Ethan went about his real-world life in a haze, his body on autopilot while his mind was a million miles away in a virtual stadium called 'The Colosseum'.
He was in the middle of his shift at CostMart, mechanically stacking cartons of Greek yogurt, when an elderly woman with a kind, crinkly smile approached him.
"Excuse me, dear," she said, her voice a gentle quaver.
"You seem a little... distracted today. Is everything alright?"
Ethan snapped back to reality, a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry, ma'am. Just... got a big match on my mind."
"Oh, a footballer, are you?" she asked, her eyes lighting up. "My grandson plays. It's a wonderful game. So much passion."
"Yeah," Ethan said, a genuine warmth in his voice. "It really is."
"Well, you make sure you win, then," she said with a wink, before turning back to her shopping.
