Just as the song reached a frantic, breathy crescendo, the power cut out.

It started with a tak so sharp it sounded like bone hitting wood. Then, a ney flute spiraled out, sounding less like an instrument and more like a voice mourning a secret. It was hypnotic. Alex found himself leaning closer, his hand hovering over the faders.

Suddenly, he noticed something in the background of the recording. Amidst the rhythmic jingling of zills, there was a faint, rhythmic thumping—not a drum, but a heartbeat. And then, a whisper in a language he couldn’t name, right in his left ear.

He clicked a link to an old forum, the kind of site that looked like it hadn't been updated since 2005. A list of Cyrillic titles appeared. He didn't speak the language, but the universal symbol for "Download" was clear enough. Click.

He froze. He hadn't moved his head, but the sound felt like it was coming from the corner of the room, not the speakers.