The hum of his office filled the quiet as Owen flipped through tournament feedback on his tablet. The event had been a success by every metric, but one name lingered in his mind, eclipsing the charts and data on his screen: LeapingLizard.

Cayden McMathan.

Owen tapped his stylus against the tablet’s edge, his thoughts drifting back to the sight of Cayden slumped in his chair. The memory stuck with him—Cayden’s exhaustion, his quiet brilliance in the game, and the lingering sense that there was more to his story. The chaotic beauty of that geomancer play still replayed in his mind. He had a way of turning chaos into strategy, leaving even seasoned players scrambling to adapt.

He set the tablet aside and opened the Goblins & Guillotines app on his desktop. The private messaging feature had been designed for community engagement, but today, it served a more personal purpose.

BossE: Hey, LeapingLizard. Just checking in after the tournament. Hope you’re feeling better. If there’s anything you need, let me know. Also, incredible geomancer plays—no one else could pull that off.

Owen reread the message twice. “Too formal?” He deleted “incredible” and replaced it with “great,” but frowned and switched back. Before he could spiral into second-guessing, he hit send and set the tablet down. “Connection loading,” he muttered with a wry smile, leaning back in his chair.

Cayden stared at the notification on his screen, his pulse quickening.

BossE: Just checking in after the tournament...

His first instinct was to shut the laptop. Boss E—Goblins and Guillotines' Boss E—messaging him directly? It felt surreal. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, typing and deleting replies.

Too stiff. He backspaced.

Better, but was it too much? It wasn’t just the words that got to him—it was who they were from. Boss E, the face of the game he’d poured so much of himself into. How could he respond without sounding ridiculous? Cayden groaned, running a hand through his hair before finally hitting Send. His heart pounded as he closed the app quickly, half-expecting another notification immediately. When none came, he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

His eyes drifted to the poster tube still sitting on his desk. He hadn’t dared open it since returning home. Something about having Boss E’s image—Owen’s image—there, staring back at him, felt like an invitation to his spiraling thoughts. But now... maybe it wouldn’t hurt. Just for a second.

Unrolling the poster, he took in the charismatic paladin pose, every detail larger than life. His cheeks burned, and he quickly rolled it back up, muttering, “Why do I do this to myself?”

Owen’s screen pinged with a reply.

LeapingLizard: Thanks, Boss E. Feeling better, just needed some rest. Appreciate the check-in.

He smiled, a quiet warmth settling over him. Short, polite—but there was something in the reply that felt genuine. He typed back quickly:

BossE: Glad to hear that. You had everyone impressed with that geomancer build.

He paused before adding:

BossE: Hope to see you at the next event. No pressure, but your gameplay is inspiring a lot of new players.

Hitting send, Owen leaned back, his stylus spinning between his fingers. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

Cayden reread the message. His chest tightened, uncertainty mixing with an unexpected flutter of pride. Inspiring? No one had called him that before—not like this.

He hesitated, fingers hovering, before hitting Send.

Owen’s smile grew as the reply appeared.

LeapingLizard: Thanks, Boss E. That means a lot. I’ll try not to make it a repeat of this time.

BossE: It wasn’t something I’ll forget, but it wasn’t a fiasco. Please don’t worry.

After a moment’s thought, he added:

Owen sat back in his chair, staring at the quiet, empty office. He didn’t expect a reply at this point, but the exchange felt like a promising first step. Building human connections was like rolling the dice—unpredictable but full of potential. “Connection loading,” he murmured again, a grin creeping across his face as he returned to his notes, the thought of Cayden’s potential still lingering in his mind.