Breath, breath, fire in the muscles, breath, pain, where is the ball?

Move, can not stop, infinity, breath, pain, grow weaker, power through, grow weaker.

Sweat, cold, fire muscles, burn more, more pain.

Shiver, shaking, muscles pain, numb, pain, numb, pain, breathe.

Where is the ball - another point - irrelevant, no more joy, must keep playing.

Breath, fire in the lung, cold in the lung, pain, pain.

Have to keep going, everyone is watching. The stakes are high, I am... exhausted.

The pain has to go on. I need to continue. I need... the light is flickering.

I... tired... but... I need ... to go o-.

Chaden awoke on a bed, he had been on the field, playing soccer with the others, but now he was on a bed. He tried to get up, keep on fighting, but his muscles were too weak, due to the newly awakened strain, they grew even weaker, leaving Chaden to breathe heavily whilst lying down. Just taking a rest before the fight, just closing those eyes again, just give up, let go, give into the tiredness... Chadens eyes closed, his mind shut down and sleep claimed the teen once again. He had already failed, the game had ended with the players stamina depletion. And really, after so long of a playtime, no one really cared who had won.

Everyone had again the problem, that food had run out, new Aquisition members had ventured out into the world, finding even edible plants, razed forests for anything remotely edible, the new influx of food placated the masses once again, everything kept going, while the players were incapacitated, some of them neglected, they died of dehydration in their beds, but Chaden was well cared for by Lisaac and everything was alright for now.

The game must not have been so important after all, Chaden told himself.

This was the mentality of a slave towards their masters aspirations, they were not so important after all. With insustainability comes change, a change of mind, that it must not have been so important to sustain, it probably was rather meaningless if it did not persist.

His previous intent was devoid of importance, it did not matter, matter created importance and intent should be only directed if the matter kept persisting. And yet it was too late to deny a master, which had already a replacement for you. Within his girlfriends body it grew already, never to be born if the food consumption would keep up like this.

Just a few missed meals would mean that the child would be born as a corpse.

Chaden was reminded by life once again, that this was not an option, he had become more affectionate to Lisaac, he had become a simp.

On his mind was the question how to feed her, he had regained his strength and there was a need for protein-rich food, but most food consisted of wild plants currently.

Kill a pet would get him and her killed as pet eaters - there had been a few which had been consequently executed by crucification. It was not possible to eat cats and dogs, any meat would go to them, the plants to the humans.

This diet would kill their child, so he had to do something radical. The game was over, the aquisition job had returned with more responsibility than ever before.

What would be the source of matter? What would be the source of meat?