The silence after the clock runs out

I was watching a game on Twitch where the final move was made, and the clock stopped. The screen froze for three seconds—just the two kings staring at each other—and then the win animation played. I didn’t care who won. I just kept thinking about what it felt like to sit in that stillness, knowing the game was over but not yet acknowledged. Like the board remembered something the players forgot. I’ve been stuck in that moment all afternoon.