Then, the image flickered to life. The camera was low to the ground, positioned at the end of a long, sun-drenched hallway. A toddler—presumably "Ben"—was sitting on the floor, stacking wooden blocks with intense focus. But something was wrong with the light; it didn't cast shadows where it should have.
In the video, Ben stopped stacking and looked directly into the lens. He didn't smile. He whispered a single word: "Wait." ben889.mp4
On the screen, Elias saw himself sitting at his desk, staring at the monitor. And behind him, a small, pale hand reached out from the shadows of the bookshelf. Then, the image flickered to life
The video was exactly three minutes and fourteen seconds long. When Elias hit play, the screen stayed black for nearly a minute, filled only with the sound of heavy, rhythmic breathing and the distant chime of a wind bell. But something was wrong with the light; it