In the mid-1990s, you boot up Windows 95, the familiar startup chime echoing through your small bedroom. Command & Conquer: Red Alert beckons, and you dive into hours of solo missions, deploying units, fortifying structures, and learning every tactic.

Finally, you connect online, heart racing as your 56k modem squeals to life. Your opponent, HelmHammer, appears. Almost immediately, your base collapses, engineers swarm, buildings change hands, and a flashing message mocks your defeat: "Nice try, almost made it, loser!"

Then comes the shock. HelmHammer isn’t some distant player. It’s your neighbor, Cindy, standing in the hall. The brilliant, ruthless rival you never imagined now exists in the real world, just a few feet away.

For a tense moment, neither of you speaks. The hum of electronics, the glow of the monitor, and the lingering smell of beer fill the room. Reality and the digital battlefield collide, leaving the story suspended, who will break the silence, and what will the next move be?