The notification on Elias’s screen was unremarkable, yet it felt like an anchor: .
He didn't turn around. Instead, he watched the video. A shadow moved into the frame behind his on-screen self—a tall, flickering shape that didn't seem to have a solid form. It reached out a hand toward the Elias on the screen.
Elias froze. The air in the room suddenly felt ten degrees colder. He could hear the soft hum of his refrigerator and, faintly, the sound of a floorboard creaking in the hallway.