Scene Beat 1: "Echoes Don't Ask Permission"
Location: Black Cell 3B • POV: Renz
The darkness in Black Cell 3B wasn't dead—it was awake. It breathed around him, inhaling when he inhaled, pulsing with each tiny beat embedded in his arms. The conductive ink once dismissed as scar tissue surged with life, pulsing in sync with something deeper than bioelectricity—something ancient and unspoken in his blood and memory.
The restraints that had bound him clicked open. Not with a hiss, not with authority—with recognition. They had known him better than even he did.
He rose with calm confidence, ascending fluidly from the seat. The cell's lights dimmed further, concentrating on him as though framing an altar. The speakers—his voice channels to a live feed—stayed silent. Not muted. Silent.
Behind the reinforced glass, Hernan paced. He had tried every override: kill code, shut-off command, structural redaction. All returned the same refusal:
