Beep. Beep. Beep.
Trevor woke up to the sharp, repetitive sound of his alarm clock. His eyes fluttered open slowly, heavy with exhaustion, as if he hadn't truly rested at all. For a few seconds, he just lay there, staring blankly at the cracked ceiling above him.
Then reality settled in.
He turned his head slightly and looked around his living space, and as always, a tired sigh escaped his lips.
He was living in a one-bedroom apartment… if you could even call it that.
The walls were riddled with deep, jagged cracks that spread like spiderwebs across the surface. The paint had long since peeled off, leaving behind a dull, lifeless gray. The floor wasn't any better—stained, uneven, and littered with droppings from rats and mice that freely roamed the place as if they owned it.
A faint, unpleasant smell lingered in the air.
Trevor himself didn't look much better.
His hair was messy and unkempt, his eyes dull and tired, and his overall appearance was haggard—far older than someone his age should look.
Slowly, he sat up and rubbed his face.
Then, almost out of habit, he turned his gaze toward the window.
And just like every morning, the sight beyond it felt like it belonged to a completely different world.
Flying cars zipped through the air in organized lanes. Sleek, silver trains shot across elevated tracks at unbelievable speeds. Massive digital billboards lit up the skyline, displaying ads that shifted and moved like living things.
It was the year 2090.
And the world looked exactly like those sci-fi movies people used to dream about.
Trevor sighed again.
That world… wasn't his.
Dragging himself out of bed, he walked over to the small sink in the corner of the room. The faucet creaked as he turned it, sputtering before a weak stream of water flowed out. He brushed his teeth in silence, staring at his reflection in the cracked mirror.
For a brief moment, he paused.
Seventeen.
That was his actual age.
But the person staring back at him looked closer to twenty-five.
With another quiet sigh, he rinsed his mouth, grabbed the only set of clothes he owned, and got dressed. They were worn out and slightly faded, but they were all he had.
Moments later, he stepped out of the apartment.
---
As soon as Trevor exited the building, the atmosphere shifted.
The narrow, broken-down corridor behind him gave way to a bustling futuristic city.
Vehicles hovered and sped above him in well-organized streams. The hum of engines filled the air, blending with distant mechanical sounds and chatter from people moving about their day.
Teenagers laughed as they zoomed past on hoverboards, weaving through the crowd with reckless confidence.
Trevor walked quietly among them.
He was a teenager too.
Seventeen.
But unlike them, there was no energy in his step, no excitement in his expression.
He looked… worn out.
"Watch it, old man!"
A voice suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts.
Trevor barely reacted in time, stepping aside as a teenager on a hoverboard nearly crashed into him.
The boy didn't even stop—he just laughed and sped off with his friends.
If Trevor hadn't moved, he would've been seriously injured.
"Stupid teenagers…" Trevor muttered under his breath.
The irony of his words didn't escape him—but he didn't care.
Shaking his head, he continued walking until a massive building came into view.
A sleek structure of glass and metal, towering above everything else around it.
Bold letters glowed at the front:
STAR TECH
Trevor's expression hardened slightly.
This place…
He hated it.
He hated everything about it.
It wasn't just the work—it was what the company represented. It was what they had done.
It reminded him of his parents.
Of how he lost them.
Of how powerless he had been.
But hatred didn't matter.
Not anymore.
Star Tech had a complete monopoly over everything—jobs, technology, resources. There was no escaping it.
If you wanted to survive…
You worked for them.
Taking a deep breath, Trevor pushed his feelings aside and walked inside.
---
After swiping his identification card, Trevor made his way toward the lower levels of the facility.
And then lower.
And lower.
Until he reached the deepest section.
Even after all this time, one question always lingered in his mind.
Why build this place so far underground?
But like always, he pushed the thought away.
It didn't concern him.
Or at least… that's what he told himself.
"Nice of you to finally show up."
The voice belonged to Jonathan—the supervisor of the lower levels.
He stood with his arms crossed, a faint smirk on his face.
Trevor said nothing as Jonathan handed him a set of tools.
"Today, you'll be handling Aisle Three."
Trevor froze.
For a brief moment, everything around him seemed to go silent.
Aisle Three.
That wasn't just any assignment.
That place was known.
Feared.
