Kai didn't answer. He was too busy watching the afterimages of his victory. For the first time in years, his eyes felt young again. The blur didn't hide the game—it extended it.

He drew his sword. The blade left a cool blue wake behind it. He sprinted.

Kai closed the game. Unplugged his PC. Stared at the dark reflection in his monitor.

“It’s not a shader. It’s a texture pack. Version 1.8.9.”

He still had three more ranked matches to play.