A small window flickered on his screen. No menu appeared. No aimbot toggle. No wallhack. Instead, his mouse cursor began to drift toward the corner of the screen, moving with a steady, mechanical intent that wasn’t his own. "Glitch," Elias muttered, but his stomach tightened.

He tried to alt-tab, but the keys were dead. Suddenly, his webcam light blinked to life—a steady, unblinking green eye. On the screen, a Notepad file opened itself. The typing was faster than any human: THANKS FOR THE ACCESS, ELIAS. NICE ROOM.

The "VIP Hack" wasn't for the game; he was the one being played. As the monitor finally went black, Elias sat in the dark, realizing the true cost of a shortcut: when you invite a ghost into your machine, you're the one who ends up locked out.