When Ocean opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the room.
Darkness surrounded him completely—dense, oppressive, as though the earth itself had closed in around him. He felt as if he were underground. The air was damp and stale, clinging to his skin, unmoving. There was no breeze, no sound—only the quiet suffocation of stillness.
Then, without warning, his heart clenched.
A presence bloomed behind him.
It was vast. Void-like. Not merely dark, but consuming—an absence so profound it felt as though he were standing at the edge of a colossal black hole, one that could swallow not just his body, but everything he was. Instinct screamed at him to flee, yet his feet remained rooted to the ground.
Ocean turned slowly.
