The staircase hummed under Kai's feet
Not stone
Not metal
Something alive
Echo walked without looking back
Like she'd done this before
Like she couldn't afford to remember it
With each step
The world above dimmed
Memories fuzzed
Names slipped further from reach
Kai gripped his head
Tried to recall his sister's voice
Gone
Tried to picture Rhea's face
Blurry
Echo stopped
Pressed her palm to the wall
A door unfolded from the dark
No hinges
No sound
Beyond it
A hall filled with whispers
Each one speaking a different version of his name
He stepped inside
Rows of glass cylinders lined the walls
Inside each
A person floating
Eyes open
Mouths stitched
Countdowns frozen on zero
Kai backed away
"Are they alive?"
Echo nodded
"They remember too much"
At the end of the hall
One pod was broken
The nameplate shattered
Only a scrap remained
E—
H—
Kai stared at it
Echo avoided his eyes