The man — Leo — stepped into frame. He had a falconer’s glove and a quiet face. “His name is Arjun. Rescued him from a smuggler last month.”

And late at night, when the download bar stalled at 96%, he smiled and whispered, “Come on, falcon. Rise.”

He never found the video again. But for weeks afterward, whenever he watched a pirated action film, he listened for the glitch. He waited for another window into something true.