Most people who were sent there… never came back.
"Uhm… Mr. Jonathan," Trevor began cautiously, "is it possible for me to get a different assignment?"
Jonathan's expression didn't change.
"No."
The single word was firm.
"This assignment came directly from the higher-ups."
And with that, he turned and walked away.
Trevor stood there for a few seconds, gripping his tools tightly.
"Hey… sorry, man," Alvin said as he walked up beside him. "But look on the bright side—if you survive, you'll get paid a lot."
Trevor forced a small smile.
"Yeah… if I survive."
Without another word, he turned and began walking toward Aisle Three.
---
Aisle 3
The moment Trevor stepped inside, an eerie silence surrounded him.
The air felt heavier here.
Colder.
Lights flickered above, casting unstable shadows along the walls. Several doors lined the hallway, many of them damaged or barely hanging on their hinges.
A faint scratching sound echoed somewhere in the distance.
Trevor tightened his grip on his tools.
His task was simple.
Check each room.
Make sure everything was in order.
That was it.
But five people had died doing this exact job.
Slowly, carefully, he approached the first door.
Room One.
He pushed it open.
Nothing.
Just dust and broken equipment.
Room Two.
Still nothing.
Trevor exhaled quietly.
Maybe…
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
But he didn't relax.
He couldn't.
There was only one room left.
And for some reason, his instincts screamed at him to stop.
But he kept walking.
Step by step.
Until he reached the door.
He hesitated… then pushed it open.
The room was empty.
Completely empty.
Trevor let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.
"Guess that's it…"
He turned to leave—
Then he heard it.
A low hum.
Followed by a faint…
Thump.
Thump.
A heartbeat.
Trevor froze.
Every instinct told him to run.
To leave.
To forget about it.
But curiosity…Curiosity won.
Slowly, he turned back.
And followed the sound.
It grew louder with each step.
Until he finally saw it.
A blue… pulsating mass.
A blob.
Its surface shifted unnaturally, and several long appendages extended from its body, connecting to different parts of the wall like veins.
Trevor's breath caught in his throat.
"What… is that…?"
Then—
It moved.
"Another one…" the creature rasped.
Its voice was hoarse. Inhuman.
"Looks like they've brought another sacrifice."
Trevor's eyes widened.
"Finally."
Without warning, multiple appendages shot toward him.
Trevor didn't think.
He ran.
His heart pounded violently as he sprinted down the hallway, his footsteps echoing loudly.
But it wasn't enough.
One appendage wrapped around his leg.
He fell hard.
Before he could react—
Another forced its way into his mouth.
Pain.
Unimaginable pain.
His body convulsed as something invaded him, forcing its way deeper.
Tears streamed down his face as he struggled, clawing desperately at it.
He couldn't breathe.
He couldn't think.
He was dying.
And then—
Everything stopped.
Silence.
"You survived… interesting." A voice rang out in his mind
Then nothing just Silence.
***********
Trevor's eyes snapped open.
Bright light filled his vision.
"Whe… where am I…?" he whispered.
"You're in the hospital."
Alvin stepped into view.
"You're lucky. No one survives Aisle Three."
Trevor tried to sit up—
Pain shot through his chest.
"Hey, don't move too much," Alvin said quickly.
"What… happened to me?"
Alvin hesitated.
"Well… you were in there for a long time. We thought you were dead. When they went in to retrieve your body…"
He paused.
"They found you alive."
Trevor frowned slightly.
Before he could respond, a doctor entered the room.
"Ah, good. You're awake, Mr. Trevor," he said with a smile. "You're fit to be discharged."
Trevor blinked.
"That fast?"
"Yes. You're… quite fortunate."
Trevor nodded slowly.
"Alright."
The doctor left.
"I'll go handle the paperwork," Alvin said. "Stay here."
Trevor nodded.
As soon as Alvin left—
Pain exploded in his head.
A sharp, unbearable headache.
"Ghh—!"
He grabbed his head, his vision blurring.
And then—
It felt like something was pulling him.
Like his soul was being ripped out of his body.
Images flooded his mind.
Fragments.
Scenes.
Moments that didn't belong to him.
The future.
Something beyond his understanding.
And in that moment—
Trevor realized.
Something had changed.
Something inside him… was no longer human.