He fell.
Or floated?
Time didn't matter here. Space didn't either. Only sensation. Heat, cold, vibration, pressure—all of it came and went in waves. He screamed, but there was no sound.
Then a voice—closer now—spoke again.
> [Synchronizing Neural Pathways... Memory Trace Detected. Accessing Origin Thread.]
He saw images. Flashes. A woman—her face blurred. A child. Fire. Screaming. Himself, younger, drenched in shadow.
Then: darkness.
His body slammed into cold metal. He gasped, breath returning like fire to his lungs.
He was inside the train.
The cabin was strange—wood and steel fused unnaturally. It stretched far longer than it should have. Faint music played, eerie and dissonant.
> [Destination: Realm One — Bleeding Skies.]
[Warning: Soul Anchor Uninitialized. Risk Level—Lethal.]
A door at the far end of the cabin slid open.
Beyond it, nothing but a blood-red mist.
> [Board the Trial Zone or be consumed. Countdown: 60 seconds.]
Liam staggered to his feet.
Whatever this was, it had chosen him.
And if it wanted him to run?
He'd walk.
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