CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHT I WOKE UP

The rain was loud. Too loud. It didn't fall gently — it crashed, relentless, like the sky was trying to erase something. Cold water soaked through my clothes as I lay there, staring up into darkness, my thoughts flickering like broken signals. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know how I got there.

My body felt heavy, delayed, as if my soul hadn't fully returned yet. Every breath burned when I tried to move, and even that small effort felt exhausting.

Then a memory cut through the darkness. A girl. No... a woman. She was surrounded by light — warm, unreal, completely out of place in the storm. She smiled. Soft. Calm. The kind of smile that stayed with you long after it disappeared.

My chest tightened. Why did that smile feel important? Why did it feel like I was losing something I had never truly had? Right now, everything inside me felt numb. Curious. Almost intoxicated — like fear and fascination were mixing in my veins.

Then the night shattered. Not a sound — an impact. The air split apart in a violent crack, a shockwave tearing through the rain as the ground trembled beneath me. My ears rang, my vision blurred, and for a split second, the world turned white. My heart slammed against my ribs like it was trying to escape.

What... was that?

Instinct screamed. Run. Hide. Move. My body didn't listen.

A thought struck harder than the shockwave itself. What if I die here? Another followed — quieter, more dangerous. What if I never see her again?

Something moved. Slow. Intentional. I turned my head toward the darkness. That's when I saw them. Eyes. Low to the ground. Sharp. Watching. Not human.

Every nerve in my body screamed as my heartbeat climbed higher, pounding violently in my ears. I wasn't alone.

The place around me was empty — no buildings, no voices, no lights. Just shadows, rain, and the sound of my own breathing. I reached into my pocket. Nothing. I checked again. Still nothing.

Panic crawled up my spine as I whispered into the storm, "Hey... Siri." trying to locate my phone Silence answered. The eyes didn't blink. The rain didn't slow.

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing my mind to work, forcing memories to surface. Images flashed — warmth, light, that smile again.

And then a feeling surfaced. Not fear. Not relief. Something worse. Like this night wasn't random. Like I was meant to wake up here. And whatever was watching me already knew that.

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