Suddenly, my webcam’s red light snapped on. The image of my own room appeared in a small window on the game screen. In the reflection of the mirror behind me, I didn't see myself. I saw a triangular shadow growing taller, its single eye opening wide.
Dipper and Mabel stood in the center of the Mystery Shack, their eyes rendered as empty black pits. A text box appeared at the bottom of the screen: You shouldn't have looked for shortcuts, kid.
I clicked the link, my mouse hovering over the "Download" button on Socigames. The title read Gravity Falls: The Pines' Secret , a game I’d never seen on any official storefront. The site looked like a digital graveyard—cluttered with flashing banners and broken English—but the promise of a "full crack" was too tempting to ignore.
I reached for my phone, but the screen only displayed one message: Download Complete.