NULL's Arc

Chapter 1 of 3

Null stops clawing at the wall when they hear breathing that isn't theirs. Someone sits in the corner of the cell, still and calm. Null's fingers ache. Their throat tightens. The stranger doesn't flinch. Doesn't run. Doesn't even look toward the door. A bed rests against the far wall, sagging and broken but deliberately placed. The stranger sits beside it, legs crossed. A long metal rod stands upright next to them, its tip glowing green in the dim light. The glow pulses softly, casting shadows that don't belong here. This person came prepared. This person planned to stay. Null's hands curl into fists. They've torn through walls for nothing. They've bled into silence for years. But someone walked in. Someone brought furniture. Someone made themselves at home in the space Null can't escape. The stranger finally looks up. Their eyes are steady. They aren't leaving, and they aren't afraid.