"In a time lost to history, there was a world where the Sun and the Moon were not just lights in the sky. They were everything.
The Sun, bright, fierce, and ever-present, was a force of life, vitality, and unwavering strength. The Moon, calm, elusive, and constant, was its perfect counterpart, a reflection of stillness, of balance. Together, they held the universe in place, tethering it to something greater, something whole.
But in the shadows of that world, the rulers—fearful of the immense power the Sun and Moon shared—believed they were too dangerous, too perfect. They thought that such power could never be trusted to a single pair, no matter how eternal.
And so, they did what all those who fear the unknown do
They destroyed what they didn't understand.
It was a terrible thing to do—"
Knock. Knock.
The sound shattered the silence, like a mosquito buzzing in your ear at 3 a.m. I stiffened, blinking, trying to shake off the weird feeling that crept through my veins.
The knock wasn't loud. It wasn't threatening. It was just… annoying. But for some reason, it made my heart race as if it were the beginning of the end. Or maybe just the beginning of another day in hell. Same difference.
I glanced at the book in my hands, barely noticing the words anymore. The knock had snapped me out of whatever trance I'd been in. A part of me wanted to ignore it, pretend I didn't hear it, but deep down, I knew it wasn't going to just go away. It never did.
Maybe it was just one of the other patients wandering around like a lost puppy. It wouldn't be the first time. But then came the voice. Cold. Detached. Smooth like butter, but with a sharpness underneath it that sent a chill crawling down my spine.
"Open the door, Noah."
And there it was. The moment everything went from bad to worse.
The doctor. My so-called "savior." The guy who's supposed to fix me. His idea of "helping" me? Let's just say, I wouldn't recommend it. I hated his voice more than I hated the silence of this place. Which was saying a lot because this asylum could be a freaking tomb.
And the worst part? I wasn't even sure if my family knew what was really going on here. Were they part of the game, too? Or had they just abandoned me? A wave of bitterness spread through me, but I shoved it down. I'd deal with that later. Right now, it was time for the usual round of whatever the hell they were doing to me.
I clenched my jaw, hands tightening around the book as if it were a lifeline. It wasn't, of course. It was just words on paper, but sometimes, I needed something to hold onto. Anything.
I could still hear my mother's voice in the back of my mind—her tired emerald eyes that somehow still reflected the world's purity.
"It's for your own good, Noah."
Yeah. Sure. Right. Whatever you say.
I bit back a laugh, bitter and dry. How was any of this for my own good? The malnourishment, the sleepless nights, the needles? Maybe she meant well, but if she really thought this was some kind of therapy, then she was out of her damn mind.
The knock came again, more insistent this time. Silence followed, thick and suffocating.
I stayed still, frozen, pretending I wasn't already planning an escape in my head. But the truth was, there was nowhere to run.
And then, the voice again. Low. Controlled. Measured.
"Open the door, Noah." Yeah, I heard you the first time, doc. I just didn't care. You can literally just open the door anyway, why play these psycho games?
The book felt heavier in my hands, its pages warping under the pressure of my grip. It was like the damn thing knew what was coming. Maybe it was just me.
I stood up slowly, each movement deliberate, like I could somehow buy myself more time by stalling. But the truth? It didn't matter. The door was already creaking open.
The doctor stepped inside, his gaze cold, like I was some kind of bug under a magnifying glass. His gray eyes were unreadable, like he didn't even see me as a person, just a problem to be solved. He wasn't here to help. He was here to fix, break, whatever he wanted.
He didn't see a patient. He saw a test subject. A project.
I was nothing to him. Nothing but another piece of data to collect. Two guards shuffled in behind him, dragging the restraints like they were accustomed to doing this every damn day. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Did they really think this was going to work? Did they honestly think they could break me?
It wasn't that I was fearless. Far from it. But I'd been through this routine enough times to know how it ended. And it was never with me winning. Never.
One of the guards reached for me, but I moved first, twisting out of his grip. My heart raced, but my movements were faster than their heavy hands. I slammed an elbow into the nearest guard's ribs, just enough to make him grunt and loosen his hold.
But I wasn't fast enough.
Another guard was already there, cutting off my escape with a brutal arm that knocked the wind out of me. My legs buckled, but I fought to stay upright, clawing at his arm. But then they grabbed my wrists, pinning them behind me.
"Hold him down," the doctor said, his voice flat. I could practically hear the smile on his face, like he'd won some kind of victory.
Yeah. Right. I thrashed again, desperate, fighting the guards off like I was some rabid animal. But it was useless. One hit to my gut, and my breath left me in a strangled gasp. I was done.
Cold metal snapped around my wrists, and I was too exhausted to care. The cuffs dug into my skin, the weight of them suffocating.
It was over. Again. I let out a shaky breath, my chest heaving as I slumped back, defeated, but not broken. Not yet.
The doctor sighed, like I was some kind of inconvenience to him. "So stubborn. But we'll fix that."
I dared a glance around the room. He had a point, though, everything felt like I was under a microscope, like they were watching, studying me every second.
My eyes flicked to the corner of the room. There it was. A small black device, blending into the shadows. A camera.
What a joke. I wasn't just a subject anymore. I was a damn lab rat.
But I would escape. I wasn't sure when, but I was done being their puppet. I was going to make them regret this.
And if I had to burn this place to the ground to do it? Well, I was more than willing to try.