He can't see anything. In total darkness, he only hears that constant, depressing sound that pierces through his chest every time it echoes.
He smells something metallic and unbearable, and beneath his hands, something cold and sticky.
Startled, he tries to get up but fails—he slips backward, sinking into that sticky substance. Out of breath, he wonders what to do. A voice answers him, as if it had read his thoughts:
??? — Get up, kid. You need to get out of here as fast as possible if we want to survive.
Frightened, he listens to the voice and somehow manages to get on his feet.
He wipes his hands on his pants and starts walking, but then he hears the sound getting closer.
Scared, he backs away, searching for something to help him see. He steps on something solid.
He picks it up, trying to figure out what it is. By feeling it, he finds a button and presses it.
A light bursts out of the object—it was a flashlight.
Blinded, he falls backward.
The floor is still sticky.
He points the light at the ground; it's covered in a red liquid...
Then, once again, the voice speaks to him:
??? — I told you to get out of there quickly. If he comes back, there'll be no escape.
He gets up, gathers his courage, and starts looking for an exit, shining the flashlight all around him.
He examines every corner of the room.
He sees a bed, a wardrobe, and a few posters.
He realizes it's a bedroom—but not his. He's certain of that.
With difficulty, he moves toward what looks like a door.
??? — As soon as you open that door, run with everything you've got… We need you…
Boy ? — But who are you? Who am I? And what am I doing here? he finally wonders.
??? — That's not what matters right now. the voice replies.
Still unsure of himself and the answer he got, he opens the door anyway and starts running—faster and faster.
Along the way, he opens two or three doors and slams them shut behind him with loud bangs.
As he goes on, he keeps seeing that reddish liquid. Everything around him is dark, dull.
He finally finds a window and looks through it. At that moment, he feels overwhelming despair.
All he sees is a darkened sky, a red moon, and some clouds hanging lower.
He realizes he's inside a building—but he can't see the bottom.
Boy ? — What happened here? he asks.
??? — Hmm… This landscape is chilling. I don't know what happened here either, but you'd better get out as soon as possible…
Boy ? — Yeah… I'll try to do that…
??? — Actually no—you'd better find something to help you survive. Because you—or rather we—are going to be here for a long time.
And as you noticed while running, there's no electricity. We're too high up to jump, so the only way down is the stairs—but with that strange liquid, it doesn't seem safe to go down too fast.
Boy ? — Yeah, I get it. Thanks… I'll try to do that. By the way, now you can answer my questions and give me more information, right?
He starts walking again, a bit more confidently.
Voice ? — Yes, indeed. To put it simply: I am you, and you are me.
Your name is Mike, and I don't know why you're here either.
The only thing I know is that I'm not the only one with you—and the others probably have more information.
Mike — I see… I'm not alone…
As he keeps walking, Mike finds an apartment door left open.
Once inside, he heads to the kitchen, opens a cupboard, and finds a few snacks, which he devours without thinking.
Then he goes into the bedroom, collapses on the bed, and falls into a deep sleep.
Voice — It's a shame he's falling asleep now, but there's nothing I can do… He'll realize his mistake soon enough when he wakes up.
His body begins to move in the darkness.