On the recorded screen appeared a grainy, handheld view of a bustling airport terminal halfway across the world. There was Maya, wearing an oversized winter coat, waving frantically at the camera with a grin that could power a city. She was shouting something over the airport intercom announcements, her voice digitized and crackling through the phone's speakers.

"I made it!" her past self shouted in the recording. "I'm actually here!"

To anyone else, the timestamp was meaningless. But to Leo, it was the exact moment his life had quietly shifted.

The recording showed Leo clicking the link. For a few seconds, the screen went black as the app loaded, reflecting Leo’s own anxious face in the dark glass of the past. Then, the video feed connected.

The recording lasted only forty seconds before the connection dropped and the screen returned to the static group chat interface. The video ended.