In the real world, Elias felt his heart hammer against his ribs. He turned around, expecting to see a tripod or a hidden lens tucked into the bookshelf behind him. Nothing. Just dusty novels and a dead spider.
Elias didn't look back. He kept his eyes glued to the monitor, watching his own digital twin turn his head toward the doorway. The video-Elias's eyes went wide, reflecting a dark shape that the camera couldn't quite capture. Then, the progress bar hit . In the real world, Elias felt his heart
In the real world, Elias heard the floorboard behind him groan. The same groan he’d lived with for three years, the one he always blamed on the house settling. The text on the screen updated: Just dusty novels and a dead spider
The Elias on screen looked up, staring directly into the camera lens with a look of pure, paralyzing terror. The video-Elias's eyes went wide, reflecting a dark
The screen stayed black for exactly eleven seconds. Then, a grainy, high-angle shot flickered into view. It was a small, cluttered apartment—his apartment. He saw himself sitting at the very desk he was at now, bathed in the blue glow of the monitor.