2 - THE

way was

ing somewhere far off, a nurse's shoes squeaking on polished

o

was s

essed-fla

building was ho

y, hand against the wall for balance. Every step felt wrong. Too light.

d behind

th

woken in-Room 143. The bed sheets twisted. The IV stand kno

ad put him there. Or why he had woken up to the smell o

knew o

fa

l

g to his bone

d that single fragile image. But the moment he reached for it, pain ripped through him like hot m

inct screa

he

ply room. Empty shelves, toppled bins, floor scattered with paper gowns

patien

ndo

missing. The overhead light flicke

throat t

asn't

felt like a place som

d, a coffee mug dried into a ring of thick brown sludge. He reached

k pa

y fo

y ch

labeled with a pat

e had vanished in the m

slid o

lt wa

erv

person-no

buildin

ced out, voice hoa

llowed the

ep back, hea

ve the nurses' station. The red light was b

d it slowly, suspicion

ght stoppe

ent

t turn

y fr

metallic clatter, like a doo

as some

omet

cking behind the counter,

ed faintly dow

sur

av

ibe

ng c

broken thermometer, nothing useful. Nothing that could defend

cal

it without

ner. Reaching the station. Pausing right n

eld his

down even an inch,

the scalpel

se

w

re

away this time, down the c

one second that the person

ng them like they mattered-then sl

lway wa

ple

xhaled

oice whispere

't m

s

ne t

was real. Cl

ounter hard enough to knock a pi

ned. Closer this

un

kling, buzzing, dying one by one in rapid d

nched th

ry

earing in and out of his lungs. As the darkness chased him, swallowing t

prin

above him flick

t o

ness surged

n-and stumbled into another ward just a

d was di

sn't

filled

cove

st

led over t

s of

almost warm. Machines hummed quietly at each bedside. Some screens

whispered, v

ans

earest bed and rea

nd tre

led it

th

etic limbs. The kind used for medical training. But

umb

at looked lik

4

he had

epped ba

nequin ha

4

4

4

4

ame dark, dr

head

asn't

sn't a

tage. A setu

omething else. He moved toward the far wall where a panel of

m 1

angle f

own

ent he

fused, terrified. He watched himself p

ehind

had been

rk f

ion

hing

ough to

breath trappe

d at the

dark corners

k at the

g-turning its head toward him, a

d away from

ure had

black

camera feed

opped th

art th

ard entrance made him jump s

ammed the

otsteps

ward and pushed through it, stumbling into another dark

m, a voic

time, but loud enou

ered. Block th

bj

t

pati

bj

ran

t know w

know whe

why someone w

knew on

d to get out of t

le where his past used to be, E

didn't k

e

stepped into his path-silhouette blockin

sy floor. His breath stuttered as the silhouette ahead

clothing. A hood casting t

pon vi

ehow made

't speak. Didn't

ckward. His pulse thudded ag

ouble," he managed

s head slightly, as

stepped

l

ibe

dat

rom exhaustion, lungs burning, but he forced himself to run harde

elonging to someone who

ped inside, closing it without a sound. He pre

wrapped a

trying to adjust.

against the wall. Broken monitors. A sto

o a crouch behi

ps appr

ght outsid

aw, willing his b

ied the d

rat

y fr

-harder this time. Delib

sil

sucked the oxyge

eezed his

egged silently.

ed on the other

n

ic

e ti

t was almo

gly slowly. The metal clicked. La

door did

er-was out there

alked

ps faded do

lingering just outside, listening. He waited until his shaking eas

y ha

No footstep

sil

felt like

as he could. The hospital felt different now-less like an abandone

lickered

ide rooms without an

elt-like someone had erased the humanity from

a corner

ng a ward identical to the one he'd escaped from-same manneq

ens above each bed show

e f

m patie

hal

hall

e corridor he'd been in minutes ago. Another showed the s

lmost ev

moved silently f

sear

cki

ed back fro

n't wa

being

eeded air. He pushed forward faster, heading down an

caught

S – AUTHORIZED

scending the stairwell two steps at a time. The air grew cold

he bottom was

hed it

pped in

lights overhead. A surgical theate

for study

ng them

y hesitated, then approached slowly, dread clawing up

nneq

ai

tact like

nthetic ribs cracked a

nsors. Mi

back, breat

evel of complexity? What were they testing? And wh

another tabl

wasn't a

beneath the

ring blankly at the ceiling, pupils blow

e

y d

kward, hand clampi

ps behi

ut unmi

ry

gure stood in

e of a mouth beneath the shadow of the

't wait to

loudly, buying him only seconds. He ran to the side exit, pushin

pt ru

eft again. Nav

e footsteps multiplied.

h speakers overhead. "Subject has reache

arder, every m

stairwell a

fl

w

re

hed through the door at the top and burst onto a floor

rm

mo

against the

rses' desks. Computers. Equipment stored neatly.

arkn

cha

ep forward,

aring scrubs and a badge. Her

Are yo

y fr

er. Concern soft

urt? Let m

off as she gla

ion changed

e

l f

k a ste

ered urgently. "

g ringing in his ears. Doors blurred past him. Signs.

alls angled strangely, corner

guiding

to w

nd loome

ood there, marke

LEVEL 4 CLEAR

into it, but i

him-multiple people now,

the door wit

choked out. "

eep cut

locked from

y fr

swung ope

voice dr

ar

alm. Fa

fami

lood turn

w that

kne

the door o

ere sh

n from h

face he r

l

nd her neck, gun holstered at her hip, eyes

shoc

conf

par

d been exp

" she said qu

the footstep

d at her, c

warm-soft-charged with em

man in fro

lled. Perfec

ce cracked. "Do

ssion did

er ey

bar

something he

I need you to trust

tepped

ammed t

ked

with a look that slic

e whis

t supposed