The world dissolved into the flickering glow of an ancient cinema. Dust motes floated in the beam of a broken projector, casting fractured light over rows of moth-eaten velvet seats. The air clung thick with the scent of mildew and forgotten stories. A cracked screen buzzed to life, its edges singed with static.
SYSTEM ALERT
[CINEMA OF SUPPRESSED MEMORIES ACTIVATED]
[OBJECTIVE: COMPLETE VIEWING. DEVIATION WILL TRIGGER NARRATIVE COLLAPSE.]
Alex stood rigid, their cybernetic arm emitting a low, distressed whine. Kairo's hand hovered near his blade, muscles coiled but powerless against the invisible force pinning them all to their seats. Finn strained against the restraints, face pale under the screen's sickly light. Nyx sat motionless, her glitched form flickering in time with the projector's stutters.
***
REEL 1: AGE 9
The screen showed a dimly lit room. A child's hands—small, ink-stained—clutched a notebook labeled HOLLOWS OF EDEN DRAFT 1. Off-screen voices argued, words muffled but sharp. A social worker's folder thumped onto a table, the name *VEYRA, A.* visible for a frame before the camera cut to a hallway. Young Alex pressed their back against a wall, scribbling furiously as footsteps approached—
The reel jammed.
SYSTEM ALERT
[PLAYBACK ERROR. CORRECTING...]
The scene rewound, skipping to a rain-soaked bus stop. Teen Alex hugged a soaked backpack, a rejection letter peeking from the zipper. A voiceover from Ms. Harlow: "Your work lacks discipline. Authenticity cannot be fabricated."
Nyx's crayon twitched. The screen distorted, warping Ms. Harlow's face into pixelated static.
SYSTEM ALERT
[UNAUTHORIZED EDIT DETECTED. PENALTY: LOSS OF AUTONOMY.]
Nyx's sync rate dipped—2%. Her outline blurred.
***
REEL 2: AGE 14
A foster home's fluorescent kitchen. Alex, face half-hidden by a hoodie, slid a plate of burnt toast to a scowling younger sibling. The sibling sneered, "Why bother? You'll just leave like the others."
Off-screen, a door slammed.
The scene jumped—a midnight bedroom. Alex's hands trembled as they buried a draft under floorboards. A shadow loomed in the doorway, featureless but radiating menace. The screen blurred into noise before revealing Alex alone, clutching a packed bag.
Kairo's blade vibrated, slicing nothing. The theater's walls oozed black sludge in response.
SYSTEM ALERT
[INTERVENTION PROHIBITED. CONTINUE VIEWING.]
Finn mouthed curses, fingers twitching in a futile attempt to hack the projector.
***
REEL 3: AGE 17
A hospital waiting room. Alex's foster mother—face obscured by static—sat slumped, a pamphlet labeled TERMINAL DIAGNOSIS crumpled in her lap. Young Alex stood frozen in the hallway, a dragon sketch falling from their grip.
The screen fractured. Half the image showed Alex running down a rain-slick street. The other half glitched, repeating a phrase: YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED.
Alex's breath hitched. Their prosthetic arm sparked, etching cracks into the armrest.
Nyx's hand twitched toward them. The crayon in her grip dissolved into ash.
SYSTEM ALERT
[SYNC RATE CRITICAL: 1%]
[FINAL REEL LOADING...]
***
REEL 4: ???**
The screen went black.
A single match struck off-screen, illuminating a figure's silhouette—tall, unfamiliar, holding a knife. Young Alex backed against a wall, the notebook Hollows of Eden clutched to their chest.
The figure stepped into the light.
The film burned.
SYSTEM ALERT
[CRITICAL CORRUPTION. PLAYBACK TERMINATED.]
[TO BE CONTINUED IN: CINEMA OF SUPPRESSED MEMORIES (PART 2)]
***
The projector died. The theater lights buzzed on, revealing claw marks gouged into Alex's seat. Their hands shook, the prosthetic's joints fused from strain.
Kairo broke free first, blade slashing at the screen. It tore like rotten fabric, revealing a void where the exit should be.
Finn collapsed forward, gagging. "What the hell was that last scene?!"
Nyx no longer flickered—she'd gone disturbingly still, her form now 90% static.
Alex stood, voice hollow. "I don't... remember."
SYSTEM ALERT
[NEXT VIEWING SESSION: ??? HOURS]
[PREPARE FOR UNAUTHORIZED MEMORY RECOVERY.]
The credits rolled, names warping into accusations:
DIRECTED BY YOUR FAILURES
SPONSORED BY REGRET