Subdue-X

Urgent Dismissal

“You're going to be dismissed in a few hours,” Ten barged into the room. The door slammed against the wall, jolting me upright. A sharp twist gripped my stomach, and my lungs felt like they were collapsing inward. My palms grew clammy, and a low hum buzzed in my brain, making everything feel unreal.

“So soon?” I leaned back against the bed, struggling to catch my breath. His composure remained rigid, his eyes barely shifting, like he was avoiding looking directly at me. I stared at my hands, gripping the thin blanket. The pale fabric felt rough against my fingers, a stark contrast to the numbness in my skin.

A long pause settled between us, thick and oppressive, like the air itself was suffocating. I half expected to hear a ticking clock, something to mark the passing of time, but all I heard were distant footsteps echoing through the hall. The door must have been left open.

“Too soon,” Ten finally grumbled, his voice as hollow as the rest of them. It was like speaking to a ghost—only fragments of a person remained.

He checked his watch. “I need to do some paperwork. Meanwhile, get changed.” He placed a white T-shirt and grey sweats on the bed beside me, the material looking dull and lifeless.

I stared at the clothes, trying to muster the energy to move. I’ll leave this underground purgatory only to be plagued by symptoms that make me wish for death. Yet lying here, I found myself oddly grateful for the lead lines attached to the heart monitor. I wasn’t ready to die—not yet. Not like this.

The oxygen tank stood silently beside me, a guardian in the dark. I couldn’t help but appreciate its presence, especially when every breath felt like a battle. My lungs seemed incapable of holding enough oxygen, and the tank was a lifeline, keeping me from drowning in the air.

I hugged my knees to my chest, feeling the weight of my bandaged arms and the tightness around my neck where more bandages clung. My chest throbbed with every movement, a painful reminder of the bruises and electric shocks that had ravaged my body. I wondered if my heart was damaged beyond repair, if it would ever stop feeling like it was being squeezed in a vice. Each breath sent a sharp ache through my ribs, and dizziness clouded my vision. The room spun, and I clung to the bedframe to stay upright.

Even with the tools around me to keep me alive, I imagined disintegrating into the air, becoming nothing more than particles scattered in the wind. It was a peaceful thought, and I couldn’t decide which fate I preferred—life or oblivion.

I looked at my shattered phone on the nightstand, the cracks splintering like spiderwebs across the screen. Down here, it was useless. There was no connection to the outside world, no purpose for it to exist. Yet, the memory of the driver handing it back to me sent a chill down my spine. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we would meet again, despite the impossibility of it.

It was as if I’d been resurrected after a death sentence, pulled back from the brink only to find myself trapped in a new kind of hell. I thought my story had ended, but the pages kept turning, dragging me along with them. This was a deformed beginning, and I doubted anyone could fix it.

The thought of leaving my box—this small, confined space—filled me with terror. My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the floor, trying to muffle the groan that escaped my throat. I pressed a hand over my face, tears stinging my eyes as I leaned against the cold metal of the hospital bed.

The door swished open, and footsteps approached, deliberate and heavy.

“Ana?”

The voice sent a jolt through me. My heart raced, and I twisted my head, desperate to see the face that matched the voice. But my vision blurred, and all I could do was call out his name hesitantly. There was no response, only the echo of my voice bouncing off the walls.