diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index ac2a697..9978f7e 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Test
         run: npm run test
 
-      - name: Build
-        run: npm run build
+      - name: Type check
+        run: npx tsc --noEmit
 
   # ── Job 2: Deploy to dev (only on dev branch, after tests pass) ──
   deploy-dev:
diff --git a/app/components/Hero.tsx b/app/components/Hero.tsx
index d00c988..d3339c0 100644
--- a/app/components/Hero.tsx
+++ b/app/components/Hero.tsx
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ export default async function Hero({ locale }: HeroProps) {
       </div>
 
       <div className="relative z-10 max-w-7xl mx-auto w-full pt-12 sm:pt-16 md:pt-20">
-        <div className="flex flex-col lg:flex-row items-center gap-8 sm:gap-10 lg:gap-24">
+        <div className="flex flex-col xl:flex-row items-center gap-8 sm:gap-10 xl:gap-24">
 
           {/* Left: Text Content */}
-          <div className="flex-1 text-center lg:text-left space-y-6 sm:space-y-8 md:space-y-10">
+          <div className="flex-1 text-center xl:text-left space-y-6 sm:space-y-8 md:space-y-10">
             <div className="inline-flex items-center gap-2 sm:gap-3 px-4 sm:px-5 py-2 sm:py-2.5 rounded-full bg-white dark:bg-stone-900 border border-stone-200 dark:border-stone-800 shadow-sm animate-[fadeIn_0.5s_ease-out]">
               <span className="w-2 h-2 sm:w-2.5 sm:h-2.5 bg-emerald-500 rounded-full animate-pulse" />
               <span className="font-mono text-[10px] sm:text-[11px] font-black uppercase tracking-[0.2em] sm:tracking-[0.3em] text-stone-500">{getLabel("hero.badge", "Student & Self-Hoster")}</span>
@@ -41,26 +41,26 @@ export default async function Hero({ locale }: HeroProps) {
               </span>
             </h1>
 
-            <p className="text-base sm:text-lg md:text-xl lg:text-2xl text-stone-600 dark:text-stone-400 max-w-xl mx-auto lg:mx-0 font-light leading-relaxed tracking-tight">
+            <p className="text-base sm:text-lg md:text-xl lg:text-2xl text-stone-600 dark:text-stone-400 max-w-xl mx-auto xl:mx-0 font-light leading-relaxed tracking-tight">
               {t("description")}
             </p>
 
-            <div className="flex flex-col sm:flex-row items-center gap-4 sm:gap-8 justify-center lg:justify-start pt-2 sm:pt-4 animate-[fadeIn_0.6s_ease-out_0.3s_both]">
+            <div className="flex flex-col sm:flex-row items-center gap-4 sm:gap-8 justify-center xl:justify-start pt-2 sm:pt-4 animate-[fadeIn_0.6s_ease-out_0.3s_both]">
               <a href="#projects" className="group relative px-8 sm:px-12 py-4 sm:py-5 bg-stone-900 dark:bg-stone-50 text-white dark:text-stone-900 rounded-2xl sm:rounded-3xl font-black text-xs uppercase tracking-[0.2em] hover:scale-105 active:scale-95 transition-all shadow-2xl">
                 <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-white/10 -translate-x-full group-hover:translate-x-full transition-transform duration-1000" />
                 {t("ctaWork")}
               </a>
-              <a href="#contact" className="font-black text-xs uppercase tracking-[0.2em] text-stone-500 hover:text-stone-900 dark:hover:text-white transition-colors">
+              <a href="#contact" className="font-black text-xs uppercase tracking-[0.2em] text-stone-700 dark:text-stone-300 hover:text-stone-900 dark:hover:text-white transition-colors">
                 {t("ctaContact")}
               </a>
             </div>
           </div>
 
           {/* Right: The Photo */}
-          <div className="relative w-52 h-52 sm:w-64 sm:h-64 md:w-80 md:h-80 lg:w-[500px] lg:h-[500px] shrink-0 mt-4 sm:mt-8 lg:mt-0 animate-[fadeIn_1s_ease-out]">
+          <div className="relative w-52 h-52 sm:w-64 sm:h-64 md:w-80 md:h-80 xl:w-[500px] xl:h-[500px] shrink-0 mt-4 sm:mt-8 xl:mt-0 animate-[fadeIn_1s_ease-out]">
             <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-tr from-liquid-mint to-liquid-purple rounded-[3rem] sm:rounded-[4rem] lg:rounded-[5rem] rotate-12 scale-90 opacity-20 blur-3xl" />
             <div className="relative w-full h-full rounded-[2.5rem] sm:rounded-[3rem] lg:rounded-[4rem] overflow-hidden border-[12px] sm:border-[16px] lg:border-[24px] border-white dark:border-stone-900 shadow-[0_30px_60px_-15px_rgba(0,0,0,0.3)] sm:shadow-[0_50px_100px_-20px_rgba(0,0,0,0.4)]">
-              <Image src="/images/me.jpg" alt="Dennis Konkol" fill className="object-cover" priority sizes="(max-width: 640px) 208px, (max-width: 768px) 256px, (max-width: 1024px) 320px, 500px" />
+              <Image src="/images/me.jpg" alt="Dennis Konkol" fill className="object-cover" priority sizes="(max-width: 640px) 208px, (max-width: 768px) 256px, (max-width: 1280px) 320px, 500px" />
             </div>
 
