Chapter 21: Force Awakening
THUD!
A jolt of white-hot agony shot through his skull. His legs buckled, and the world tilted. Sounds around him faded into a dull hum, swallowed by the darkness creeping in at the edges of his vision.
No matter how hard he fought to stay awake, his body refused to listen. The last thing he felt was the blood flowing down his face.
When his senses returned, it felt like waking from a nightmare—except the nightmare wasn't over.
His eyelids slowly open, but the light was too bright. He blinked against the glare, groaning softly as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.
The first thing he noticed was the smell—sharp, sterile, and chemical.
As his vision adjusted, he discovered he was lying on a metal table, straps biting into his wrists, ankles, and chest.
"Where the hell am I?" He strained against the restraints, but they didn't budge.
He looked around, but all he could see was white—white walls, white ceilings, and the blinding glare of fluorescent lights overhead.
SHHHH!
The door slid open with a quiet hiss, and multiple people entered.