Chapter 109
How long have I been here?
The hoarse voice of a bony figure echoed through a mind that had forgotten the shape of its own thoughts. He lay on a cold floor that pulsed with an unnatural rhythm, his body pressed against yellow walls that whispered endlessly.
Soft murmurs. Endless. They crawled along the edges of his consciousness like insects searching for a way in.
Then the pain came.
Gut-wrenching. Deep. It coiled in his stomach like a serpent made of glass — twisting, cutting, burrowing. His mouth opened to scream.
But nothing came out.
No sound. No air. His body refused to obey. Muscles locked. Jaw frozen. Even his eyes could not close.
That was when he heard it.
A chewing sound.
His eyes — the only thing that could move — followed the noise. Slowly. Terrified. They found the shadow of what caused his pain.
