The Lagging Frame

In the Federal Republic of Meridia, viral lifestyle influencer Lydia Voss mourns her husband Elias, an inmate who died in prison while suing the state for disability discrimination. But when a single glitched frame during her live-streamed eulogy reveals a flicker of predatory satisfaction, disgraced journalist Coren Dray begins an investigation that peels back layers of digital perfection. Every uncovered secret leads to the same chilling realization: the person sleeping beside you can be a complete stranger, and the perfect online persona is only a mask for the darkest crimes.