Elias Thorne did not believe in monsters. He believed in facts.
Elias was a very rich, very famous lawyer. For twenty years, he defended bad people. He proved to the court that these people were just misunderstood. But tonight, standing in his kitchen at 2:00 AM, everything changed.
The last thing he remembered was a sharp pain in his neck. It felt like a bug bite. Then, everything went black.
Now, Elias opened his eyes. The world was blurry. He blinked a few times. He was not in his kitchen anymore. He was sitting in a big leather chair. It was his own office chair, but it was bolted to the floor.
He looked around. He was inside a small room made entirely of glass.
"Is this a joke?" Elias tried to speak, but his throat was dry.
He stood up. His legs felt weak. The room was small, about twelve feet wide. Outside the glass walls, it was pitch black. He could not see anything. He walked to the glass and touched it. It was cold.
"Hello?" he shouted. "Is anyone there?"
A speaker on the ceiling made a noise. It wasn't a person speaking. It was a recording of a judge's hammer. Bang. Bang. Bang.
"Elias Thorne," a strange, robotic voice said. "For twenty-two years, you have twisted the truth. You protected guilty men. You hurt justice."
Elias fixed his expensive silk shirt. He always cared about how he looked, even when he was scared.
"Kidnapping is a serious crime," Elias said, trying to sound brave. "If you want money, just ask. I have plenty."
"I don't want your money, Elias. I want your skills."
Suddenly, a bright light turned on outside the glass.
Across from Elias, another glass box appeared in the darkness. Inside sat a man Elias knew well. His name was Marcus Vane. Elias had helped Marcus get out of prison just six months ago, even though Marcus had killed three people.
Marcus looked terrible. His hands were tied to a metal stool. He looked terrified.
"Marcus?" Elias whispered. He tapped on the glass.
"He can't hear you," the robotic voice said. "Not yet. In this room, Elias, you are not the defense lawyer. Today, you are the prosecutor."
Elias felt sick. "What do you mean?"
"Your job is to prove that Marcus Vane is guilty. You must prove he did the crimes you helped him hide."
"And if I say no?" Elias asked.
"Then the floor under Mr. Vane will open. It is a forty-foot drop into a giant machine that shreds metal. You have one hour to make your case. Use the tablet on the desk. All the secret files you hid are already on it."
A small screen rose up from the floor. On the screen was a file Elias had burned three years ago. It was the proof that Marcus was a killer.
Elias looked at the screen. Then he looked at the scared man in the other glass box.
A clock on the wall began to count down. 59:59.
"Welcome to the Echo Chamber, Elias," the voice whispered. "Let's see if you can find the truth."