Subway at 1:17 AM

Phones lit up across the carriage in perfect sync. Every passenger read the same first line: DO NOT TRUST THE LAST ANNOUNCEMENT.

A child pointed at the emergency intercom. The red light was already on, as if someone on the other side had been waiting.

A maintenance hatch opened with no resistance. Rain hit your face like static as you stepped onto a service roof stitched above the tracks.

Dozens of antenna beacons blinked the same code. Each pulse matched the timing of the message still vibrating in your pocket.