anymore."

His eyes went red, looking so hurt—like a sad puppy. Totally different from his usual cocky, sharp-tongued self.

The chat went nuts: the viewer count shooting up. Everybody wanted a front-row seat to his heartbreak.

As soon as he said that, the chat exploded, and the viewer count shot up—everyone was here for the drama.

"No way, bro, you were really dating someone?"

"Your girlfriend dumped you?"

"How? You’re so good-looking—how could anyone break up with you?"

"If she doesn’t want you, I’ll take you!"

I pursed my lips, feeling a little heartbroken.

I hugged my knees to my chest, watching the chat spiral. I’d followed Jax for years, from his rookie days in esports to leading the Comets to five championships. I’d never missed a single finals match of his, and I’d watched every highlight reel a dozen times.

The match that stuck with me most was last year’s semifinals. It was match point, all his teammates were dead, and it looked like they were about to lose. Even the casters sounded heartbroken.

The tension in that moment was unreal. I could barely breathe. You could feel it through the screen—the whole arena holding its breath, the shoutcasters’ voices trembling as they called the play.

But just then, when no one believed in him, Jax’s Diana respawned. With flawless ult chains, he dashed to the river three times, intercepting all five enemies. Everyone thought he was just clearing minions, but he suddenly flipped the script.

The crowd’s energy was electric. Jax’s Diana darted back and forth among the five enemies like slicing through butter. He took all five kills and turned the game around.

The whole arena erupted. The Twitch chat went wild.

That moment was everywhere—highlight reels, memes, even ESPN. Jax became a legend overnight. And I was completely smitten.

Seriously, who would dump a guy like that?

I shook my head, still in disbelief.

Jax glanced at the chat again and answered seriously, "We haven’t even met in person yet."

He sounded almost embarrassed, voice dropping a little. The chat went wild.

"Online relationship?"

Chat was all over it:

"No way, dude, you didn’t tell her who you are?"

"With your looks, even online you should use your real photo!"

"Think your girlfriend will regret it when she finds out?"

"Why can’t that girlfriend be me?"

Jax cut off the chat, sounding a little impatient: "Alright, enough. Let’s get to today’s games. Same as always, I’ll pick a fan from chat to five-stack with us."

He forced a smile, trying to steer the stream back on track. But, of course, chat kept at it. He ignored them, focusing on the lobby screen.

"Us" meant him, ADC Finn, top laner Riley, and mid laner Lucas. A total dream team for boosting.

They were the kind of lineup you’d kill to play with—pros, all of them, with years of synergy. I could only dream.

The chat flooded with requests. I sent a screenshot of my losing streak on Seraphine with the caption: "Support looking for a carry."

I hesitated, then hit send. What’s the worst that could happen? The chat was flying by, but I had to try.

Afraid he wouldn’t notice, I sent a big Twitch gift too.

I gritted my teeth, clicked the biggest donation I could afford, and watched as my username popped up in neon colors on the stream.

On stream, Jax scrolled through the chat. Suddenly, he paused, staring at the comments in a daze. Teammate Finn cleared his throat, snapping him out of it.

For a second, he looked like he’d seen a ghost. I held my breath, waiting.

Maybe money really does talk—I actually got picked for the team.

My hands shook as the invite popped up. I nearly dropped my phone. Sam squealed, hugging me so hard I thought I’d pass out.

I checked—my ex wasn’t online. No drama tonight.

I did a quick scan of my friends list, just in case. Coast was clear. It was now or never.

I joined the lobby, turned on my mic and said hi. Everyone responded warmly—except Jax, who ignored me, which left me a bit disappointed.

Finn’s voice was easygoing. Riley cracked a joke. Lucas hummed a greeting. Jax, though, was silent—his mic muted. I tried not to take it personally, but it stung.

Chat was all over it:

"Wow, girl’s voice is so sweet!"

"Why’s Jax so cold? Won’t even talk to her?"

"He’s heartbroken, give him a break..."

I could feel the chat’s eyes on me, like a million invisible spectators. I took a deep breath and tried to focus.

On champ select, Finn politely asked, "Hey, what support do you wanna play? I can pick for you."

His voice was gentle, almost brotherly. It put me at ease.

"Is Seraphine okay? That’s the only one I’m decent at."

I fiddled with my mouse, feeling a little embarrassed. Seraphine was my comfort pick, but I knew pros usually wanted something flashier.

Someone snickered on the other end before I could tell who.

The laugh was quick, almost teasing, but no one called me out. I felt my cheeks warm.

Finn chimed in, laughing, "Of course! I love Seraphine support. I’ll pick Ezreal. Let’s do the Ezreal-Seraphine combo."

