His monitor didn't flicker. Instead, the speakers hummed—a low-frequency vibration that made the water in the glass on his desk ripple. On the screen, a window opened to a live feed. It was a high-resolution render of a room. Elias froze. The room on the screen was his own.

The folder didn't contain documents or photos. Inside was a single executable file titled The_Threshold.exe and a text document that read: “Do not look behind you until the render is complete.”

The prompt at the bottom of the screen blinked rhythmically, a digital heartbeat in the dim light of Elias’s apartment: .

Elias laughed, a dry sound in the quiet room. "Cheap creepypasta tactics," he muttered. He double-clicked the file.

Elias stared at the screen, his heart hammering against his ribs. The text file's warning echoed in his mind: Do not look behind you.