Complete darkness. A familiar, empty void surrounded Adam's consciousness. The system window materialized before him, its blue light a stark contrast to the blackness.
[Host Adam has been killed. Sending to respawn point.]
The words were a cold, final punctuation to another failed life.
His eyes snapped open. He was back in Sophia's bed. This time, there was no confusion, no moment of disorientation. He acted instantly. He swung his legs out of the bed, his movements so silent, so fluid, that they didn't stir the sleeping girl on the floor. He crept to the bedroom door, opened it just enough to slip through, and then closed it behind him without a sound.
He rushed down the stairs, his enhanced speed and agility allowing him to move with a preternatural quietness. His mind was a maelstrom of thoughts, but one memory was crystal clear, a horrifyingly vivid tableau burned into his brain.