He sounded genuinely excited, which made me relax a little. I relaxed a little. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Getting a pro’s approval made me genuinely happy.

My heart did a little flip.

Top laner Riley noticed my username and teased, "‘Seraphine’s Got a Wild King’? That’s hilarious—totally fits Jax. Let Jax take Seraphine to stomp everyone, you can solo ADC."

His voice was playful. Everyone cracked up. I laughed along, even though I felt a little exposed.

Everyone laughed—except Jax, who stayed silent.

The silence was heavy. For a second, I wondered if I’d said something wrong, but the others just kept joking around.

Game started. I instinctively trailed after the jungler. After hitting blue buff twice, Diana started spamming retreat pings.

Old habits died hard. I always followed the jungler, especially when I was nervous. The pings startled me, though—rapid, insistent. I froze, not sure what to do.

My hand shook. I froze in place, a little lost, and glanced at the stream. Not my best start. Jax pressed his lips together, looking serious.

He looked pissed, but was trying to play it cool. I felt a pang of guilt, like I’d let him down.

Thankfully, Ezreal spoke up: "Seraphine, come bot. I can’t hold ‘em off."

His voice was warm, no judgment. I felt a wave of relief. A pro being modest—still, I appreciated the help.

"On my way." I moved Seraphine down to bot lane.

I typed it out quickly, hands still shaking, but at least I had direction now.

We quickly got a kill together. Finally, something went right.

It was a clean play—our timing was perfect. The rush of adrenaline made me grin. Maybe this wouldn’t be a disaster after all.

"Seraphine’s awesome," Ezreal cheered, giving me a thumbs up. "If you hadn’t come in time, I’d have been toast."

I couldn’t help but smile. I tried to sound casual, but I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

Mid Lucas and top Riley laughed.

"No one flirts with girls like you, Finn."

"Seraphine, how about changing your name to ‘Seraphine’s Got an ADC’?"

Their banter made the tension melt away. For a second, I forgot about the pressure.

Fans joined in:

"Finn, chill—Seraphine already has a Wild King boyfriend."

Someone posted a screenshot of my profile with a level 25 duo badge and the ID ‘Seraphine’s Wild King’.

Chat went wild:

"Wow, Diana, Lee Sin, Hecarim, Yasuo, Sett—all top-tier champs with over 90% win rate."

"And Diana’s power is 18,000—that’s..."

"Our Jax’s national power is only 20,000."

"Girl’s cracked!"

The recognition made me sit up a little straighter. Maybe I wasn’t as hopeless as I thought.

I smiled awkwardly. This was all so surreal.

Just then, Diana was suddenly killed in-game.

Fans: "aa?"

The chat filled with question marks and confusion. I winced, feeling the tension spike.

Teammates were confused.

Ezreal asked, "Bro, why’d you just run into the enemy and cancel your ult?"

Lucas: "I pinged the bush like crazy, man."

I couldn’t help but glance at him. Jax clicked his tongue, looking annoyed, tossed his phone down, rubbed his brow, and waited to respawn.

He looked frustrated, eyes dark. Was this my fault? The pressure was unreal.

After respawning, he pinged ‘Support please follow me’ for me to stick with him.

I hesitated, then followed the pings. My heart thudded in my chest. Maybe this was my chance to make up for earlier.

Once Ezreal gave the green light, I crossed the jungle and ulted onto Diana. But he immediately ditched me.

I watched my screen go dark—my heart pounding, startled by what just happened.

I sat there, stunned. Why would he leave me like that? My hands hovered over the keyboard, unsure what to say.

Chat was just as confused.

"Why did Diana just leave without fighting?"

"Did he do it on purpose?"

"Got beef with Seraphine?"

The chat was a storm of speculation. I bit my lip, feeling exposed.

I bit my finger, still shaken.

My nerves were shot.

On stream, he looked like a kid who’d done something wrong—eyes a little red, voice trembling: "S-sorry."

His voice cracked, barely above a whisper. Was he really that upset?

I didn’t get it, but seeing him like that, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything harsh. I just replied politely, "It’s okay."

I kept my tone gentle, not wanting to make things worse. The chat fell silent for a moment, waiting.

But his next sentence left me stunned.

He said, "It won’t happen again, Maddie."

Wait. Maddie?

My breath caught. My real name. Not my username, not my in-game tag—my actual name. It echoed in my ears, making my heart race.

Maddie—my name.

How does he know my name?

I stared at the screen, pulse thundering. My palms were clammy, my breath short, and my heart pounding so loud I could barely hear the game. A hundred questions swirled in my head. The game faded into the background. For a split second, everything else disappeared—just me, the monitor, and a secret I didn’t know existed.