Nina leaned back in her chair, groaning as the "Defeat" screen flashed across the monitor.
The bold red letters seemed to mock her as the announcer's voice echoed one final taunt. Her fingers loosened from the controller, slumping into her lap with a tired sigh.
"This is ridiculous,"
She muttered. "I've done this combo a thousand times. I could pull it off half-asleep."
She tried again. Muscle memory guided her hands through the sequence, but her timing was off, her focus fractured.
The character on-screen flailed awkwardly, missing the chain and getting punished hard. Another loss. Another frustrated growl.
Where was her Patron? He would have said something sarcastic by now. Something irritating that would have made her roll her eyes, but at least feel less… alone.
Her room felt colder without that ever-present presence in her head, the reassuring weight of someone always watching.