             <div className="absolute -bottom-4 -left-4 sm:-bottom-6 sm:-left-6 bg-white dark:bg-stone-800 px-5 py-3 sm:px-8 sm:py-4 rounded-xl sm:rounded-[2rem] shadow-2xl border border-stone-100 dark:border-stone-700">
diff --git a/next.config.ts b/next.config.ts
index b0493f8..251413f 100644
--- a/next.config.ts
+++ b/next.config.ts
@@ -34,10 +34,12 @@ const nextConfig: NextConfig = {
   experimental: {
     // Tree-shake barrel-file packages in both dev and production
     optimizePackageImports: ["lucide-react", "framer-motion", "react-icons", "@tiptap/react"],
+    // Merge all CSS into a single chunk to eliminate the render-blocking CSS chain
+    // (84dc7384.css → 3aefc04b.css sequential dependency reported by PageSpeed).
+    cssChunking: "loose",
     // Note: optimizeCss (critters) is intentionally disabled — it converts the main
     // <link rel="stylesheet"> to a JS-deferred preload, which PageSpeed reads as a
-    // sequential CSS chain and reports 410ms of render-blocking. Without it both CSS
-    // files load as parallel <link> tags discovered from the initial HTML (~150ms total).
+    // sequential CSS chain and reports 410ms of render-blocking.
     ...(process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production" ? { webpackBuildWorker: true } : {}),
   },
 
