The desktop loaded, but his Andromeda wallpaper was gone. Replaced by a single, white line of text in the center of the black screen:
He had built the PC himself, scrounging parts from Black Friday sales and a broken laptop from his cousin. But a legitimate Windows 11 license cost as much as his motherboard. It was an itch he couldn't scratch, a silent gatekeeper preventing him from changing his desktop wallpaper.
Then the PC shut down. A single, final ding .
He clicked it.