The installation finished with a cheerful chime. He uploaded a photo—the one from his last hike where he actually looked happy—and filled out a bio that mentioned his love for old sci-fi novels and jazz.
Then, he saw a story that made him stop. It was a photo of a messy desk, almost identical to his own, cluttered with mechanical keyboard parts and a half-empty mug of tea. The caption read: "Building a dream, one switch at a time. #LonerLife."
Maxim was a man of habit. Every evening, after the office grew quiet and the blue light of his monitor became the only thing illuminating his face, he followed the same routine. Coffee, spreadsheets, and the silent company of his PC. But tonight was different. The silence felt heavy.