Caleb Mercer's life was a quiet gray hum in a world of flashing colors.
Each day blurred into the next—wake up, shower, coffee, work, eat, sleep, repeat. His apartment was small, barely enough to fit a man and his regrets. Stacks of dishes lay untouched in the sink, bills formed leaning towers on the table, and a flickering ceiling light cast long, twitching shadows across the floor.
He worked in logistics. A job that required more hours than it should, and paid just enough to survive. No ambition, no real friendships—just passing nods and forced smiles.
He had once dreamed of writing novels, crafting strange worlds and dark legends…
But those dreams had rusted over time, buried beneath deadlines and disappointment.
Friday night was like any other. He returned home late, tossed his bag on the couch, and heated leftover noodles. Outside, the city's neon heart beat dimly in the distance, ignored behind locked windows and drawn curtains.
Caleb had long accepted this life. A bland stability was better than chaos.
Better than pain.
But as he drifted off to sleep, a strange vibration ran through his chest. Not from the phone, not from the world.
Something deeper.
Colder.
Calling.
Then came the light.
White.
Endless.
Consuming.
And silence.
End of the 1st chapter.