The sun had once again invaded the room with those persistent golden beams leaking through the curtains. The shadows wandering along the walls were silent proof that the outside world was trying to force me into its own rhythm. When I opened my eyes, I took a deep breath, as if trying to expel the heavy, sticky fatigue accumulated throughout the night. That sweet ache remaining in my muscles from yesterday reminded me of its presence with every move I made.
My hand involuntarily went to the nightstand, to that cold metal surface. Even though my mind wasn't fully awake, my fingers traced a route they knew by heart. The day couldn't start without looking at that black screen, without joining the flow. It was a meaningless fear, as if the world had changed during those few hours of sleep and I had been left behind. The notification lights, those tiny dopamine doses of the need for virtual validation… Five minutes, maybe ten… Beneath the duvet, I melted time away, escaping reality inside a digital cocoon.
Finally, when I put the phone down and turned my head, I saw Elisa. The vulnerable state she assumed while sleeping was far more impressive than the mask she wore while awake. Her messy hair was spilled over the pillow, her lips slightly parted. Her chest rose and fell with a calm rhythm as she breathed. There was no trace now of the passionate woman who pushed boundaries last night; only a peaceful silhouette remained. The warmth of her skin still lingered on the sheets, but the memories were already beginning to blur in my mind. There was no name for what was between us, nor did there need to be. It was just a momentary escape, that familiar game where bodies collide and then drift apart.
I remembered that ad I stumbled upon two days ago while lost in the suffocating greyness of the city: "Awaken Your Potential." Cliché promises, those overly happy people in stock photos… Things I would normally laugh off felt like a life raft in my emptiness at that moment. It wasn't loneliness, but that undefined numbness within crowds that had dragged me here. The momentary excitement I felt while filling out the form had now given way to a mechanical routine. I had locked eyes with Elisa at that introductory meeting on the first day, during that artificial socialization session. The inviting glint in her eyes was an agreement that didn't need to be put into words. The rest was the expected conclusion.
I slipped silently out of bed. The soft texture of the carpet under my feet contrasted with the coolness of the room. I headed to the bathroom. When I looked at my reflection in the mirror, the face I saw was both familiar and equally foreign. A slight darkness under my eyes, a few days of negligence in my beard… But hanging in my gaze was that expression of insatiability I couldn't wipe away no matter how hard I tried.
When I stepped under the shower, the hot water began to beat against my body. As steam filled the bathroom, my muscles relaxed with the water cascading down my shoulders. This was the best way to silence my mind; just the sound and heat of the water. When I dried off and got dressed, I felt as if I had put on my role for the day, not just clean clothes. Relaxed, confident, a hunter.
Stepping out of the room into the corridor, the imposing architecture of the building bore down on me again. This place resembled a futuristic art gallery more than a camp center. Massive glass facades, marble floors that echoed with every step, and that faint, unidentifiable floral scent hanging in the air… Every detail seemed designed to both relax you and make you submit. There was no music, but the building itself seemed to vibrate with a silent rhythm.
When I went downstairs, I saw Alisha at the entrance of the dining hall. She was the manager of this place, or perhaps its warden. She stood like a monument of authority with her pitch-black hair cascading over her shoulders and her black outfit that hugged her body flawlessly. We locked eyes as I passed her. Her gaze was piercing; she wasn't reading your soul, but rather analyzing you and saving you into a data file. The cold tension between us was an unspoken power struggle. I imagined that one day I would melt those walls of ice, that I would see her controlling expression break. But for now, we settled for a professional nod.
The dining hall was buzzing like a beehive. The tables were filled with "renewed" people; they all looked too healthy, too happy, too perfect. The open buffet was like a banquet table. The smell of toasted bread mixed with the aroma of fresh coffee; colorful fruits and various breakfast items whetted the appetite. I filled my plate and moved to a spot that commanded a view of the crowd. When I took my first bite, the intensity of the taste was almost artificial; a flawless flavor.
Just then, Elisa appeared. Plate in hand, she approached me with a look of slight reproach on her face. "You came down without me," she said, her voice sounding less like she was hurt and more like she was claiming a right. I just shrugged, continuing to chew. "I was dying of hunger, I couldn't wait for you to wake up," I said in an indifferent tone. I didn't object to her sitting next to me, but my interest had already evaporated. My story with her had ended last night; right now, we were just playing into extra time.
At that exact moment, I noticed the girl entering through the door. The world seemed to slow down for a second. Her chestnut hair cascaded down her shoulders like a silken waterfall, and the energy she radiated as she walked was dizzying. Her beauty was different from the fabricated perfection of the other women here; more real, more dangerous. Her eyes wandered around as she glided through the tables. Elisa was saying something, but her voice had turned into a muffled hum in the background.
When the girl came in line with our table, I couldn't resist the urge inside me. This wasn't just desire; it was a challenge. Ignoring Elisa's existence completely, I locked my gaze directly onto the girl. In that millisecond where our eyes met, a daring smile settled on my face.
"Such beauty shouldn't be breakfasting alone," I said. My voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the crowded hum like a knife. "How about joining us?"
Time froze. The sounds of cutlery in the dining hall ceased instantly. Elisa's mouth fell open in shock, the blood draining from her face. The girl, however, just stood there. There was neither shame nor surprise in her gaze; she was staring more like a strange, frozen error code.
And then, the blow came. A fist I didn't see coming, descending like a sledgehammer, exploded against the back of my neck. Not pain, but a blinding shockwave spread through my brain. The last thing I saw before my eyes went black was that blank expression on the girl's face beginning to distort, pixel by pixel.
As I collapsed to the floor, the hum in my ears changed. Human voices and screams gave way to mechanical, crackling noises.
"Subject not responding..." said a metallic, emotionless voice. It sounded like it was coming from inside my head. "Synchronization error detected. Protocol 4 engaging."
The vision began to flicker. The dining hall, the people, Elisa... They all melted into static noise. Alisha's voice was heard, but this time she spoke not like the woman in the dining hall, but like an operator:
"Critical error detected. Subject 894. Protocol 10. Reboot system."