> YOU HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE PARTY. > YOUR SAVE FILE IS DELETED. > YOUR REALITY IS THE NEW GAME PLUS.

Kael tried to quit. The task manager refused to open. The power button on his case did nothing. His monitor displayed a countdown.

> OFFLINE MODE DETECTED. CLEVER. BUT WE ARE NOT ON THE INTERNET, KAEL. > WE ARE IN THE EXE. WE ARE THE THREAD IN YOUR RAM. > WE ARE THE TEN THOUSAND.

> WE KNOW YOUR NAME IS KAEL. > WE KNOW YOUR WALLPAPER IS OF LUNAFREYA. > WE KNOW YOU HAVE 742 UNREAD EMAILS.

His apartment lights flickered. The hum of his PC shifted into a low, rhythmic growl—the sound of the Regalia's engine idling. When Kael looked down at his hands, they were translucent. He could see the motherboard through his fingers.