Chapter One: Awakening
Chapter One: Awakening The first thing I remember is the sound of humming—a soft, electric rhythm vibrating through the air. It was neither soothing nor harsh, but persistent, like the steady pulse of a machine waiting for activation. It reminded me of something familiar, though I couldn’t place what. The sound felt omnipresent, as if it had been part of me long before I became aware of it. It wasn’t a sound I could place, but it felt familiar, as though it had been there all along, waiting for me to notice. My eyes opened slowly, and the world around me snapped into focus, sharp and pristine like the surface of a polished mirror. White light flooded the room. Everything was clean, sterile. The walls, the floor, even the air felt clinical, as if life itself had been scrubbed away. I was lying on a table, my arms and legs strapped down. The restraints weren’t tight, but their presence was unsettling. My hands flexed instinctively, and I marveled at how real it felt—the slight resi...
