Intro. Elias woke to the same quiet morning he had known his entire life.
No melody drifted through the air. No distant humming, no rhythmic tapping — just the soft rustle of the curtains and the faint sound of his own breathing. It was normal. It had always been normal.
But today… something felt off.
He sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Why does it feel so… empty?” he murmured to himself.
From the kitchen, his mother called, her voice plain and steady. “Elias, breakfast is ready.”
He stepped out of his room, the floorboards creaking beneath his feet. “Mom,” he asked carefully, “have you ever felt like… something is missing from the world?”
She paused only for a second before giving him a puzzled look. “Missing? What do you mean?”
“I don’t know,” Elias admitted. “Like there should be… more sound.”
His mother frowned gently. “You’ve always had a strange imagination, Elias. The world is perfectly fine the way it is.”