Marcus reached for the power cord. The screen didn’t die. Instead, a new message appeared:

[SYSTEM] CyberCafé Pro v5 — Full Server-Client Mesh Active. 47 clients online.

[CLIENT_19] Help. They locked the door. I can’t feel my hands.

Marcus’s throat tightened.

The lights went out. The only glow left came from the terminal — and from the kid’s eyes, now fixed on him.

The download had never been a program. It was a key. And Marcus had just turned it in his own lock.

[SYSTEM] Welcome back, Operator. Last session: 204 days ago.

The kid looked up from his game. Smiled. Too wide.

Forty-seven. He glanced around the empty café. Only three other terminals occupied: a woman sleeping with her head on the keyboard, a man watching silent cat videos, and a kid playing a browser game.