The first thing he felt was silence—a silence so heavy it pressed against his ears.
When his eyes opened, blinding light flooded his vision.
A vast throne hall stretched before him. Marble pillars rose like giants, chandeliers of crystal burned with a cold white flame. Hundreds of people knelt on the polished floor, their heads bowed so low he could not see their faces.
Then, a voice thundered through the chamber:
"The Chosen One has awakened!"
The crowd erupted. Their chants echoed against the walls, shaking the air:
"Glory to the Savior! The world will be reborn!"
He staggered to his feet, his body trembling. He didn't remember how he had come here. He didn't even remember his own name.
But amidst the chaos, a whisper curled through his mind, soft and chilling—like someone breathing against his ear:
"This world is a lie."
His heart clenched. His gaze swept over the kneeling masses, the gilded throne at the end of the hall, the expectant smiles fixed on faces he did not know.
And for the first time, he realized—
he had awakened in a place where truth itself was dangerous.