He stood in a white void.
No horizon. No shadows. No sound.
Just him—and something else.
A figure in white.
Its face—hidden.
Its eyes—like glass lenses. Empty. Cold.
The voice was dry, like it came through static:
"Welcome."
"You're dead. Almost. But for now… you're still needed."
Sam blinked.
"What the hell…"
"New game. New life. New purpose.
You have potential."
"I just chose to die," Sam muttered. "You think I've changed my mind?"
"Yes.
Or rather—you haven't yet realized why you'll want to live."
Sam clenched his fists.
"I don't want anything."
The voice deepened. Almost intimate.
"Liar.
You've just forgotten what you lost."
Something cracked inside.
Not a bone.
A memory.
The figure's face twisted.
A smile—thin as a blade.
"Victoria."
Cold. Drawn out. Precise.
The word hit like a punch to the gut.
Sam froze.
"…What did you say?"
"Your little sister.
Vanished the same night your parents died.
You never found her."
"I did."
An illusion flared to life.
A girl.
Laughing. Barefoot in the sand.
That same smile. The one he hadn't seen since childhood.
Sam stepped forward.
His lips trembled.
"This is a lie…"
The figure's eyes glimmered—alive now.
"She's here. In the new world.
But you won't find her that easily."
"You're too weak.
You must live. Fight. Follow commands."
"Screw you," Sam breathed. "I'm no pawn."
"Too late."
A click.
Like a lock turning in bone.
Sam doubled over, gasping.
His arm seared from the inside out—
thousands of needles beneath the skin.
He dropped to one knee, fingers trembling.
A sigil blazed on his forearm.
Blue light, as if branded from within.
Three words:
SAPPHIRE EYES
3 DAYS
He shivered.
"What the hell is this…"
"A mark.
Your new flesh. Your new purpose.
Find the Sapphire Eyes in the forest.
Until you do—you can't leave."
"And if I try?"
"The mark will fill."
"Fifty marks.
Fifty failures.
On the last one—Victoria dies."
Sam slowly rose.
His teeth clenched.
His eyes burned.
"What do you want from me…?"
His voice trembled.
But he stood.
"Not yet," the voice replied.
"You'll find out later."
A pause.
Then, low and final:
"Welcome to the new world, Sam."
***
Jolt.
Light vanished.
Darkness.
Falling.
A flare.
Through the haze, he saw six figures.
Hidden faces.
Silver hoods.
And one of them—
looked straight at him.
"Sapphire eyes.
Three days."
The countdown had begun.