The shadows

Realizing that I could only salvage the remaining fragments of David, I absorbed the shards, determined to piece together what had happened to him. How had he been attacked by this enigmatic program? And who was behind its creation?

Driven by the need for answers, I reprogrammed the red orb to safeguard both the subconscious and myself from any harm it might pose. I also instructed it to replicate itself and track down any other copies that existed.

With those precautions in place, I attempted to reconnect with David's body's senses. Suddenly, I felt myself occupying a physical form, my eyes closed and my head throbbing with pain. Slowly, I opened my eyes and tried to sit up, only to be greeted by a piercing headache as my body adjusted to its new inhabitant.

After a few moments, I managed to fully open my eyes, finding myself in...

A dim and decrepit cell. The surroundings exuded a somber atmosphere, with cold stone beneath my feet. I surveyed the space, my eyes falling upon a bucket, a bed with a single sheet, and the feeble light that barely illuminated the room through the bars.

Before I could explore any further, a wave of excruciating pain washed over me, forcing me back onto the bed. The headache I had been ignoring intensified, causing my body to lose consciousness while my soul delved into the depths of David's life.

I witnessed his earlier years as a normal child, born to loving parents. However, tragedy struck when he turned ten—his parents were killed in a car accident. A nagging sense of unease surrounded the circumstances, and it was confirmed after the funeral. Upon returning home, David was forcibly abducted by a group of men who swiftly whisked him away in a van.

When David regained consciousness, he found himself strapped to a table, an elderly man in scrubs staring at him with an intense gaze.

"Hey, kid," the man's voice rasped. "Mind telling me where your parents hid it?"

Before David could utter a word or ask any questions, a searing pain shot through his neck, causing his vision to blur and the world to fade into darkness.