The net rippled.
He leapt from his chair. The replay showed the ball skidding off the post, kissing the inside netting. In the corner of the screen, the scoreboard flickered: .
Alex didn't see polygons or code anymore. He saw the Borussia-Park floodlights reflecting off puddles. He saw the away fans falling silent. He saw his world, finally complete.
When the installation finished, he launched the game.
He saved the replay, then closed the game. Outside, the real rain had stopped. But inside, thanks to , the storm still raged.