He turned slowly. Resting there, next to his lamp, was the exact brass pocket watch from the video. It hadn't been there a minute ago.
It was now showing a live feed of Elias’s own bedroom. In the video, a shadow was lengthening under his closet door. 3850mp4
At the 03:00 minute mark, a man walked into the frame. He looked exactly like Elias—same slouch, same frayed denim jacket—but he was decades older. His hair was a shock of white, and his skin was mapped with deep lines of exhaustion. He turned slowly
The file was titled , tucked away in a sub-folder of a discarded hard drive Elias had bought at a garage sale for ten dollars. It was now showing a live feed of Elias’s own bedroom
The man on screen stopped at a specific shelf and picked up a small, brass pocket watch. He opened it, looked directly into the camera lens, and mouthed a single word: “Run.”
Suddenly, a loud, physical click echoed through Elias’s silent apartment. He froze. It hadn't come from his speakers. It had come from his bedside table.