Elias looked down at his own hand. He was holding the same gear. He hadn't picked it up; he didn't even own such a thing. But there it was, cold and heavy in his palm.

A single window appeared in the center of the darkness. It wasn't the Model Builder interface. It was a live camera feed of a desk. Elias leaned in, his heart hammering against his ribs. The desk in the video was cluttered with tools—exacto knives, tiny brushes, and a half-finished plastic model of a cathedral.

A hand entered the frame of the video. It was pale, trembling, and held a small, silver gear.