In the neon-drenched suburbs of 2007, Leo was a digital scavenger. While his peers were buying CDs, Leo spent his nights navigating the lawless frontier of the early internet, hunting for the perfect tracks for his high school Halloween party.

He found it on a flickering, ad-heavy site called . The link was suspicious, tucked between flashing banners for ringtones and "free" iPods: Download Happy Halloween X MP3 – MuzicaHot

He looked toward the hallway. The guest room door, which he always kept shut, was standing wide open. From the darkness of the hall, the same low-frequency synth from the MP3 began to hum, vibrating the floorboards beneath his feet.