Elias backed away from the desk, tripping over his chair and crashing to the floor. The cold was a physical ache now, settling deep into his bones. He scrambled backward until his spine hit the radiator, which was already stone cold.

"Session started, Elias," the game said. "Let's see how many days you can make it."

A single line of text appeared in the center of the screen: How long will you survive? Then, the power grid in his neighborhood failed.

The window shattered. A rush of sub-zero air and glowing, green-tinted snow swirled into the room. Elias closed his eyes and screamed, but the sound was instantly swallowed by the roar of a rising, impossible blizzard.