Chapter 5
An alarm clock rings on a wooden dresser in the background as the man drops his phone in shock. The harsh, mechanical buzz of the digital clock cuts through the heavy silence of the bedroom. Julian's fingers spasm, and the smartphone slips from his grip, clattering loudly against the hardwood floor, the screen cracking in a spiderweb pattern across the live broadcast interface. "Mom, who else has this?" Julian shouts, his voice cracking with sudden panic as he stares down at the fallen device. Margaret steps back, her composure finally fracturing as the distant wail of a siren begins to drift in through the closed double-paned window. Elena remains seated on the chair, her hands resting quietly in her lap, watching the chaos unfold with a cold, clear certainty. The livestream is still active, broadcasting the panic to twenty thousand bewildered viewers who are now typing frantically into the chat. Julian scrambles on the floor, trying to reach the phone, but his fingers only slide over the smooth wood.
