:root {
            --bg: #ffffff;
            --surface: #ffffff;
            --border-muted: rgba(255,255,255,0.07);

            --color-alpha: #00c2ff;
            --color-beta:  #ff6b35;
            --color-gamma: #53d941;
        }

        * { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; }

        body {
            background: var(--bg);
            color: #e0e4ef;
            font-family: 'Barlow', sans-serif;
            min-height: 100vh;
            padding: 2.5rem 1.5rem 4rem;
        }

        h2 {
            font-family: 'Barlow Condensed', sans-serif;
            font-weight: 700;
            font-size: clamp(1.4rem, 4vw, 2.2rem);
            letter-spacing: 0.18em;
            text-transform: uppercase;
            color: #000000;
            text-align: center;
            margin-bottom: 3rem;
        }

        /* ── category block ─────────────────────────────── */
        .cards-category {
            border-radius: 12px;
            padding: 1.5rem 1.5rem 1.75rem;
            margin-bottom: 2.5rem;
            background: var(--surface);
            position: relative;
        }

        .cards-category::before {
            content: '';
            position: absolute;
            inset: 0;
            border-radius: 12px;
            padding: 2px;
            -webkit-mask: linear-gradient(#fff 0 0) content-box, linear-gradient(#fff 0 0);
            -webkit-mask-composite: xor;
            mask-composite: exclude;
            pointer-events: none;
        }

        /* colour variants */
        .cat-alpha { --accent: var(--color-alpha); }
        .cat-beta  { --accent: var(--color-beta);  }
        .cat-gamma { --accent: var(--color-gamma); }

        .cards-category::before {
            background: linear-gradient(135deg, var(--accent), transparent 60%);
        }

        /* category label */
        .cat-label {
            font-family: 'Barlow Condensed', sans-serif;
            font-size: 0.7rem;
            font-weight: 600;
            letter-spacing: 0.2em;
            text-transform: uppercase;
            color: var(--accent);
            margin-bottom: 1.1rem;
            display: flex;
            align-items: center;
            gap: 0.5rem;
        }

        .cat-label::after {
            content: '';
            flex: 1;
            height: 1px;
            background: linear-gradient(to right, var(--accent), transparent);
            opacity: 0.4;
        }

        /* ── individual card ─────────────────────────────── */
        .card {
            border: none;
            border-radius: 8px;
            overflow: hidden;
            height: 220px;
            position: relative;
            transition: transform 0.25s ease, box-shadow 0.25s ease;
        }

        .card:hover {
            transform: translateY(-4px);
            box-shadow: 0 12px 32px rgba(0,0,0,0.5);
        }

        .card-img {
            width: 100%;
            height: 100%;
            object-fit: cover;
            filter: brightness(0.85) saturate(0.8);
            transition: filter 0.3s ease;
        }

        .card:hover .card-img {
            filter: brightness(0.7) saturate(1);
        }

        /* left accent bar using the category colour */
        .card::after {
            content: '';
            position: absolute;
            left: 0; top: 0; bottom: 0;
            width: 3px;
            background: var(--accent);
            border-radius: 8px 0 0 8px;
        }

        .card-img-overlay {
            display: flex;
            flex-direction: column;
            justify-content: flex-end;
            padding: 1rem 1rem 1rem 1.1rem;
            background: linear-gradient(to top, rgba(0,0,0,0.82) 0%, transparent 100%);
        }

        .card-title {
            font-family: 'Barlow Condensed', sans-serif;
            font-weight: 700;
            font-size: 1.9rem;
            letter-spacing: 0.12em;
            text-transform: uppercase;
            color: #fff;
            margin-bottom: 0.25rem;
        }

        .card-text {
            font-size: 0.78rem;
            color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.65);
            line-height: 1.4;
        }

        .card-text small {
            font-size: 0.7rem;
            color: var(--accent);
            opacity: 0.8;
        }