He spun. On his kitchen table sat a small, mechanical hound crafted from brushed steel and optical lenses. Its "eyes" pulsed with a soft, predatory blue. It wasn't there to protect him; it was there to ensure he never went "unmonitored" again.

The subject line was a glitch—a tracking notification for a smart doorbell that didn’t exist. When Elias clicked it, his monitor didn't show a delivery date. Instead, it flickered to a live feed of his own front door.

Elias backed away, but his phone chirped. A new email. Body: Turn around.

How should we this—does Elias try to escape the house, or does he try to reprogram his new "pet"?