The alarm clock on Ethan's nightstand blinked 8:17 AM, December 22, 2025. Snowflakes danced lazily outside the frost-laced window of the old suburban house, blanketing the neighborhood in a pristine white hush. Ethan stirred under the thick comforter, his body heavy with the remnants of sleep. At 24, he was back home after grad school, crashing in his childhood bedroom while figuring out his next move. The room still held...