Later

Later, as he was sitting in the living room, flipping through TV channels, his mom came home from running errands. She walked into the room, a small bag of groceries in her hand.

“Hey, Jake,” Karen said, smiling warmly at him. “I picked up some ice on the way back. Thought you might want some for your drinks.”

Jake stared at her, his mind racing. “Uh, yeah… thanks, Mom,” he replied, trying to sound casual even as his heart pounded in his chest.

Karen set the bag down on the kitchen counter, then walked over to him. Without a word, she leaned down and wrapped him in a warm hug, holding him close for longer than she usually would. Jake could feel the softness of her embrace, the way she gently squeezed him before finally pulling away.

“There you go,” she said with a smile. “Anything else you need?”

Jake shook his head, his mind reeling. “No, I’m good, thanks.”

Karen nodded and walked back to the kitchen, leaving Jake sitting there, stunned. It had actually worked. The app—whatever it was—had actually made his mom do exactly what he’d commanded.

He wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Part of him was excited, thrilled at the possibilities. But another part of him was unnerved, realizing that this strange app had the power to influence his mom in ways that felt… wrong.

Jake leaned back on the couch, staring at his phone. He had just scratched the surface, but he could already feel the temptation growing. If something as small as this had worked, what else could the app do? And how far was he willing to go to find out?