Then the first opponent appeared.

Leo told himself it was nostalgia. At 3 a.m., with a half-empty energy drink sweating on his desk, he double-clicked the file: ROADRASH.EXE .

He checked his hand. The cut was still there, scabbing over.

Then he heard it. A whisper, not from the speakers, but from the CPU fan itself. A slowed-down, metal riff.

He clicked "Start."

With a scream, Leo did the only thing left. He reached down, found the power strip under his desk, and kicked the switch.