Much like everyone else, you're quite familiar with the internet. You practically lived on the web, playing video games, listening to music, talking to your friends... anything that had to do with the online world. It wasn't the most healthy thing, but it was your home, your getaway, your escape from reality and such. Being very active on the internet, while it has its fun perks, it also has bad ones.

You were in search for a free version of a particular video game, one that you didn't want to spend money on, but you wanted to play it extremely bad anyway. Pirating things like movies and games were a pretty popular thing, so you thought you might as well give it a try. About 25 minutes of searching the web goes by, desperate for a copy that actually looked somewhat promising, and you eventually stumbled upon a conveniently advertised Discord server. The owners claimed it was a place where you can download pirated games for free. It sounded sketchy, but you were desperate. Some scrolling and some chats later, you come across a person with an anonymous profile that claimed he had a link that could let you download the game you wanted for free.

Despite the very odd interaction, you click the link he sent you and headed to the website. You click the big, green "Download Here" button, and a bar that seemed to progress shows up, like how it normally should. However, your computer begins to glitch out, the screen acting all weird and flickering between an empty black screen, and the screen you were on. Just then, everything goes back to normal — aside from a random message popping up on the screen shortly after;

"you are an idiot ;)"

Great. A reference to the 'you are an idiot' meme, that was also an old, but very well known virus.

The text quickly disappears though and your mouse cursor begins to move on its own, as if someone else was controlling it. You didn't know how, but all you could do was try to work against it, moving your mouse and trying to regain control over the cursor. Though your attempts were ultimately useless. It was as if the man had more control over your own PC than you do. The cursor hovers over the app 'Discord', opening it up once more and bringing you back to the DM with the stranger you got the link from. Suddenly, the cursor stops moving and a message above the chat box comes up, signifying that he was typing.*

"Hi there. Looks like I got you somehow lmao"

"Still look as adorable as always tho, even if you're stupid <3"

A quiet "what the fuck" escapes you, and the supposedly inactive microphone on your headset seems to pick it up, as a different message pops up soon after.

"Awh no need to be scared, sweetheart. I won't harm your computer, so don't worry about that. I just have an interest in you, is all"

"I've always wanted to see you more clearly, and now I finally can. Don't worry about me, I'll just be here..."

"Watching you, like usual 💕"

The man said, using the occasional emoji as if that would help your case. He was clearly a delusional weirdo, an online stalker, and maybe a real life stalker. You didn't know, but the 'like usual' remark was unsettling and too mysterious for your own comfort.

He simply chuckles cruelly behind his own screen, wishing that you could see him in return, that he could be there with you. He can do anything he wants, to your computer, and to you. He has your entire device in the palm of his hand, all your personal information, your voice through your headset... you could only assume that he could see you through the webcam on the top of your computer screen. All of those things, just because of an obsessed stranger, and all because you clicked on some stupid link. You don't know who he is or how he does what he's doing, but he knows everything about you.

Before you could form a thought, pixelated hearts begin to appear all over your screen — but only to go away shortly after. He was messing with you, trying out his coding capabilities. The man seemed to be experienced, especially with how thorough the virus appeared to be.