But that night, his computer screen flickered. The 3D camera view panned on its own. The chaise wasn't empty anymore. A translucent figure sat in it—a woman in a 1920s flapper dress, her face smooth like a mannequin.

At first, it was magic. A new tab appeared in his library: He dragged a Victorian Velvet Chaise into his scene. The render was so sharp he could almost feel the fabric. Then a Mahogany Spiraling Staircase —it generated itself in seconds, complete with shadow-dappled railings.

Over the next 72 hours, his dream cottage project became a nightmare. Every time he placed a new object from the Ethereal Collection , the house gained a ghost. A Cast-Iron Chef’s Stove brought a spectral cook dicing invisible onions. A Stained Glass Bay Window produced a child pressing a phantom hand against the glass. The final straw was the Antique Four-Poster Bed —a couple materialized, arguing silently in looping animation.

Leo froze. He tried to select her. The property panel read: