The installation was instant. No permissions requested, no "Loading" screen. Just a sudden, sharp silence that filled his apartment, drowning out the sound of the city outside.

The game opened to a mirror of his own room—perfectly rendered, down to the coffee stain on his desk. On the screen, a small, pixelated version of Jace sat in front of a tiny phone. A notification popped up on the game-phone, then buzzed in Jace’s actual hand. [New Task: Look behind you.]

He tried another. “Enter your phone number to verify.”