Chapter One:

In the heart of a futuristic laboratory pulsating with technology, the devices emitted intermittent mechanical whispers, as if they were speaking a language understood only by those who created them. **Mike** stood before a table full of precise tools, watching the doctor, **Alexander**, who was engrossed in his work as usual. The massive device occupying the center of the room radiated an aura of energy that drew attention, but something about it made Mike feel uneasy.

- “Alexander, will I ever understand what you’re doing here?” Mike asked lazily, as if not expecting an answer.

- “Maybe not today, Mike. There are things that can’t be understood with words but through experience.”

Mike smiled cynically as he looked at the device. He wasn’t new to Dr. Alexander’s mysterious nature, but today he felt that something different was happening. The man’s movements were more focused, his features exuding a seriousness that surpassed the usual.

***

After several minutes of tense silence, Mike broke the quiet with a soft voice:

- “Do you know why I’ve stayed here all this time? Because I’m the only one who can tolerate you.”

Dr. Alexander raised his head and turned toward Mike with a faint smile:

- “Oh, Mike, your presence here is no accident. You are more important than you think.”

Mike laughed mockingly but felt a strange twinge in his chest. Something in the tone of the doctor made him wonder, "Does he mean what he says? Or is this just an attempt to keep me here?"

***

Dr. Alexander returned to his work, pressing a few buttons on the control panel connected to the device. The lights began to flicker and pulse intermittently, while a low humming sound rose in the background. Mike sat in a nearby chair, watching the scene without showing any real interest, but deep inside, he was ready to flee if something went wrong.

- “What is this device?” Mike finally asked, after a long silence.

- “It’s something that will change everything. Something the world has never known.”

The doctor’s reply was as vague as usual, but his eyes, gleaming with the reflected light from the device, held promises of something greater than Mike could ever imagine.

***

Hours passed slowly, and with each minute, the device seemed to draw closer to completion. Mike stood in the corner of the room, watching the doctor as he connected wires and adjusted buttons. Suddenly, Dr. Alexander approached him and said:

- “Mike, I’ll need your help now.”

- “My help? I don’t even understand what you’re doing.”

- “You don’t need to understand. Just do as I ask, and you’ll be part of something great.”

Mike hesitated for a moment, but he couldn’t find the courage to refuse. He approached the device cautiously as the doctor gave him simple instructions.

***

The two stood in front of the device after the preparations were complete. Mike stared at the metallic circles slowly spinning, emitting a sound like a distant engine roar. Something inside him screamed to run, but he ignored that feeling.

- “Alexander, if this thing explodes, I’m the first one out of here.”

Dr. Alexander laughed lightly and said:

- “Don’t worry, Mike. Everything is under control... almost.”

That “almost” was enough to raise his concerns. Mike looked at the doctor for a long moment, but said nothing.

***

The lights around the device grew brighter, and a blinding blue glow filled the room. Mike tried to shield his eyes with his hand, but he felt strange vibrations passing through his body. Suddenly, the air around him thickened, as if the entire room were collapsing.

- “Alexander! What’s happening?!” Mike screamed, trying to step back.

But before he could move, an invisible force pulled him toward the device. His body lifted off the ground, and he began to fade away, bit by bit, into the dazzling glow.

Dr. Alexander stood motionless, watching the scene with wide eyes, as if something had gone out of control. He rushed to the control panel and pressed several buttons in a desperate attempt to stop the process.

- “Mike! Hold on! This wasn’t supposed to happen now!”

But Mike’s voice disappeared completely, and only the echo of his last scream reverberated through the lab. The device suddenly stopped, and everything returned to silence.

Dr. Alexander stood there for a few moments, breathing heavily. Then he wiped his forehead and raised his head. A mysterious smile crept across his face, and he whispered in a barely audible voice:

- “Finally... it’s begun.”

Chapter Two:

When **Maik** opened his eyes, nothing seemed familiar. The sky was blanketed with gray clouds, and the air carried the scent of damp earth. He looked around and found himself in a deserted street surrounded by crumbling buildings with battered wooden doors. Everything felt like it had leapt out of a history book.

- “What is this place? How did I get here?” he muttered to himself, trying to grasp what was happening.

He started walking hesitantly, glancing left and right, but the streets were utterly empty, save for the sound of the wind rattling broken windows. Suddenly, an old man emerged from one of the alleys, walking slowly toward him. His eyes carried an unusual mix of wisdom and caution.

- “You’re new here, aren’t you?” the old man said in a low yet clear voice.

Maik stopped, staring at him for a moment before replying,

- “Where am I? What is this place?”

The old man smiled faintly and said,

- “You are in a place where only those meant to be here arrive. But your question is not about the place... It’s about the reason.”

Maik felt deeply unsettled but decided to follow the man when he motioned toward a narrow alley. The alley was dark and tight, the walls covered in moss, adding to his unease.

- “Wait! What do you mean by ‘the reason’? Why am I here?” Maik asked abruptly.

The old man stopped and gave him an enigmatic look:

- “Time tests everyone in its own way. Don’t worry, you’ll find your answers soon enough.”

As Maik continued to explore the strange place with the old man, fragmented memories began surfacing in his mind. Blurry images, distant voices, and a peculiar feeling that he wasn’t alone in this place despite its eerie stillness.

- “There’s something I don’t understand… Everything feels wrong,” Maik said, glancing around nervously.

- “Everything has a purpose, even chaos,” the old man replied, his tone unwavering.

Maik felt as though he was on the brink of losing his composure. The old man’s cryptic words only added to his frustration instead of providing clarity.

- “I don’t want riddles. I want answers!” Maik shouted angrily, facing the man.

- “Your answers aren’t with me. They lie within you. You have to search for them.”

Before Maik could respond, a sharp headache consumed him. He closed his eyes, feeling like the entire world was spinning around him.

When he opened his eyes again, the scene had completely changed. He was standing in a small room, dimly lit by a single flickering bulb. The air reeked of blood, and his hands... they were smeared with it too.

He looked around in shock and found himself surrounded by lifeless bodies sprawled on the ground. The sight was horrifying. He tried to breathe, but the air felt suffocating.

- “What… what have I done?!” he muttered in a trembling voice, staring at the knife clutched in his hand.

He stepped cautiously toward one of the bodies, desperate to understand what was happening. The room looked like a crime scene, but the worst part was that he was the only one there.

- “This… this can’t be real. I didn’t do this!”

But no one was there to hear him. The echo of his voice bounced off the walls, as if mocking him. He felt a shiver run through his body, as though everything inside him screamed that he didn’t belong here.

He tried to recall what had happened, but his mind was blank, save for disjointed flashes he couldn’t piece together. All he knew was that he had no explanation for what was happening, and he needed to get out before becoming a victim of whatever he didn’t understand.

Maik bolted out of the room, his steps faltering in his panic. He stopped for a moment in a narrow hallway, gasping for air, before catching a glimpse of his reflection in a mirror hanging on the wall. His eyes held a look he didn’t recognize... the gaze of someone merciless.

- “Who am I? What’s happening to me?”