The "My Documents" folder was sliced in half. Files didn't go to the recycling bin; they simply ceased to exist, deleted by a tool designed to "hard-surface" reality.

Elias was a digital hoarder, a collector of tools he never used but felt he might need one day. His latest obsession was 3D modeling, and every forum pointed to the same legendary toolkit: HardOps and BoxCutter. But at nearly forty dollars, it was forty dollars more than Elias wanted to spend.

Suddenly, his 3D software opened on its own. The viewport was black, but not the usual empty-grid black. It was a deep, matte void. Without Elias touching the mouse, the BoxCutter tool activated. A red laser line stretched across the screen, slicing through the digital darkness. Snap.