The tablet screen went black. Then a new channel loaded: .

The old streaming app, Mobdro, had been dormant on Leo’s tablet for years—a ghost icon from a bygone era of free, chaotic entertainment. He’d long since moved on to paid subscriptions, but tonight, a nostalgic craving for a grainy, 24/7 feed of The Fresh Prince hit him. He tapped the icon.

Leo didn’t touch it. He ran for the door. Behind him, the tablet chirped cheerfully—the same jingle Mobdro always played when a stream connected successfully.

He tried to close the app. The back button didn’t respond. The home gesture failed. The settings menu was gone, replaced by a single option:

It showed his living room from a low angle, slightly fish-eyed, like a security camera hidden in a houseplant he didn’t own. On the feed, he saw himself—sitting on the couch, holding the tablet, mouth half-open. But on the feed, his mouth was moving in sync with his thoughts, not his voice.