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 409ce58..7512de5 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@
       "dependencies": {
         "@next/bundle-analyzer": "^15.1.7",
         "@prisma/client": "^5.22.0",
-        "@react-three/fiber": "^9.5.0",
-        "@shadergradient/react": "^2.4.20",
         "@swc/helpers": "^0.5.19",
         "@tiptap/extension-color": "^3.15.3",
         "@tiptap/extension-highlight": "^3.15.3",
@@ -38,8 +36,7 @@
         "react-markdown": "^10.1.0",
         "redis": "^5.8.2",
         "sanitize-html": "^2.17.0",
-        "tailwind-merge": "^2.6.0",
-        "three": "^0.183.1"
+        "tailwind-merge": "^2.6.0"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@eslint/eslintrc": "^3",
@@ -538,6 +535,7 @@
       "version": "7.28.6",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@babel/runtime/-/runtime-7.28.6.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-05WQkdpL9COIMz4LjTxGpPNCdlpyimKppYNoJ5Di5EUObifl8t4tuLuUBBZEpoLYOmfvIWrsp9fCl0HoPRVTdA==",
+      "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=6.9.0"
@@ -2998,54 +2996,6 @@
         "@prisma/debug": "5.22.0"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/@react-three/fiber": {
-      "version": "9.5.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@react-three/fiber/-/fiber-9.5.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-FiUzfYW4wB1+PpmsE47UM+mCads7j2+giRBltfwH7SNhah95rqJs3ltEs9V3pP8rYdS0QlNne+9Aj8dS/SiaIA==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "@babel/runtime": "^7.17.8",
-        "@types/webxr": "*",
-        "base64-js": "^1.5.1",
-        "buffer": "^6.0.3",
-        "its-fine": "^2.0.0",
-        "react-use-measure": "^2.1.7",
-        "scheduler": "^0.27.0",
-        "suspend-react": "^0.1.3",
-        "use-sync-external-store": "^1.4.0",
-        "zustand": "^5.0.3"
-      },
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "expo": ">=43.0",
-        "expo-asset": ">=8.4",
-        "expo-file-system": ">=11.0",
-        "expo-gl": ">=11.0",
-        "react": ">=19 <19.3",
-        "react-dom": ">=19 <19.3",
-        "react-native": ">=0.78",
-        "three": ">=0.156"
-      },
-      "peerDependenciesMeta": {
-        "expo": {
-          "optional": true
-        },
-        "expo-asset": {
-          "optional": true
-        },
-        "expo-file-system": {
-          "optional": true
-        },
-        "expo-gl": {
-          "optional": true
-        },
-        "react-dom": {
-          "optional": true
-        },
-        "react-native": {
-          "optional": true
-        }
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/@redis/bloom": {
       "version": "5.10.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@redis/bloom/-/bloom-5.10.0.tgz",
@@ -3141,16 +3091,6 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-bXHSaW5jRTmke9Vd0h5P7BtWZG9Znqb8gSDxZnxaGSJnGwPLDPfS+3g0BKzeWqzgZPsIVZkM7m2tbo18cm5HBw==",
       "license": "MIT"
     },
-    "node_modules/@shadergradient/react": {
-      "version": "2.4.20",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@shadergradient/react/-/react-2.4.20.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-MVYvYgTHK3d36C2jNKzt4OzWeyNyc/bWI0zKRyv5EgI2hmUee8nD0cmuNX9X1lw1RCcuof6n1Rnj63jWepZHJA==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "react": "^18.2.0 || ^19.0.0",
-        "react-dom": "^18.2.0 || ^19.0.0"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/@shuding/opentype.js": {
       "version": "1.4.0-beta.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@shuding/opentype.js/-/opentype.js-1.4.0-beta.0.tgz",
@@ -4275,15 +4215,6 @@
         "@types/react": "^19.2.0"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/@types/react-reconciler": {
-      "version": "0.28.9",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/react-reconciler/-/react-reconciler-0.28.9.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-HHM3nxyUZ3zAylX8ZEyrDNd2XZOnQ0D5XfunJF5FLQnZbHHYq4UWvW1QfelQNXv1ICNkwYhfxjwfnqivYB6bFg==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "@types/react": "*"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/@types/sanitize-html": {
       "version": "2.16.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/sanitize-html/-/sanitize-html-2.16.0.tgz",
@@ -4320,12 +4251,6 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-zFDAD+tlpf2r4asuHEj0XH6pY6i0g5NeAHPn+15wk3BV6JA69eERFXC1gyGThDkVa1zCyKr5jox1+2LbV/AMLg==",
       "license": "MIT"
     },
-    "node_modules/@types/webxr": {
-      "version": "0.5.24",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/webxr/-/webxr-0.5.24.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-h8fgEd/DpoS9CBrjEQXR+dIDraopAEfu4wYVNY2tEPwk60stPWhvZMf4Foo5FakuQ7HFZoa8WceaWFervK2Ovg==",
-      "license": "MIT"
-    },
     "node_modules/@types/whatwg-mimetype": {
       "version": "3.0.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/whatwg-mimetype/-/whatwg-mimetype-3.0.2.tgz",
@@ -5490,26 +5415,6 @@
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT"
     },
-    "node_modules/base64-js": {
-      "version": "1.5.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/base64-js/-/base64-js-1.5.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-AKpaYlHn8t4SVbOHCy+b5+KKgvR4vrsD8vbvrbiQJps7fKDTkjkDry6ji0rUJjC0kzbNePLwzxq8iypo41qeWA==",
-      "funding": [
-        {
-          "type": "github",
-          "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/feross"
-        },
-        {
-          "type": "patreon",
-          "url": "https://www.patreon.com/feross"
-        },
-        {
-          "type": "consulting",
-          "url": "https://feross.org/support"
-        }
-      ],
-      "license": "MIT"
-    },
     "node_modules/baseline-browser-mapping": {
       "version": "2.9.19",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/baseline-browser-mapping/-/baseline-browser-mapping-2.9.19.tgz",
@@ -5621,30 +5526,6 @@
         "node-int64": "^0.4.0"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/buffer": {
-      "version": "6.0.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/buffer/-/buffer-6.0.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-FTiCpNxtwiZZHEZbcbTIcZjERVICn9yq/pDFkTl95/AxzD1naBctN7YO68riM/gLSDY7sdrMby8hofADYuuqOA==",
