0gmg4cyhje03a0vhremmg_720p_1207624.m4v

The video jumped. The timestamp at the bottom didn't show a date, just a countdown: 00:12:07:624 .

Elias felt the air in his room turn cold. His hand moved toward the mouse to close the window, but the cursor wouldn’t budge. On the screen, his older self began to weep, pointing frantically at the corner of the room—the corner right behind Elias’s left shoulder. The countdown hit zero. 0gmg4cyhje03a0vhremmg_720p_1207624.m4v

The video didn’t start with a production logo. There was no sound. At 720p, the resolution was sharp enough to see the dust motes dancing in a room that looked remarkably like his own office. The camera was fixed, staring at a mahogany desk. The video jumped

The screen went black. In the reflection of the monitor, Elias saw the brass key sitting on his physical desk. And then, he saw the curtain move. His hand moved toward the mouse to close