The interface was bone-white, devoid of the usual Viber purple. There were no contacts in his list, yet a single chat window was already open. The participant’s name was just a string of binary. "Who is this?" Leo typed.

The phone vibrated again. A voice message. When Leo pressed play, it wasn't a voice at all. It was the sound of his own heart beating, amplified and rhythmic, synced perfectly with the pulse in his chest.

He didn't need the phone anymore. He was now part of the latest version.