By sunrise, the laptop finally died. The screen cracked down the middle with a sharp snap . Elias sat in the silence, the morning sun hitting his face. He had saved sixty dollars on a game, but he had lost everything else.

The download didn't start immediately. Instead, his screen flickered through a series of chaotic loops: A dozen pop-up tabs for offshore casinos.

"Who is this?" Elias whispered, his heart hammering against his ribs.