The dome was hushed except for the flicker of DragonTV and the soft hum of recycled air. The Bollywood heir danced across the screen, his every move wrapped in rhythm and color. Sarah sat back, arms crossed but her eyes intent, while Emily leaned forward as if she might fall into the screen.Jackson had given up protesting outright, but his DragonTech smartphone still lit his lap, fingers swiping rapidly as his Subway Surfer avatar darted between digital trains.Ryan chuckled, leaning toward Lena. “See? He’s pretending not to care, but he’s listening to every line.”“I am not,” Jackson muttered without looking up. “I’m on a record run right now. Can’t lose.”Matilda laughed softly. “And yet you still asked if Kevin would like it. That means you’re watching.”Jackson’s cheeks reddened faintly. He kept tapping, voice defensive. “I just wanted to know. Doesn’t mean I like it.”Jack glanced at his son, his expression unreadable but his voice calm. “Sometimes we resist new things because t

The last credits of The Promise scrolled away, their gold letters fading into DragonTV’s darkened interface. No one spoke at first. The dome was hushed, the recycled air sighing softly as though even the machines felt the weight of what they had just witnessed.Jackson clutched his blanket against his chest, still staring at the black screen. He looked small, swallowed in its silence, until he huffed and tugged his DragonTech smartphone back out. The glow lit his face as Temple Run opened again, the familiar rhythm of running and leaping pulling him from the ache left by the movie.Ryan slapped his thigh suddenly. “Well… that was brutal. My eyes are still leaking. And don’t say it’s sweat, because no one sweats like this sitting down.”Lena let out a soft laugh, though her voice was hoarse. “You cried more than me.”“Lies,” Ryan muttered, reaching for the small board that had been tucked beside his seat. He unfolded the magnetic chess set, sliding the pieces into place with exaggerate

Jackson slid the phone aside at last, the screen dimming into darkness. His pulse still hummed from the game, but another rhythm had already taken hold of him—the music, the laughter, the quiet strength of the dome itself.He leaned forward, eyes flicking toward the chessboard where Ryan sat slumped like a man who had just lost three wars in a row.“I’m in,” Jackson said. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried enough weight to still the air.Ryan lifted his head, squinting. “What? You? The Temple Run champion of the dome? Don’t tell me you’re trading demon monkeys for pawns.”Jackson gave him a flat look. “Better than losing six times in a row.”Ryan sputtered, “It was five! And one was a near draw.”Jack didn’t look up from the board. His hand moved with calm, deliberate grace as he reset the pieces again. The soft clicks echoed like heartbeats. “Sit.”Jackson hesitated for only a second before sliding into the chair across from his father. His hands itched with memory, with old muscl

Jackson’s grip tightened around the joystick. His avatar flickered to life—an armored knight with a blade glinting under the virtual sun. Across from him, Jack’s warrior stood tall, sword raised with the same unshakable calm as the man himself.The countdown struck zero.Jackson lunged first, his knight rushing forward with a wild swing. The blade cut air. Jack sidestepped effortlessly and landed a clean strike across Jackson’s flank. The boy’s health bar dipped.Jackson grit his teeth. “Too fast—”“Not too fast,” Jack said evenly, thumb gliding over the buttons without wasted motion. “Too reckless.”The second clash ended quicker. Jackson swung wide again, desperate to land a hit. Jack parried, countered, finished. Jackson’s knight dropped to the ground.“Defeat,” the game announced.Ryan threw up his hands dramatically. “Oh, come on, Jackson! I was at least surviving ten seconds longer than that.”“Shut up,” Jackson snapped, though his ears burned pink.Jack reset the match, calm as

The dome was alive with quiet energy. The glow of DragonTV painted Jackson’s determined face, reflecting the flicker of sparks from digital steel. Across from him, Jack’s warrior loomed, sword raised, poised, seemingly impossible to touch. Jackson’s knight danced, blocked, feinted, darted—a thousand micro-decisions flowing into one moment.“Not enough,” Jack said softly, almost to himself. “Predict. Don’t react.”Jackson’s thumbs twitched over the joystick. He dodged a strike, pivoted, swung—almost perfectly timed, but Jack’s counter still landed, skimming his health bar.“Damn it!” Jackson growled. His chest heaved, sweat prickling his forehead. But there was a spark in his eyes now, a determination that hadn’t been there at the start of the evening.Ryan leaned against the couch, arms crossed. “I don’t even know why I watch this anymore. The kid gets destroyed every round.”Jackson shot him a glare. “Because you enjoy watching me suffer, obviously.”Ryan snorted, but there was a rel