...

Leo’s hands trembled. He typed HIDE .

The monitor flickered. The black page dissolved into a live video feed. Grainy, low-resolution, but unmistakable. It was his own kitchen. His mother was standing by the stove, stirring a pot, humming a song she hadn't hummed since he was five. The timestamp in the corner read: October 12, 1996 – 6:42 PM .