-      "funding": [
-        {
-          "type": "github",
-          "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/feross"
-        },
-        {
-          "type": "patreon",
-          "url": "https://www.patreon.com/feross"
-        },
-        {
-          "type": "consulting",
-          "url": "https://feross.org/support"
-        }
-      ],
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "base64-js": "^1.3.1",
-        "ieee754": "^1.2.1"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/buffer-from": {
       "version": "1.1.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/buffer-from/-/buffer-from-1.1.2.tgz",
@@ -8322,26 +8203,6 @@
         "@formatjs/icu-messageformat-parser": "^3.4.0"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/ieee754": {
-      "version": "1.2.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ieee754/-/ieee754-1.2.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-dcyqhDvX1C46lXZcVqCpK+FtMRQVdIMN6/Df5js2zouUsqG7I6sFxitIC+7KYK29KdXOLHdu9zL4sFnoVQnqaA==",
-      "funding": [
-        {
-          "type": "github",
-          "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/feross"
-        },
-        {
-          "type": "patreon",
-          "url": "https://www.patreon.com/feross"
-        },
-        {
-          "type": "consulting",
-          "url": "https://feross.org/support"
-        }
-      ],
-      "license": "BSD-3-Clause"
-    },
     "node_modules/ignore": {
       "version": "5.3.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ignore/-/ignore-5.3.2.tgz",
@@ -9115,18 +8976,6 @@
         "node": ">= 0.4"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/its-fine": {
-      "version": "2.0.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/its-fine/-/its-fine-2.0.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-KLViCmWx94zOvpLwSlsx6yOCeMhZYaxrJV87Po5k/FoZzcPSahvK5qJ7fYhS61sZi5ikmh2S3Hz55A2l3U69ng==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "@types/react-reconciler": "^0.28.9"
-      },
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "react": "^19.0.0"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/jest": {
       "version": "29.7.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/jest/-/jest-29.7.0.tgz",
@@ -12833,21 +12682,6 @@
         "react": ">=18"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/react-use-measure": {
-      "version": "2.1.7",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/react-use-measure/-/react-use-measure-2.1.7.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-KrvcAo13I/60HpwGO5jpW7E9DfusKyLPLvuHlUyP5zqnmAPhNc6qTRjUQrdTADl0lpPpDVU2/Gg51UlOGHXbdg==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "react": ">=16.13",
-        "react-dom": ">=16.13"
-      },
-      "peerDependenciesMeta": {
-        "react-dom": {
-          "optional": true
-        }
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/read-cache": {
       "version": "1.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/read-cache/-/read-cache-1.0.0.tgz",
@@ -13880,15 +13714,6 @@
         "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/ljharb"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/suspend-react": {
-      "version": "0.1.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/suspend-react/-/suspend-react-0.1.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-aqldKgX9aZqpoDp3e8/BZ8Dm7x1pJl+qI3ZKxDN0i/IQTWUwBx/ManmlVJ3wowqbno6c2bmiIfs+Um6LbsjJyQ==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "react": ">=17.0"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/symbol-tree": {
       "version": "3.2.4",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/symbol-tree/-/symbol-tree-3.2.4.tgz",
@@ -14041,12 +13866,6 @@
         "node": ">=0.8"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/three": {
-      "version": "0.183.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/three/-/three-0.183.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-Psv6bbd3d/M/01MT2zZ+VmD0Vj2dbWTNhfe4CuSg7w5TuW96M3NOyCVuh9SZQ05CpGmD7NEcJhZw4GVjhCYxfQ==",
-      "license": "MIT"
-    },
     "node_modules/tiny-inflate": {
       "version": "1.0.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/tiny-inflate/-/tiny-inflate-1.0.3.tgz",
@@ -15261,35 +15080,6 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-N+d4UJSJbt/R3wqY7Coqs5pcV0aUj2j9IaQ3rNj9bVCLld8tTGKRa2USARjnvZJWVx1NDmQev8EknoczaOQDOA==",
       "license": "MIT"
     },
-    "node_modules/zustand": {
-      "version": "5.0.11",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/zustand/-/zustand-5.0.11.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-fdZY+dk7zn/vbWNCYmzZULHRrss0jx5pPFiOuMZ/5HJN6Yv3u+1Wswy/4MpZEkEGhtNH+pwxZB8OKgUBPzYAGg==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=12.20.0"
-      },
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "@types/react": ">=18.0.0",
-        "immer": ">=9.0.6",
-        "react": ">=18.0.0",
-        "use-sync-external-store": ">=1.2.0"
-      },
-      "peerDependenciesMeta": {
-        "@types/react": {
-          "optional": true
-        },
-        "immer": {
-          "optional": true
-        },
-        "react": {
-          "optional": true
-        },
-        "use-sync-external-store": {
-          "optional": true
-        }
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/zwitch": {
       "version": "2.0.4",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/zwitch/-/zwitch-2.0.4.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b63d6cb..363d0e2 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -54,8 +54,6 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@next/bundle-analyzer": "^15.1.7",
     "@prisma/client": "^5.22.0",
-    "@react-three/fiber": "^9.5.0",
-    "@shadergradient/react": "^2.4.20",
     "@swc/helpers": "^0.5.19",
     "@tiptap/extension-color": "^3.15.3",
     "@tiptap/extension-highlight": "^3.15.3",
@@ -82,8 +80,7 @@
     "react-markdown": "^10.1.0",
     "redis": "^5.8.2",
     "sanitize-html": "^2.17.0",
-    "tailwind-merge": "^2.6.0",
-    "three": "^0.183.1"
+    "tailwind-merge": "^2.6.0"
   },
   "browserslist": [
     "chrome >= 100",