He looked back at the screen. The Hunter was pointing at the door.
the text scrolled across the monitor. "BUT THE HARDWARE IS PROVIDED BY YOU." The door handle began to turn.
The game opened without a menu. He was standing in a field of tall, gray grass under a sky the color of a fresh bruise. His character—the Hunter—was missing an arm. On the left side of the screen, a single objective flickered:
The screen went black. A searing heat surged through Elias's right calf. He gasped, looking down to see a faint, glowing seam appearing under his skin, mirroring the stitch marks on the character.