Because during that glitch, he’d seen something else. A countdown timer, hidden beneath the code of 4UFree. It was burned into his retina for only a second, but the number was unmistakable.

“Thank you for visiting World 4UFree. Your session has ended. Please subscribe again soon.”

It started as a flicker at the edge of his vision, like a dying fluorescent light. The sky stuttered. For a split second, the sunset bled away, replaced by the flickering static of the pod’s charging interface. He saw his own hand—thin, pale, bruised from the needle used to keep him hydrated during long sessions.

Leo looked at Elara, who was now holding a glowing pearl, her face radiant with artificial joy. He looked at the perfect sea, the impossible sky.

“Leo?” Elara’s voice wavered. For the first time, she looked afraid. “Don’t go. I’ll be empty without you.”

But he wasn’t tired. He was terrified.