There was no ground beneath me. No sky above me. No sense of direction at all.
I was just… there.
Floating in something that wasn't quite darkness but wasn't light either. It stretched endlessly in every direction, like a space that had forgotten what it was supposed to be.
And in front of me There was a light. A small orb. Flickering. Breathing. It pulsed slowly, like a heartbeat.
One moment, I had been somewhere doing something. Living my normal life. And now… this.
"What… is this place?" I heard myself whisper.
Even my own voice felt distant. Like it had to travel too far just to reach me.
The orb flickered. Then it moved closer.
I tried to step back— but i couldn't
And that's when I realized something was wrong. Something horribly wrong…..
....................
9:00 PM.
I stared at the time on my phone longer than I needed to.
"…Already?"
9:30. That's when it starts. The one episode I've been waiting for all week. I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair as I sat up.
It's not like it's something important. Not really.
But still… It's my thing.
And if I'm going to watch it, I'm going to do it properly.
Which means snacks.
Obviously.
I pulled on my jacket, slipped my phone into my pocket, and headed out before I could second-guess myself.
The moment I stepped outside, I paused. Something felt… off. Not bad. Just… different.
I've walked this street a hundred times. Probably more. Same shops. Same streetlights. Same uneven pavement that always makes me slightly annoyed.
But tonight—
It didn't feel the same.
The lights seemed warmer and brighter. Like they were glowing just a little more than usual.
The shop windows reflected colors in ways I don't think I've ever noticed before. Reds, golds, blues....they all blurred together into something almost unreal. People moved past me in steady streams. Fast, focused and distracted. Phones in their hands. Eyes somewhere else. No one was really looking at anything.
I slipped my hands into my jacket pockets and started walking. I let my eyes wander as I walked. Not really searching for anything.
Just… noticing.
The shine of a watch on someone's wrist. The glow of neon signs reflecting off the ground. The smell of food drifting through the air. It was… nice.
Quiet. In a loud kind of way.
And then—
I saw her. A small figure. Standing still in the middle of everything.
A girl. Crying.
I slowed down and stopped. She stood with her back to me, shoulders shaking slightly under the flickering streetlight above her. Her hair caught the light in a strange way, like it didn't quite belong to the world around her.
People walked past her. Like she wasn't even there.
I frowned. "…Seriously?"
That was my first reaction. Not fear. Not confusion. Just… irritation.
How hard is it to stop?
And yet no one did. I clicked my tongue softly and started walking toward her, weaving through the crowd. The closer I got, the clearer the sound became. Soft crying. It echoed.
Not enough for anyone else to notice. But enough to make something in my chest tighten.
Why does this feel familiar…?
I don't know why that thought came to me. I don't even know what it means. But it didn't go away.
If anything—
It got stronger the closer I got. My steps slowed. Just slightly. For a second….just a second. I hesitated. Something wasn't right. I could feel it. Every instinct I had was telling me to stop.
My hands started trembling as I reached her. I stood behind her, my voice caught in my throat. Slowly, I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle shake.
"Hey… are you okay?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
She didn't respond. Her sobs continued, a low, rhythmic wail that sent chills down my spine. I shook her shoulder again, harder this time.
Still nothing.
Panic began to rise in my chest. The sound of her crying grew sharper, almost piercing. It stung my ears, making my head pound. Desperate, I bent down, moving to face her. My heart raced like it was about to burst as I leaned closer.
And then....
Light.
A blinding flash exploded before my eyes, so bright it burned. I stumbled back, clutching my face.
"It hurts! It hurts!" I screamed, the pain searing through my head like fire.
When the pain subsided, I blinked, slowly adjusting to the dim glow around me. But something was wrong. Very wrong.
The street was empty. Gone were the crowds, the chatter, the laughter. The lights still flickered, the shops still stood, but I was utterly alone.
"Hello?" I called out, my voice echoing strangely in the silence. "Is anyone there? Where did everyone go?"
No response. Just an eerie stillness that seemed to press down on me. My feet trembled, but when I tried to move, they wouldn't budge.
I looked down in horror. My legs felt glued to the ground, trapped as though in cement. I tugged and twisted, but it was no use.
"Help! Somebody, please!" I yelled, my voice cracking with panic.
Then I felt it, that presence.
Behind me.
"Who's there?" I croaked, barely able to force the words out.
A glowing orb floated into view.
It was just a ball of light, faint and flickering like a candle's flame. For a moment, it hovered in front of me, pulsing gently. Then, without warning, beams of light shot from it, passing through my body like I wasn't even there.
"Initiation complete. Body scan acquired. Required individual found. Beginning transfer process."
"What?" I stammered, my voice shaking. "What are you talking about? What process?"
The orb's glow intensified, surrounding me in a blinding white light. My body began to fade, turning translucent as if I were becoming part of the light itself.
"No! No, no, no!" I screamed, my voice growing faint. "What is happening!"
I reached out, grasping for anything to hold on to, but there was nothing. My hands passed through empty air as my legs gave way.
"Somebody help me! Please!" I cried, my words barely a whisper.
And then everything went dark.