When Morgana went to bed and Big D finally left, the apartment grew quiet again. The hum of the computer was the only sound. Sid didn't stop. Hours slipped away unnoticed. The only light in the room came from his monitor— flashes of muzzle fire, explosions, and the occasional flicker of victory screens.
His focus was total. The pain in his knee did not exist here. The whispers outside did not reach him. He wasn't broken, wasn't pitied—he was alive, capable, and climbing again. When Morgana woke up in the middle of the night, the glow from his computer still lit the room. She squinted, rubbing her eyes, realizing the faint rattling of gunfire was coming from Sid's desk.
"Sid?"
She murmured, walking closer. On the screen, his avatar stood amid smoking ruins. A digital voice echoed:
[Wave 100 complete.]
Morgana froze.
"Wait— what? Wave 100?"
She leaned in, eyes wide. He had started at level zero yesterday afternoon.
"How did you even—?"
