On the screen, the video-Elias began to scream, but no sound came out. Instead, a text overlay started to crawl across the bottom of the player in a jagged, white font:
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. On the screen, the video-Elias began to scream,
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 . It was a small, cluttered apartment—his apartment
Should we explore next, or would you rather find out who sent the file to Elias in the first place? He kept his eyes glued to the monitor,
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: