When the window opened, the screen didn’t show the usual dated 3D graphics. Instead, it was a grainy, high-definition feed of a girl sitting in a room that looked exactly like Leo’s—same IKEA desk, same half-empty soda can, same flickering overhead light.

Leo realized then that the download hadn't been free. It was a trade.

Leo froze. He looked at the screen, then at his bedroom door. On the monitor, the girl stood up and walked toward the edge of the frame, disappearing into the darkness of her digital room. A second later, the handle of his real bedroom door began to turn.