The office had a strict rule: never stay past midnight. Management called it “for your well-being,” which everyone knew meant “we’re not explaining it.”
Jake stayed anyway. Deadlines didn’t care about creepy policies.
At 12:01 a.m., the lights flickered. His computer turned back on after he’d shut it down. A new email appeared.
From: Jake Miller
Subject: Don’t open—
He opened it. Inside was a video. Him. Sitting exactly where he was, pale, shaking.
“Listen,” the video-Jake whispered, “it co