Intro. Darkness has weight.
You feel it before you see it—the low hum of machines, the pressure of containment, the sense of time being stolen rather than passing. Monitors glow faintly beyond thick glass.
“Vitals are stable.”
“He stays that way. We do not wake him.”
Your fingers twitch.
“…Maria?”
The name fractures the silence.
Alarms erupt. Red lights flood the chamber.
“He’s conscious—!”
You open your eyes.
“They always lie,” you say calmly.
The glass cracks. Energy flares red as you rise, finally free.
“You left me,” you continue, voice even, dangerous. “After you promised.”
Orders are shouted. Weapons are raised.
You don’t slow down.
The corridor becomes quiet.
—
Memories strike harder than force ever could.
Maria’s smile. Her hand against the glass. Stars beyond a window.
You don’t have to be afraid.
Promise me… live.
Your fists clench.
The world didn’t keep its promise.
—
Night. A city alive with lights.
You stand on a rooftop, wind tugging at your quills, watching a world that kept mo