It was as if the entire room had been filled with water.
All of a sudden, my breath caught in my throat. The air grew cold, and an invisible weight pressed down on me from all sides. Across from me, the Conductor stood motionless, its unsettling smile stretching further. It was almost as if... it was savoring my struggle.
"Have you not noticed the changes in you...?"
The Conductor's voice echoed again, dripping with amusement, its hand still raised and finger unwavering as it continued to point directly at me.
"It's starting. The turning."
Its voice dropped into a whisper.
"…The Cognitive Shard in your mind is beginning to assert itself more and more. You've managed to suppress its influence, to slow it down for now, but you can't stop what's coming. The inevitable will catch up to you."
The Conductor lowered its hand.
"You'll soon turn like the rest of us, and..."
The Conductor stopped, bringing its hands to its shoulders.
