“WELCOME TO THE VAULT. YOU HAVE 3 TOKENS.”

He went to Squad Management. Him. was in the reserves. No face. Just a silhouette. He dragged the card into the starting XI. The game froze for five seconds—long enough for Leo to hear his own heartbeat through his headphones. Then a new text box appeared:

“One more token. One more chance. Uninstall v1.8. Or stay forever. What’s it worth, Leo?”

Leo paused the game. His parents were asleep. The peephole showed no one. Then a soft knock—three slow raps, like a heartbeat. He opened the door. On the doormat lay a single FIFA Ultimate Team card. Not digital. Physical. Thick cardstock, foil edges. On the front: On the back, in handwritten sharpie: “Play again. Use him.”

Leo’s hands trembled. He returned to his PC. The game was still running, but the main menu had changed. His club name was no longer “Inter YaNan.” It was now