Chapter 1: Prologue
The smell hits me first. It’s thick, iron and warm; it’s mine.
I’m lying in a puddle of my own blood.
Everything is spinning around me. It’s like the world can’t decide whether to make me suffer more or completely fade away.
My vision’s gone soft. Shapes blur, stretch and even warp.
Muffled voices echo in the distance.
Then–
Riiiiiing.
A piercing, ringing sound screams through my ears, shredding my skull. It’s so loud, it drowns out everything.
Maybe those voices I heard were just passersby, people shocked by what happened. Maybe someone even tried calling for help. But it doesn’t matter because it’s...
Too late. I... I already know.. I know that it’s too late, I can feel it.
Every breath I take... Every inhale feels.. it feels like I’m swallowing needles. My chest tightens with each breath I draw, lungs hitching and my muscles screaming at me.