The Apex players, a tidal wave of blue and black, washed over their quiet, smiling hero, a chaotic pile-on of ecstatic, exhausted bodies.
Ethan was on his knees in his technical area, his head in his hands, not in despair, but in a state of pure, unadulterated, joyful disbelief.
He was laughing, a sound that was half-sob, half-roar, the emotional and mental toll of the last 120 minutes finally, beautifully, breaking.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. It was Marcus Thorne, the legend, a look of profound, almost paternal respect on his face.
"Enjoy this, son," he said, his voice a low, respectful rumble. "Moments like these... they're the reason we play the game."
On the live stream, which had now crested over 8,000 viewers, Tactics Tim and Gary 'The Gaffer' Stone were no longer commentators. They were fans.
