The air in the facility was dense with an unnatural quiet, a heavy stillness that wrapped around Clyde like a suffocating cloak. His heart raced as the world shifted, the calm before the storm. The woman's words echoed in his mind: "The truth will unfold—at what cost?"
He had chosen to confront the truth, but now that it loomed before him, the weight of it threatened to crush him.
The walls shimmered, blue light bleeding through cracks in the sterile, metal exterior. A soft hum vibrated beneath his feet as the facility seemed to come alive around him, adapting to his every movement, every thought.
"What's happening?" Clyde whispered to himself, though he didn't expect an answer.
As if in response to his question, the ground beneath his feet trembled. A loud clank echoed through the space, followed by the sharp hiss of mechanical doors sliding open.
He tensed, preparing for whatever came next. Was it the truth he was after, or something darker? His body stiffened as a figure stepped into view—another version of the woman he had seen earlier, but this time, her presence was... different. Her eyes gleamed with a cold intensity that sent a shiver down his spine.
"You made your choice," she said, her voice low and haunting. "But every choice comes with a consequence."
Clyde's stomach churned, the weight of her words sinking in. "What do you mean?" His voice betrayed the doubt and fear that gripped him.
The woman stepped forward, and Clyde instinctively took a step back. But this time, the facility didn't allow him to move. The walls locked into place, and he was trapped in an endless loop of steel and technology. The truth—his truth—was closing in, and there was no escape.
"You've been a pawn in a game that spans far beyond you," she continued, her voice reverberating through the air. "You were never meant to exist outside of the rewrite. The truth you seek was never meant to be found."
"Then why am I here?" Clyde demanded, his fists clenched, ready for whatever came next. "If I was never meant to remember, why am I still alive? Why do I keep fighting?"
The woman's lips curled into a smile, though it was anything but comforting. "Because, Clyde, you're the key. The rewrite is incomplete without you. You are both the cause and the cure."
The words hit him like a physical blow, leaving him breathless. He was the key? To what?
But before he could press her further, the facility's hum intensified, vibrating through the walls, rattling his bones. The woman's figure flickered, her body glitching, as though it, too, was not quite whole.
"It's time," she said, voice faltering. "The truth can no longer be hidden. You must decide."
The ground shifted beneath him again, this time pulling him down. Clyde's heart raced, but there was no fear now—just a growing determination. He was done running. Done with the lies. He had to know the truth. He had to confront whatever was waiting for him.
As he fell, the blue light from the walls grew brighter, blinding him for a moment. Then, just as quickly, the darkness engulfed him, and everything went black.