"Oh? You're awake, I see."
The voice struck like a thread pulled taut through silence. My body jolted, instincts flaring. I turned toward the source—and froze.
A woman stood at the foot of my bed—blonde, wavy hair cascading like liquid sunlight down her shoulders, her warm smile incongruous with the sterile, metallic room around us.
Her gaze lingered on me—not hostile, not welcoming. Curious, maybe. Analytical.
I stayed silent for a beat longer than necessary. My throat was dry. My thoughts were still trying to catch up.
"Hello," I replied warily, my voice laced with caution. "Who are you? And where am I?"
She didn't seem offended. In fact, her smile didn't change at all. That unnerved me more than if she'd frowned.
"I'm Dr. Evelyn," she said, "and you're currently in a research facility. Unfortunately, I can't give you any further detail than that."
A faint rustle of movement. Then, suddenly—she stepped forward and touched my face. Her fingers were cold, clinical, detached.
"It seems everything is fine. No stretch marks or abnormal appearance."
My body reacted before I could process the words. I slapped her hand away, irritated.
"Stop touching my face."
She didn't even blink. Instead, she reached for my hands next.
Another slap. This time, sharper. More forceful.
"My body too! Go away, you pervert!"
She smiled again, utterly unfazed, as if my resistance amused her. With practiced ease, she took a logbook from an assistant nearby, scribbled something down, and handed it back.
Then she folded her hands together, voice light and unbothered.
"Looks like you're all fine now. I was so worried when you weren't waking up. I nearly tried to dissect your brain to see what's going on in there." She chuckled.
My breath caught.
She said it so casually.
My legs moved on instinct, distancing myself. A shiver crawled up my spine. Dissect my brain? That wasn't a joke people made in places like this.
"Thank goodness I woke up just in time," I muttered under my breath.
"Yup. Now that you are awake, you can go greet your new Master. Follow me."
She turned on her heel like it was the most natural thing in the world. I barely noticed the brute beside her until his glare bored into me like a dagger. My stomach turned.
I slid off the bed and followed her without a word.
The sterile scent of disinfectant burned my nose. As we moved down the hallway, the harsh overhead lights flickered slightly, casting shadows on the strange machines and… children. Dozens of them. Strapped to beds. Tubes in their arms. Eyes closed. Some twitching. Some perfectly still.
The silence in the hall wasn't peaceful. It was suffocating.
I kept walking.
Whispers echoed in the distance. Scientists murmuring behind closed doors, test results exchanged in hushed tones. None of them looked up. None of them cared.
Then Evelyn stopped.
"They're the new batch," she said, pointing toward a lab room on the right. "Look carefully."
I hesitated but glanced inside.
A boy—around my age—lay there, calm. Peaceful even. His chest rose and fell softly. For a moment, it looked like he was just sleeping.
Then I saw the meter next to him.
His blood pressure spiked. Then dropped.
His heartbeat flatlined.
I stared at the screen. Zero.
My eyes snapped back to him. His face… hadn't changed.
Nothing. No gasping. No twitch. Just… gone.
I gasped and turned back toward Dr. Evelyn, my stomach churning.
She met my gaze, tone unchanged.
"That's right. He is dead. Unlike in the virtual world, we gave him a peaceful death in the real world." She began fiddling with her fingers, amused. "It's a pity, isn't it? How fragile humans are. Just one poke, and they splatter into a million pieces."
I clenched my fists. The fear, the grief—flooded in all at once. Her smile only widened.
"Carry on. We wouldn't want to make your new Master wait for too long."
I turned my head, unable to look any longer. The cold steel beds. The tubes. The lifeless children. A creeping sense of helplessness clawed at my chest.
I can't do anything. Not right now.
I don't have the strength to save even one of them.
But I bit my lip and swallowed the rage.
Just wait. When I'm stronger...
I made a silent vow, one that etched itself into my bones.
I'll save them. All of them.
We continued walking. The corridors twisted like a maze, the air growing heavier with each step. With every room we passed, my resolve sharpened.
Then—we arrived at a metal door. Imposing. Guarded by two stone-faced men who looked like they could kill me with a single punch. Evelyn whispered something to one of them, her words too quiet to hear.
Then—without warning—she shoved me forward.
I stumbled inside.
"Huh? What? Hey! Shouldn't you tell me something before kicking me out?"
I turned and slammed my hands against the metal, but the door had already closed behind me with a heavy thud. Not a single word from the other side.
I exhaled sharply, teeth clenched.
"What am I supposed to do?"
The answer came in the form of silence—and a sudden presence behind me.
I spun around.
A woman in a flowing kimono stood before me. Serene. Pale. Her movements ghostlike.
"Waaa! Y-you scared me," I gasped, clutching my chest. "I couldn't hear you."
She bowed.
"Master told me to pick you up. Please follow me."
Then, without waiting, she turned and walked away.
"Oui… I'm so confused." I looked around the empty space. Nothing. No answers. No exit.
"I guess I don't have a choice but to follow her."
I chased after her, waving.
"Wait for me!"
She didn't respond.
She moved like mist. Swift, soundless, graceful—each step impossibly light. It felt like she floated more than walked.
'Oui! How does she walk so fast?'
I pushed myself to keep up. My legs burned, lungs protested, but I refused to be left behind. Whoever this "Master" was—this was my only lead. I had to follow. I had to understand.
The path stretched endlessly. The lights above dimmed with distance. Yet I ran.
"Wait for me!" I yelled again.
This time—she stopped.
She turned. Calm. Composed. Her eyes were unreadable, but I saw something in them—a flicker of acknowledgement.
"You have done well to catch up," she said. There was a strange warmth in her voice.
I bent over, gasping.
"Why... didn't you wait... for me?"
She smiled faintly.
"Time is of the essence. We should not keep the Master waiting."
My eyes narrowed.
"Who is this Master?"
"You will come to know soon enough," she said. Her tone was gentle but firm. "For now, let us focus on continuing our journey. Resting time is over."
I exhaled, straightened my back, and nodded.
There were no answers. Only a path forward.
And I would take it.
Whatever awaited me—Master, monster, or something in between—I would face it head-on.