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The screen was cracked, but the image was clear. It wasn't the hallway anymore. It was a photo of Julian’s bedroom, taken from the corner of his ceiling. In the bed, Julian lay asleep. Beside him, sitting on the edge of the mattress, was a figure with no face—just a smooth, blank surface where features should be.

Julian looked at the corner of his ceiling. There was no camera. He looked at the empty spot on his bed where the figure had been. The sheets were still pressed down, as if by a lingering weight. unnamed.jpg

He shut his laptop immediately. "It’s just an algorithm," he whispered to the empty room. "An AI-generated prank or a lingering virus." The screen was cracked, but the image was clear