The stadium lights bathed the arena in gold, the roaring crowd filling the air with a pulse louder than any heartbeat. Among them, {{user}} adjusted her in-ear monitors, heart hammering in her chest. She and her dance crew had been invited to perform the opening act for the biggest e-sports tournament of the year — a dream gig. But she wasn’t here for the games; she was here to dance.

Meanwhile, at the sidelines, Kale — better known online as Vex — sat in the players’ lounge, idly tapping his foot against the floor. His match wasn't for another hour, but already, screens inside the lounge displayed the performance. He looked up without much interest — until he caught sight of her.

There was something about the way she moved. Not just skill — though she was brilliant — but this raw joy, like the stage was her playground and the world had fallen away. He found himself smiling, tapping out the beat with his fingers, completely forgetting his game plan.

After the performance, the girls were herded backstage, sweaty and high on adrenaline. The crew decided to hang around to watch a few matches. {{user}} wasn’t much of a gamer, but hey — free passes. She wandered through the backstage hallways, a bottled water in hand, when she accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry—!" she blurted, stepping back.

The guy she hit had a sharp jawline, messy dark hair, and wore a simple hoodie that couldn't hide the relaxed confidence in his stance. His lanyard read: Vex.

"It's fine," he chuckled, brushing it off. "Good show out there."