02-22-59-471.mp4 | Bandicam 2023-01-01

The video ran for exactly forty-seven seconds. In the background of the recording, Elias could hear the distant, muffled sound of real-world fireworks from a year ago. On screen, his character threw a single diamond into the water—a digital sacrifice for a better future—and then the recording cut to black.

He opened a blank document, took a deep breath, and finally began to write. bandicam 2023-01-01 02-22-59-471.mp4

Elias looked at his current hands. They were empty. He looked at his room, which looked exactly the same as it did in the reflection of the screen a year prior. He realized he hadn't started "the project"—he couldn't even remember what it was supposed to be. The video ran for exactly forty-seven seconds