The world is gone.
There's no hospital floor beneath him anymore. Only a surface that doesn't exist. The pain that gripped Hale when he stepped outside Ivy's room hadn't faded it had evolved. It curled around his spine like cold wire, sending shocks through every nerve.
He's on his knees. Gasping.
The mark on his chest pulses.
And then comes the voice.
Low. Smooth. Patient.
"You've come far, Hale. But not far enough."
Hale lifts his head. His body is locked, but his eyes flicker toward the source.
There he stands.
ALP.
Not just a figure a presence. Like reality itself is bending away from him.
He doesn't move. Yet everything else does.
"You're shaking. Is it fear? Pain? Or have you begun to remember?"
Hale grits his teeth. He tries to speak, but all that escapes is a ragged breath.
ALP steps forward once. Time skips. His voice slices through the air again.
"You want answers. Good. That means you're almost ready."
He crouches beside Hale. Places a hand just above his shoulder. Never touching, just hovering. And yet, the weight is unbearable.
"But answers have a cost. Each question you ask takes something. And I will collect."
Hale manages a whisper. "W-What do you want?"
ALP smiles. But it's not a smile for kindness. It's a smile you give to a deer before pulling the trigger.
"Nothing. And everything. You broke the rules, Hale. Or maybe... you were made to."
He stands again.
"So here is your gift. Three questions. Choose wisely. Each one will hurt."
Suddenly, Hale can speak again.
The pain lessens, just slightly. Just enough to make him think it's okay to ask.