Document_6271431062874752956.mp4

The sun was barely up when Elias found the file on his encrypted drive. It was titled simply "document_6271431062874752956.mp4." He didn’t remember downloading it, and the date stamp was from a year into the future.

The drone outside tapped twice against the glass—a metallic, demanding sound. Elias looked back at the video. His future self was gone, replaced by a single line of text in a font that looked like it had been carved into the screen: Run. They know you found it. document_6271431062874752956.mp4

He froze. In the video, his digital self leaned closer to the monitor. Slowly, the "video-Elias" turned his head toward the camera. He didn't look scared; he looked expectant. He raised a hand and pointed toward the window behind the real Elias. The sun was barely up when Elias found