I seemed to be floating in space.
The stars blinked around me like small, distant signals, and, far away, whole galaxies spun in impossible colors.
It was so beautiful it hurt.
Like I was looking at something no human being was supposed to see… at least not while alive.
Somehow, I was breathing, but I didn't remember having lungs a few seconds before, or waking up there. Not even how I'd ended up in that void.
The purple mist started to move, slow and thick, like smoke that refused to disperse.
It condensed around me, mixing with the black background of space and giving the entire universe the feeling that it was… swallowing itself.
Then the stars began to go out.
One by one.
Then in clusters.
The galaxies came apart like ink dissolving in water, melting into the purple fog that now dominated everything.
For a moment, the whole universe froze and time hit pause.
Something flickered in front of me.
A purple window. Cold and artificial.
SCENARIO CORRECTED
RESTARTING CYCLE RECONNECTION…
RESTARTING…
RESTARTING…
The screen began to shake, distorted, as if it were failing.
Then the sound tore through space — if that was even possible.
A sound that didn't come from anywhere, but from every direction at once.
It was a mixture of everything.
Like metal breaking, flesh being crushed, like the universe itself was being folded in half.
All of space twisted in on itself and shattered.
Then it went black.
When I opened my eyes again, the scene was… too unfamiliar, but…
Familiar.
The damp air, the sound of boots hitting wet concrete, the heavy, urgent breathing — it all felt more like a blurred memory.
A shiver ran over my skin, even though I didn't understand why.
I was on a subway staircase.
"Down." the captain ordered, her firm voice echoing down the tunnel.
It was a command I'd heard before…
Where?
The others started moving.
The rhythm, the steps to their positions — they seemed to be trying to remind me of something, even if I couldn't explain from where or what.
I stood still, staring into the darkness below.
A déjà vu so strong it felt like cold hands were clutching my stomach.
The man next to me slapped my shoulder impatiently.
"Move it, kid, or do you want me to carry you?" he said, in the same dry, irritated tone… that I'd heard before?
The shove made me stumble, and the cold air hit my face.
I shivered for no reason.
My t-shirt clung to my body and the dampness of the tunnel blended everything together.
The metallic smell, the yellowish light, the cold concrete…
It was like…
I had already gone down that staircase.
"Let's go…" the captain said without looking back. "We're almost there."
Even though my mind screamed that I'd never been there, my body said I had. That this was a repetition. A broken loop.
The water running down the walls, the cold draft coming from the tunnel, even the stained steps… they all felt way too familiar.
"Lights… We're almost there."
The last step appeared, and when my feet touched the flat ground, the corridor lit up in a pale glow, reflected in the puddles.
And then…
A purple window appeared in front of me.
Hanging in the air, vibrating like an open wound.
SAVEPOINT
My eyes widened and my heart stopped, for no reason.
"Come on already," the man complained, shoving me again.
But no one besides me seemed to see that thing floating a few inches from my face.
The purple square pulsed at the corners, like it was breathing.
I tried to speak. Nothing came out.
And as soon as I took the first step…
It vanished.
I stood there while the lights flickered.
My mind spun. It felt like I'd forgotten something important.
What was it?
But the only thing my head could latch onto were the quick breaths, the sound of the drips echoing.
Everything felt… wrong.
Something hurt in my fingers and when I looked down—
I was holding… a purple notebook against my chest.
What is this?
I was clutching it so hard it was almost like it was part of me.
I didn't remember picking it up.
But… the weight and the smooth texture felt so familiar.
When I squeezed a little, one of the pages cut my finger and the dizziness hit like a punch. My head felt like it was splitting.
"Move," the impatient man said, shoving me again. "Or do you want me to toss you?"
"He froze…" the thin old man said, stepping down one more step, his voice gentler. "Easy, breathe…"
"No breathing." the other one shot back. "Either you go down or I push you for real!"
The sound of the others' boots echoed behind us.
The air felt colder, like an invisible door had opened somewhere at the back.
"Hey!" the captain called. "Don't stop. Move it."
I blinked, trying to keep the world focused.
"I…" My voice came out like dust. "I know this."
"Who doesn't know a staircase?" the man snorted. "You just go down, genius."
Josh… yeah, his name was Josh, even though he hadn't said it. He narrowed his eyes at me and asked:
"Know what? This place?"
"Yes… No…" I shook my head, fighting the vertigo. "You… Her voice. Her words… You're Raul."
I pointed at the man beside me.
