Page 204 of Glitched Play

His smile is small.

"And somewhere along the way... she became part of every success I've ever had."

I look back at the wall.

It isn't a monument to Witt.

It isn't even a monument to Synatrix.

It's a monument to connection.

To the people who quietly change your life before the rest of the world ever notices.

My heart swells so full I think it might burst.

"You made us part of your story."

He smiles.

"No."

"You've always been part of it."

He reaches into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

One final envelope.

Cream-colored.

My name is written in his unmistakably precise handwriting.

To:

Maci "Rune" Hart

A laugh escapes through my tears.

"You put Rune in quotation marks."

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because she deserves to stand beside your name."

My fingers tremble as I unfold the letter.

Dear Maci "Rune" Hart,

Ten years ago, a girl I never met taught me that every problem has a solution if you're willing to keep trying.

She celebrated my victories before anyone else knew they mattered.

She reminded me that failure was only data.

She believed in ideas before they existed.

She became my favorite player...