The next morning, the folder had expanded. It now occupied half of his hard drive. New files appeared: high-resolution images of snowy landscapes that looked eerily familiar. As he scrolled through them, he realized the images were of his own neighborhood, but from decades ago.
Leo tried to format the drive, but a message box appeared on the screen: Candy Cane101.rar
He dismissed it as an old ARG (Alternate Reality Game) and went to sleep. But that night, a strange phenomenon occurred. His computer, which he had turned off, began to emit a soft, rhythmic hum that sounded like a ticking clock made of glass. The air in the room grew unnaturally cold, and the scent of sharp, artificial peppermint filled the space. The next morning, the folder had expanded
The car’s GPS suddenly updated, pointing to a location in the middle of a nearby frozen lake. A soft, digital voice whispered through the speakers, "Let's see how the story ends, Leo." As he scrolled through them, he realized the