[Iris Perspective]
My eyes wandered around the room as I held the little cat in my arms. In the center was a large bed topped with a soft cover. In the corner stood a simple wooden table, with a rectangular mirror hanging on the wall above it. The floor was covered with a gray carpet.
All of these things: the bed, the table, the carpet, even the mirror, were strange to me. I didn't know their names, yet when I looked at them, those words came to my mind. I sat on the edge of the bed. The cat settled in my lap, meowing softly. I reached out and gently stroked its head.
I raised and lowered my hand, closed my eyes then opened them again, and pinched myself.
"Is this real?"
For the first time in years, I could move my hands when I wanted. I could sit whenever I wanted. I could speak without needing permission.
I thought I would stay that way forever. That such a life was my fate. Until the masked boy appeared. When he stormed the laboratory, they sent me to face him. All I wanted then was for it to end. I wished he could kill me. Yet, I had not placed much hope in that.
But who would have imagined the end would turn out this way? A wide smile spread across my face, for the first time since…?
I put the cat down on the floor, watching it stretch and lazily roll across the carpet. Then I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes.
...
I opened my eyes, only to be blinded by a sudden light. It was so bright, as if I had been placed inside a lamp. I tried to raise my hand, but my entire body was paralyzed. My eyes shifted left and right slowly, but all I could see were gleaming white walls.
Something was binding my hands and legs. I was strapped to a cold metal chair. I tried to scream, but my throat wouldn't obey me. Then, out of nowhere, a man appeared before me. Half of his face was deformed, one eye stark white, the other glaring straight at me.
I gasped violently, straining against the restraints. My body arched involuntarily, but it was useless. He approached in slow steps. Then he stopped in front of me, stared into my face, and smiled. Suddenly, flames erupted first at the edges of the room, then spreading to my body.
I screamed, feeling myself burn alive. I was still screaming. And he was laughing. Standing there amidst the fire, laughing as he watched me burn.
...
I gasped and woke up, lying on the bed, drenched in sweat. I caught my breath slowly as my mind tried to process what was happening.
"It was just a nightmare."
"It was just a nightmare."
"It was just a nightmare."
I repeated the words, trying to calm myself. Then I turned my head and saw the little cat sleeping peacefully beside me, curled up into a ball of fur, its chest rising and falling in rhythm with its breath. I reached out and touched its fur. A faint smile spread across my face, though my heart was still racing. I pulled the blanket over myself and muttered:
"It's over. Im safe."
...
The next morning. I got up from bed, stretched a little, and changed my clothes. The room was quiet, and the cat was still sleeping in the corner. I stepped out into the corridor, only to see Mr Masked walking from the opposite side.
I ran up to him with a smile:
"Good morning!"
He nodded, adjusted his black hat, and headed toward the stairs. I asked while following him:
"Where are you going?"
He answered without looking back:
"Some business. Not things for kids."
"Can I come with you?"
He stopped, turned to me, and said firmly:
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I'll be doing dangerous things."
I responded eagerly, raising my hand and lighting a small flame in my palm:
"I can help! Look!"
The moment he saw the flame, he quickly moved toward me, gently closing my hand, and said:
"Don't use that fire again."
"But… why?"
He placed his hands on my shoulders:
"Every time you use those flames, your lifespan literally shortens."
My mouth opened to ask what he meant, but he removed his hands, adjusted his hat again, and said:
"Anyway, you can wander around as long as you don't approach my apartment. Understood?"
He emphasized the last word, then waved his hand before heading down the stairs without waiting for my reply. I stood in place, watching him until he disappeared from sight.