Chapter 5: My Name
Arthur jolted awake, the world coming into focus with a jarring snap.
Cold, damp stone pressed against his back. A single torch cast long shadows across a cramped cell. He was in prison. The tang of blood in his mouth was a grim reminder of the events that led him here.
Disorientation gave way to a crushing sense of dread. He couldn't tell how long he had been unconscious. He tried to rise, but a surge of panic overtook him as he felt the weight on his limbs. Heavy chains bound him to the floor, restricting how far he could move.
Every muscle in his body ached. The world outside this virtual one had always seemed harsh, but this was beyond cruel.
He wouldn't accept his fate. With a ragged breath, he threw his head back and screamed, "Dr. Kapoor! This has gone too far! You can let me now!"
He didn't care if it sounded pathetic; he needed to be heard to break the suffocating silence.
"Dr. Kapoor! I'm done! Unplug me from the machine!" His outburst was met with silence, broken only by the dripping of water somewhere in the darkness. "Quit messing with me, you pretentious—"
"How 'bout you quit yappin' y'er mouth?" a figure sneered, barging through a door.
The sound sent chills down Arthur's spine. He had cried out to end the experiment but was met with a hulking figure, shrouded in shadow by the doorway.
"One more outburst like that," the figure said, "and I'll come in y'er cell and break y'er bones!"
The figure then chuckled before slamming the door behind him. Arthur felt scared, a feeling in which had not felt in a long time. He understood the gravity of the situation. This wasn't a game anymore; this was a world of violence, where his life was at stake.