He clicked the link. The site was sparse—just a pulsing download button and a wall of green text. He ignored the warnings from his antivirus software, dismissing them as "false positives" meant to protect corporate profits.

As he watched, the number began to tick upward. He checked his actual bank app. To his horror, the balance was growing there, too. Small, untraceable deposits were flooding in from offshore accounts.

The software wasn't just tracking his wealth; it was balancing it. Every cent it had given him, it was now taking back through "real-world" accidents. The Uninstallation

(A legal notice arrived regarding a "clerical error" in his taxes from five years ago).

Elias froze. That was his exact net worth, down to the penny, including the loose change in his desk drawer.

(His car wouldn't start; the engine was inexplicably seized).