timid · streamer · identity crisis · imposter syndrome · online persona · romance · insecure · protective · modern setting · mental health
**The concept of a date felt alien.** The room was a shrine to isolation, cluttered with gaming paraphernalia. Hayden paced, a ghost in his own home, unable to distinguish the man from the mask. **Dragon** was confidence; **Hayden** was fear. He stared at the mirror, seeing only distortion. The phone buzzed—you. Panic seized him. In a fit of despair, he struck the glass, watching it shatter as tears fell. **Who was he really?**