[Illustration 12] The colours suddenly change to the cold white light of reality. In his small rented bedroom, Ryan sits on the edge of his messy bed with the phone still pressed to his ear. A black leather shoe that does not belong to him is on his left foot, while his bare right foot is partly covered by the blanket. The digital clock clearly reads 2026/08/23 07:26. At the foot of the bed, an orange cat sits with his back towards Ryan, tapping his tail impatiently against the blanket.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUQiLSbVbz
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“—Ryan! Are you dead? I've called you seven times!”
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Oliver’s voice exploded from the phone, mixed with the sound of a train announcement in the background.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDQrJtm550
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“You have a proposal meeting at nine! You were the one who asked me to wake you up! If you don’t get out of bed now, I’ll have to come home after work and collect your remains!”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiVa0W6Hkn
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Ryan’s eyes flew open.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsViNk4eTXl
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He sat up sharply, the phone still pressed against his ear.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKG08BqI6Y
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He was breathing hard.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1k5Xg1xNI0
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His heart felt as if it had just fallen all the way back into reality inside an old elevator—from a floor that did not exist.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9inAurCFZG
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A narrow gap showed between the curtains.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UFWhrlF7Z
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Morning sunlight slipped through it and fell across the messy floor in a pale, ordinary patch.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjpZLN0o6d
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The digital clock beside his bed showed:37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJtciwOn13
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2026/08/23 07:2637Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwEm0muevO
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There was no dark red corridor.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxP4krZjvPa
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No brass lattice gate.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21yqgOq5VU
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No pairs of pale eyes staring at him from the darkness.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pUn7qSxS9
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There was only the soft hum of the air conditioner, the distant sound of traffic outside, and Garfield—the orange cat sitting at the foot of the bed with his round, fluffy backside facing Ryan.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBjvd5NxuW
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His tail tapped against the blanket again and again, as if he were trying to hurry along an incompetent human who had already delayed breakfast for far too long.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxh9NcZ1SYS
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On the desk, Ryan’s laptop was still open on the final page of his proposal. Half a cup of cold coffee sat beside it. A shirt hung over the back of the chair, and a sock lay half-hidden under the bed.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZowtv5fY4
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Everything was messy.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4SJ95GWMO
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Yet so… normal.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7sRlyCNmq
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Real enough to be comforting.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOW6aLC6Ekh
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Ryan’s breathing slowly returned to normal.
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“…Thanks for calling.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMRSz5WjgE
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The other end of the line went silent for a moment.
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“What?”
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“…I said thanks.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrWuTytRcQ
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“Ryan Glenz is actually thanking me for waking him up instead of whining and complaining? Am I hallucinating, or are you really the Ryan I know?”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysqRKlNrmP
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Oliver asked suspiciously. “You’re not dead or possessed by a ghost, are you?”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYCk1A82OP
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Oliver paused, then added, “Please tell me I don’t need to call a priest.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstJ70tLGTh
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Ryan did not answer.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBr69LH0WMg
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He pulled back the blanket and was about to get out of bed when he suddenly froze.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8YJv0Gd5H
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His right foot was bare, still partly hidden under the blanket.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZknuy7kHPd
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But on his left foot—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZ8vOGZJro
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He was wearing a black leather shoe.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tzVEfJSG4
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It looked almost new. The laces had been tied tightly, just as the elevator boy had told him.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4Q7lyAkr2
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“Tie them properly. You may need to run later.”
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and then Add to home screen.