Kaelen wasn't a soldier. He was a modder, a tinkerer of the city's deep-world code. While commanders barked orders about ammunition and morale, Kaelen sat in a closet-sized server vault, sweating through his fourth pot of caffeine. He had one job: remove the delay.

The Hollows faltered. For the first time, they were the ones caught in the lag.

Kaelen laughed—a broken, hysterical sound. The city’s defenses weren't just working. They were anticipating. They were dancing .

If he was right…

He pressed ENTER.