HakimMDZ
The 12th Branch: Matrix 396 Days
The Author's Introduction: Between the Shadows of the Matrix and the Light
of Truth
The words before you are no mere passing figment of imagination, nor are they a simple tale crafted for
amusement. Rather, they are shards of an extended reality and a profound psychological state whose intricate
details I lived, whose bitterness I tasted, and whose dark tunnels I traversed for long periods of my life.
I am Abdel Halim. Today, I place these lines before you to present them as a true story of an illusory state-one
that I experienced with all my senses and with every ounce of my presence and absence, under the weight of a
medical condition clinically diagnosed as Bipolar Disorder.
The numbers, codes, and inverted reflections you have read were an entire reality in which I existed. They
formed a real matrix to which my psyche retreated during periods when the illness intensified, where cosmic
symbols blended with personal delusions, and internal psychological conflict transformed into a metaphysical epic
spanning from the East to the West.
Out of this absolute honesty, I offer a sincere and pure apology from the depths of my heart to every person
mentioned or alluded to in this story without their knowledge or permission. The inclusion of those names or
symbols did not stem from a desire to offend or transgress, but rather because I wished-with complete literary and
psychological fidelity-to write the story exactly as I envisioned and lived it within my own private matrix, and as
my mind manifested it to me during those arduous times.
This story is my journey from wandering to healing. I share it with you so that you may see how the human
mind can build worlds out of pain and epics out of illusion... and above all, perhaps it may serve as a bridge for
reconciliation with oneself and with everyone who has crossed paths on the train of this life.
Abdel Halim Maache