It was past midnight when William went down to his study to shut down the server. The house was asleep. The peace felt permanent.
He sat at his desk to log off the mainframe. Suddenly, the screen flickered. A red dialogue box popped up, overriding the system.
*SYSTEM ALERT: DEADMAN SWITCH ACTIVATED.*
*IDENTITY VERIFIED: ALISTAIR CROFT.*
William frowned. “That’s impossible,” he muttered, reaching for the mouse.
A video file opened automatically. The timestamp was today.
The image resolved. It wasn’t a recording from the past. It was Alistair Croft, William’s father–the man who had supposedly died decades ago. He looked older, his face lined with cruelty, sitting in a dark room that looked terrifyingly like a command center.
He stared directly into the camera lens, his eyes cold and predatory.
“Hello, boys,” Alistair’s voice rasped through the speakers, freezing the blood in William’s veins. “I gave you both life. I expected you to kill each other for the crown. It was a test of strength.”
Alistair leaned forward, a dark smile spreading across his face.
“But since you’ve decided to share…” The screen glitched, showing a live feed of the Croft Estate gates opening. “I suppose I’ll have to return and take it back myself.”
The screen went black.
William stared at the monitor in horror as the security alarm began to wail.