"And you're Josh… She… is Sofia… and she's… Mei."
Mei narrowed her eyes.
"Holy shit," Raul muttered, anger rising. "Hey! Did any of you say anything to him?"
They looked at each other. No one had said a word.
"How did you know that?" Josh raised the crossbow, his hand steady. "We've never met."
"He's from the church!" Raul exploded, pulling out his knife. "Of course he is! A damn infiltrator!"
Weapons were drawn all around us and the metallic sound filled the tunnel.
"I'm not!" my voice cracked. "I'm not from the church… We've already met. I know we have…"
"Oh yeah?" Raul pressed the blade to my neck. "Then tell me. From where?"
From where?
I couldn't remember.
The more I tried, the more it felt like someone was ripping pieces out of my head.
Raul laughed — a short, cruel laugh.
"Look at that… he couldn't even memorize his own lie."
I opened my mouth to deny it, but…
I couldn't.
I didn't know.
Or didn't remember.
Why can't I remember?
Mei stepped closer, breaking the line between me and Raul's blade.
"Speak slowly," she ordered. "What do you know?"
I took a deep breath, and even though the air felt like glass, I started talking.
"I… I know you. I swear. I just don't know from where…"
"Convenient as hell noticing us but not remembering from where," Raul snorted.
He raised the knife.
"Let's drag him to interrogation."
I stumbled when he shoved me and fell to the damp floor.
The notebook slipped from my hands, hit the puddles and fell open…
And I saw it.
Two lines of text flickered on the white pages, and the letters looked… alive.
'It wouldn't be good to walk around without a name. That draws attention. How about… Noah?'
'…Then it's decided. You'll be Noah.'
My heart kicked into overdrive.
"Noah…" I murmured, without realizing it. "My name is Noah."
Josh stopped.
"What did you say?"
"Noah…" I repeated slowly. "That's my name."
"How cute. The amnesiac's got a name now," Raul said, rolling his eyes.
Josh picked up the notebook, opened it and flipped through the pages.
Blank.
All of them blank.
"There's nothing here."
Raul snatched the notebook and flipped it roughly.
"Nothing at all."
"Leave it, Raul," Mei said, exhausted. "If he wants to play, fine. He's Noah now."
She made a sharp gesture.
"Get up."
Raul grabbed my arm, dragging me to my feet. Pain burned in my knees.
"Let's go, 'Noah'," he mocked. "The Counselor will decide what to do with you."
The word lit another spark inside me.
Counselor.
"The Counselor… I need to talk to him!" I said, urgency flooding my voice. "He knows who I am!"
Mei turned slowly.
"What? Now you know the Counselor too?"
"I… I don't know!" I answered too quickly. "But he… he knows me. I'm sure."
Raul laughed.
"Now it's getting good."
"Where did you see the Counselor?" Mei asked, serious.
The words hurt coming out.
"A room… with a desk… he had a notebook just like this. He said my name."
Josh and Mei exchanged glances.
Raul growled.
"Now he's just babbling."
"I'm not…" I tried to argue. "He… he called me Noah."
Mei took a long breath.
"We're taking him to the Counselor. He'll decide."
"That's right," Raul said with a cruel smile. "And if the Counselor doesn't feel like listening, I'll finish the job."
"Shut up, Raul. You talk too much," Josh muttered.
Raul turned his face away, furious, but didn't answer.
The tunnel stayed narrow, and each step echoed too loud.
The notebook, now in Raul's hand, seemed to emit a faint heat, a barely noticeable pulse calling me.
I could feel every beat, even from a distance.
Without noticing, I whispered:
"Noah…"
"What now?" Raul snapped.
"It's my name," I repeated and… I sounded happy?
"Congratulations!" Raul mocked. "Do you want cake too?"
"Enough," Mei cut in, and Josh started walking beside me.
"Noah, huh?" he said, testing the name. "If that's your name, hold onto it. Here… names don't last long."
Mei raised the light baton.
A side corridor opened up and a crooked sign at the end read:
PLATFORM B-2
"We're going straight," Mei told everyone. "The Counselor needs to know we found a stranger."
"A 'Noah'…" Raul muttered.
"A survivor," Josh corrected him, but Raul just laughed dryly.
I kept walking, whispering under my breath:
"Noah…"
"Noah…"
"Noah…"
Trying to make the sound fit. Trying to believe it was mine.
Because… I had the horrible feeling that the world knew who I was.
And I didn't.