A cold realization set in. If the file size dictated the delay, he wasn't just looking at a recording; he was looking at a countdown. He began deleting the files, but the progress bar wouldn't move. He tried to shut down the computer, but the power button stayed lit.
Elias didn't turn around. He couldn't. He just watched the screen, waiting for the 56.4 seconds to pass so he could finally see who was standing behind him. 56421.rar
Then, a shadow appeared in the doorway of the video feed. A figure Elias hadn't seen in his own room yet. The figure reached into its pocket and pulled out a small, silver flash drive labeled with a new number: . A cold realization set in