---
An apartment building
A slow breeze drifted through the half-open windows of a small apartment, gently brushing the curtains and giving the world a fleeting glimpse of what was happening inside.
With each flutter of the cloth, a study table came into view. On it sat a sleek laptop, the iconic Alien-head logo pulsing faintly like a tired heartbeat. The soft hum of overheating fans filled the room, blending with the rhythmic breathing of someone nearby.
---
Inside the apartment
Seated with his legs propped over the arms of the chair, searching for any scrap of comfort, was a man.
Tired—yet steady.
Brown eyes focused on the screen.
Slightly long black hair curled at the ends, unkempt but soft.
Broad shoulders slouched with exhaustion, jaw set under a short beard.
He let out a long sigh.
"Sigh… When is this render going to finish?"
"Man, the client is gonna pay even less after this…"
He stared at the progress bar with the intensity of a man in a silent battle, believing that if he looked away even once, the percentage might drop just to spite him.
---
The Man's POV
I bought you to help me work, mate—not to act as a space heater…
He twisted his stiff body in the chair, trying to find a comfortable position while muttering complaints to his loyal laptop.
"God, why are you always giving me reasons to give up, bruh?
Can't you see I'm already unmotivated?"
No answer.
Only the angry hum of overcompensating fans.
I'm gonna cancel this… can't afford to ruin the actual paid work…
His fingers inched toward the mouse—
"Huh?"
A sudden screech ripped out of the laptop speakers as the screen glitched across a completely black frame.
"What in the—!!!"
Panicking, he hammered every hotkey he knew, desperately trying to save the only piece of tech that kept him fed.
"/2&@(@>#&—"
"F— it's not working!"
"Why would a blank frame overload the drives, dammit!?"
Grimacing, he slapped his finger on the power button and held it down.
"Come on… force shut… work already…"
A beat.
The laptop powered off.
"Phew… Off you go, my hard work… It was nice while it lasted."
He leaned back, defeated.
Frustrating as it is… life is still shit. Move on.
Until something inevitable happens…
---
A voice cut through his thoughts.
A voice coming from the laptop.
"Hey… you… can't…"
It was strained… distorted… commanding.
Then came sounds no shut-down laptop should be able to make. Static. A metallic whine. A pulse like a heartbeat under water.
The supposedly dead black screen flickered—
and began to swallow the light around it.
Shadows stretched across the room, dragging themselves toward him.
Spooked, he tried to back away but tripped over the chair.
"What in the 7-Eleven is this!!"
The suction intensified. Papers rattled. A pen flew off the desk.
The man felt his limbs go numb as something pulled at his very outline—like his body was unraveling into threads of light.
His vision tunneled.
His body tilted forward.
What did I…
And the world folded.