“Alex… why are you stealing?”

He ripped off his headphones. The room was empty. His screen flickered. The Nexus interface had changed. Instead of knobs and faders, there was a single blinking text field: "Select a memory to trade: [Childhood Dog] [First Kiss] [Ability to Hear Silence]" He tried to close the laptop. The power button did nothing. The screen grew dim, then cold, and a low hum filled the room—not from his speakers, but from the walls.

It was a whisper. His dead grandmother’s voice, layered over a bass drop.