Nolan leaned against the console, arms crossed, eyes coolly scanning the game-over screens now lit in red across Calien, Selin, Ruvin, and Erik's stations.
Their shoulders were slumped, jaws clenched, eyes stuck on the quiet failure flashing in front of them.
He cleared his throat and said, not unkindly, "Maybe it's your movements. Defensive stances too. Don't just defend yourself—defend your team, too. This is multiplayer and not a single player, so you all should play as a team."
His voice echoed gently in the whole classroom, even, calm, measured.
The kind of tone that held neither judgment nor comfort, but there was a subtle sting of disappointment tucked beneath the surface like a knife under silk.
The other students listened as well as they were defeated too in their game.
But the students didn't respond.
