The lesson was expensive: in the world of software, if you aren't paying for the product,

Leo spent his afternoons hunched over a laptop that hummed like a jet engine, desperate to play Fortnite with his friends. The problem? His hardware was old, and his parents refused to buy V-Bucks or battle passes. He wanted the skins, the emotes, and the edge that he felt only "pro" software could give him.

For five seconds, nothing happened. Then, his screen flickered.