Mind Thief

Burglar

With a shocked expression, Hiro woke up, his body soaked in sweat. He couldn't recall the dream clearly, but he was sure it had been unpleasant. He glanced at his alarm clock and saw it was far past midnight. With a sigh, he rose from his bed, resigning himself to another sleepless night.

While heading to the kitchen for a glass of water, he observed that his parent's bedroom door was ajar. That was strange; they'd always kept it closed. He peeked inside and saw that their bed was empty. They must have gone out for a late-night walk, he thought.

Hiro completed his journey to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. As he drank, he felt a strange sensation wash over him, as though his thoughts were being pulled out of his head, one by one. He tried to shake it off, but the feeling only grew stronger. A *CLACK CLAK CLACK*ing of footsteps came down the hall. He turned around and saw a figure approaching him. It was a man in a black suit, his face obscured by a black mask. Hiro felt a sense of fear and confusion wash over him. Who was this person? What did they want?

The man spoke with a low, menacing voice. "You have it." Hiro tried to move, but his legs, as if made of lead, just wouldn't. He struggled to fight back, but the futile attempts to throw punches didn't garner even a reaction. "You're to come with me." With a sudden jolt, Hiro felt a sharp pain in his neck as everything went black.

When he came to, he was in a dimly lit room, surrounded by unfamiliar silhouettes. Some had horns, others feathers, while the rest appeared too distorted to make out. He tried to speak, but his throat felt dry and scratchy. A masked figure stepped forward. "Welcome Hiro. We've been waiting for you."

Hiro's heart raced as he tried to piece together what was happening. He remembered the man in the black suit and feelings of his thoughts being pried out of his head. Had they taken his memories? The masked figure seemed to read his thoughts. "Yes, we've taken a few of your memories. It was to ensure you were one of potential to help us in our cause." "Cause?" He replied. It seems that kidnapping kids is merely a pastime of you and your friends. Why don't you take this cause of yours and shove it back up your ass y- ". Before he could continue, one of the strange people, if you could even call that shape a person, raised its anorexic hand towards his mouth.

Hiro's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to make sense of the surreal situation. The dimly lit room evoked a sense of suffocation, occupied by enigmatic beings with features that were beyond understanding. He struggled to recall how he had ended up here, his mind still foggy from the encounter with the man in the black suit.

The masked figure's voice echoed in the room, breaking the tense silence. "We are the Guardians of Memories, Hiro. Our duty is to protect and preserve the most precious memories of humanity." Hiro's confusion deepened. Memories? Guardians? This was beyond anything he had ever imagined.

As the room fell into an eerie silence, Hiro's gaze swept over the strange entities around him. Some exuded an otherworldly grace with their feathered forms, while others emanated a sense of power with their horned presence. Each silhouette seemed to hold a story of its own, a history that transcended time and space.

The masked figure stepped closer to Hiro, its eyes gleaming behind the obsidian mask. "You possess a rare gift, Hiro. Your mind holds the key to protecting our world and unlocking a forgotten truth, a truth that could change the course of our existence." Hiro felt a surge of both fear and curiosity wash over him. What truth could his memories possibly reveal?

Before he could voice his questions, a sudden commotion erupted in the room. The distorted figure that had silenced him earlier now seemed agitated, its form shifting and warping in an unsettling display. Hiro braced himself, unsure of what to expect next in this bizarre realm of shadowy silhouettes.

As the tension in the room reached its peak, a blinding light suddenly filled the space, enveloping everything in its ethereal glow. Hiro shielded his eyes, sensing a powerful surge of energy coursing through him. In that moment, he knew his journey into the unknown was only just starting.

The Guardians of Memories stood united, their enigmatic presence a testament to the timeless legacy they safeguarded. With his mind as both a burden and blessing, Hiro readied himself for a quest that would question his self-perception and knowledge of the world.