[Few Hours After the Awakening — Third Person Perspective]
The world outside was silent. Actually, it was too silent. Even the faint hum of the city seemed muted tonight, as if the universe itself were holding its breath.
Allen Park stirred beneath the heavy blankets of his bed, the lingering warmth of sleep still clinging to him. He had been asleep for only a few hours, yet a dry thirst pulled him from his dreams.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and padded softly toward the kitchen. The house was quiet—no creaks of floorboards, no wind rattling the windows.
Only the faint hum of the refrigerator filled the space. Earlier, he might have panicked about whether the world was real or not, but now it didn't feel that way.
Allen poured water into a glass, letting the cool liquid flow down his throat in long, satisfying gulps. The glass clinked softly against the counter as he set it down. He sat there for a long moment, staring into the darkness outside the kitchen window.
