A boy wakes up in a room. A cold, small, and damp room. As he opens his eyes, he feels the uneven mattress beneath him and a slight pain in the back of his neck. He sits up on the bed, breathing with difficulty due to the strong smell of mold that fills the place.
Before getting up, he brings his hands to his head. Disjointed fragments flash through his mind — muffled voices, a blinding light, pain in his chest. But everything vanishes in the blink of an eye, as if his memory were covered by a thick fog.
He observes the room around him: the walls are stained with moisture, and there are strange marks — like scratches or nearly faded symbols — near the right corner. A camera hangs from the ceiling, seemingly turned off, pointing directly at the bed where he was lying. The boy shivers.
He slowly stands and walks toward the curtain covering the window. But when he pulls it aside, he sees no light... just a crudely nailed wooden barricade, completely blocking any view of the outside.
With few options, he approaches the door and tries turning the handle. It's locked... but the structure seems old, unstable. He steps back, takes a deep breath, and kicks the door hard. It crashes to the ground with a dry thud, raising a cloud of dust that makes him cough. But at least now, he can breathe some fresh air.
As he steps out of the room, the boy finds a long corridor, with identical doors on both sides, numbered from 0 to 100. He stares at them for a moment, intrigued, but decides not to waste time — and starts walking as fast as he can.
After walking for several minutes, he sees an open door in the distance. As he passes through it, he's taken aback by a sudden change: in front of him is a decaying city, with cracked streets and buildings on the verge of collapse. Homeless people are scattered everywhere, crowded into makeshift tents or leaning against walls.
However, as Arthur looks further ahead, he notices something strange — a part of the city appears to be in excellent condition. Tall, clean, and brightly lit buildings... as if they belonged to another world. The contrast between decay and luxury is absurd. He furrows his brow, confused.
As he walks through the streets and alleys, he watches how the homeless survive in such conditions. Some beg for food, others just stare into the void. But what catches his attention the most are the details: broken lampposts that still flicker with an odd blue light, distant mechanical noises, and on one of the walls, he sees a spray-painted message: "They see us even when they forget."
A chill runs down his spine.
Lost in thought, he bumps into someone.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, you idiot..." says a girl, frowning in anger.
He steps back, instinctively clenching his fists. The girl, however, doesn't appear armed — just annoyed. Still, he remains on alert.
"Uh... sorry, I was just looking at how depressing this city is..." he replies, avoiding eye contact.
"Huh? Why are you so surprised by how things are around here? Ah... you're not from here, are you?" she asks, eyeing him from head to toe.
He looks at her for a moment before answering:
"Actually, no. I woke up in an old room, over there," he says, pointing back to where he came from.
The girl raises her eyebrows and lets out a low chuckle.
"Aaah, so you came from there. I see..." she says with a half-smile. "What's your name, kid?" she asks in a slightly rough tone.
"My name's Arthur... and yours?" he asks, still wary of her laugh.
"My name doesn't really matter, but anyway... you don't have a place to stay, do you? Judging by where you came from..." she says, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah... I don't have anywhere to go..." Arthur replies, a bit embarrassed.
"Great. So why don't you stay at my place? It's simple, but it'll do," she suggests.
Arthur hesitates. He had just left a strange place, and now a stranger is offering him help. Still, he decides to accept.
"Alright... I don't really have a choice..." he says, still cautious.
"That's the spirit!" she says with a smile. "Let's go then, before it gets too late."
And so, the two begin walking toward the strange girl's house.