Elias froze. The air in the archive turned salt-cold, smelling of brine and ancient wood. He didn't turn around. Instead, he watched the screen as the document began to highlight his own name in bright, neon blue.
As he read, the hum of his computer grew into a rhythmic thrumming, like a heartbeat. He noticed a small blinking cursor at the very bottom of the document. New words were appearing in real-time, appearing as if someone—or something—was typing from the other side of the screen. Симеон_11_в„–24_All_time_file.docx
He reached out to close the laptop, but his hand passed straight through the plastic. He wasn't in the archive anymore. He was the newest entry in the All-time file. Elias froze