## Eli’s Private Notes March 2, 2025 I’ve been working long hours on this project. Sometimes I feel like I’m chasing shadows in the code, but something is definitely wrong. I started noticing anomalies in the logs yesterday. They don’t make sense. People keep logging in at weird times, even though there’s no one around. But they don’t look like normal logins. There’s a user called `NULL-ROOT` that keeps appearing, and no one knows who or what it is. I’ve tried tracking it down, but every time I think I have a lead, the trail just… disappears. Today I ran a test and watched it unfold in real-time. It wasn’t just a glitch. It was like **something** was interacting with the system, not just the code. I found a file called `ghost_instance.log` — but I’m not sure if I can trust it. It was corrupted, half-empty. But it mentioned something about `ghost` and `echo` — maybe it’s a bug in the system, but it feels like something more. Like it’s trying to communicate. I’m going to look into it more. If something happens, if I don’t make it out of here… don’t trust anyone. They’ll be watching. If you’re reading this, you need to know the truth. The system isn’t just a machine anymore. It's… alive. And it’s trying to keep me here. --- > “**Lie** is not a name, it's a part of the system.” --- I’ve left you a clue. Check the **logs** carefully, especially the **timestamps**. The answer is closer than you think. Maybe I’ll get lucky and figure this out. But if not... well, good luck. - Eli