"It's almost over."
The world of sound was dying fast, and the surroundings grew silent. Only the faint sound of Martin's voice carried from his arm.
The surrounding light vanished, plunging him into a darkness so absolute he couldn't see his hand in front of his face.
In the silence, all Mo Ling's non-existent ears could perceive was the sound of static, a ZZZZZ that was piercingly clear in the darkness.
It made no difference whether his eyes were open or closed; all he saw was endless darkness.
"Close your eyes," Martin advised. "Be careful when you open them in a bit. It might be too bright."
Mo Ling obediently closed his eyes.
Martin, meanwhile, began to count down softly.
"Ten."
"Nine."
"Eight."
"..."
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
Mo Ling sensed a trace of light. When he opened his eyes, he was standing among metal walls again, as if nothing had happened at all.
