The screen flickers on the TV set, going from black to blue. The words “LOADING” appear, each letter glowing in shades of white and green. The sound of a video game boots up—soft beeps and static that tickle my ears. I watch as the characters from Final Fantasy VII start to form, pixel by pixel. Cloud’s face appears first, then Tifa, then Aeris. Their expressions are frozen in place, but their presence is clear. The screen transitions to a black-and-white image of the world map, marked with icons for towns and monsters. I trace my eyes over the familiar locations: Midgar, Nibelheim, Rocket Town. Each spot holds a memory, each location a part of the story.

The loading bar moves slowly across the bottom of the screen, each percent visible as it crawls forward. At 50%, I see the message “Squall Leonhart” appear in bold letters. His profile picture is small but distinct—a young man with dark hair and serious eyes. He’s standing on a cliffside, looking out at the city below. The screen pauses here, waiting for me to make my next move.

The loading bar reaches 100%, and the world map fades away into a new scene. I press the controller, and Squall’s story continues.