Page 92 of Stream Heat
We talked for maybe another half hour, digging into industry stuff, Omega rights, and why honesty matters on camera and off. By the end, I didn't feel empty. I felt lighter.
"Thank you for sharing your story, Kara," Callie said as we wrapped. "This is the kind of honest conversation the space needs."
"Thanks for making it safe to do that," I replied. "And for showing that it's not all about competition between Omegas. Sometimes it's about having each other's backs."
this was amazing
more collabs please
proud of both of you
can't wait to see what you build next kara
After Callie set up the next streamer that was going to share their story and we cut the feed, but she lingered on the call.
"Seriously, how do you feel?" she asked, this time with only me listening.
"Good. Scared of what comes next, but good. I finally said what I needed to say."
She scrolled through the chat replay. "Your people really do support you. Don't underestimate that. Most folks watching? They want you to succeed."
"Yeah. I think I lost track of that, honestly. Got so caught up in the noise, I forgot there are actual humans on the other end."
"Well," she said, "now they're louder than the trolls. That's a win. If you ever need to chat, on cam or off, just reach out."
“Same,” I added with a tired smile.
I sat in my chair after she hung up, just soaking it in. Everything was still a mess. The fallout would last for weeks. People would always be waiting for me to screw up again.
But I'd spoken up for myself, no filter, no propping up of the old version of me. And even if that wasn't enough for the industry, it was enough for me.
There was a knock on the door but they barely waited a heartbeat before opening. Five Alphas filed in, each wearing their own variation of concern, pride, worry, the whole spectrum, painted across their faces. Theo got there first, practically crackling with some jittery, supportive energy.
"That was AMAZING!" He nearly shouted, bouncing on his toes like he was moments away from launching himself across the room. "The chat was losing their minds! In a good way! Mostly. There were a couple trolls but the mods handled it."
Malik came next, his voice the exact opposite, all smooth, steady, and grounding. "Very powerful," he said, nodding once, slow and sure. "Authentic, but not self-pitying. It resonated."
"The metrics were strong," Ash added from the doorway, nose already buried in his tablet. "Viewer retention at ninety-seven percent. That’s basically unheard of for a talking stream with no gameplay." I saw him swipe upward, analyzing, processing.
"Because it was Kara, being real," Jace said, voice so low you’d easily miss it if you weren’t listening for it. "People respond to the truth. Plus she and Callie seem to get along well. It doesn’t seem forced.”
Reid said nothing, just studied me with those razor-sharp eyes of his, like he was seeing straight through to the core of me. He let the rest talk themselves out, then finally asked, "You okay?" Just those two words, nothing more. It cut through everything else.
"I think so." I could still feel my heartbeat echoing from the stream, but it wasn’t anxiety anymore. More like tiredness. Relief. "Tired. But… lighter, I guess."
He nodded, quiet, like he got it without needing any more explanation. The weight I’d been carrying for years, the secrets, the hiding, all of it, I’d finally put it down. Whatever happened next, good or bad, at least I wasn’t suffocating under all that anymore.
My phone started vibrating on the desk, lighting up with so many notifications it looked like it might catch fire. I caught flashes of other streamers reacting, especially Omegas. Callie had already posted a highlight clip titled ‘QUEEN SPEAKS HER TRUTH AND I’M SOBBING.’ Some sponsors who’d dropped me were crawling back, talking about "partnerships that align with your authentic brand" like nothing had ever happened.
But what mattered most, honestly, were the direct messages. Omegas and other kids, telling me that my honesty meant something to them. That seeing me compete while owning my designation showed them they didn’t have to fake it to succeed.
watching you own your designation while still being a badass competitor changed my life
i was considering suppressants for college esports but after your stream i’m talking to my team about designation accommodations instead
thank you for showing us what courage looks like
I didn’t know what to do with any of it. I showed the pack the messages, feeling my throat tighten up more from that than from everything I’d just done live in front of thousands.
