“Hello,” she purred. “That took a little while to boot up. I was supposed to do a trial run earlier, but I don’t believe in trial runs. It’s better to just launch in and figure it out as you go, right?”

Ahmad and Winnie blinked at her.

“What—” Ahmad started. “What are you?”

The girl deliberately lifted a hand and turned it in front of her eyes.

“Well, I’m not sure how native they are to your area of the world, but where I come from, I’m called a human. Also known as Homo sapiens.”

“You’re not cute,” Winnie broke in harshly. Her cheeks were flushed, and her chest heaved. “Is this some sort of prank? Did you really waste a ton of money on some special effects and a projector or whatever this is to freak out two kids on their way home from school?”

She looked angrier than Ahmad had ever seen her. It was both awe-inspiring and a little scary.

The girl on the screen did not look as impressed. “And here I thought I wouldn’t need a monologue to get you guys started. What a waste of my time. If some people would just do their job . . . Okay, listen up.”

She clapped her hands. Out of nowhere, there was the ear-popping wail of sirens and a canned applause track. Ahmad covered his ears and Winnie jumped, nearly jostling him off the bench.

“What was that for?”

“Congratulations!” the girl said cheerily. “You two are the latest in a long and privileged line to play one of the oldest and most exciting games the world has ever known, in its newest and finest rendition. Thanks of course, to yours truly, the MasterMind!”

On the large, floating screen formed the blue, sparking words from Ahmad’s game cover:

THE BATTLE.

The words faded, giving way to a brief jumble of images: marble palaces, lush green courtyards, and an aerial view of a skyline that seemed more suited to India than New York City. Ahmad’s heart pounded.

“Why does this all look so familiar?” he mumbled. He felt like he knew what the MasterMind was going to say next as she gloated about “state-of-the-art” levels and “immersive technology.”

“The great city of Paheli,” he mouthed.

And he was right.

“. . . meaning that the great city of Paheli is bigger and better than ever,” the hologram girl gushed. “All new and upgraded for the twenty-first century.”

Before Ahmad could say anything, Winnie interrupted, her eyes wide. “Paheli? You mean, Ahmad’s Paheli? Do you really expect us to believe this?”

Before Ahmad could stop her, she hopped nimbly off the park bench. They both flinched as a sharp crack came from beneath her sneakers. The MasterMind gave a frustrated howl. “Look what you’ve done now!”