At home, Kael undressed and caught his reflection in the mirror. A glyph burned faintly into his chest, circular, spiraling inward to a single pulsing eye at the center. He touched it. Heat seared through his palm.
He whispered to himself, "What the hell…?"
The whispers started then. Not audible, but inside his head — a voice of numbers, patterns, and strange calculations.His pulse quickened. He staggered back, gripping the bathroom counter.
Kael's apartment felt suddenly alien. Time stuttered. A mug teetered on the counter for a moment, suspended midair. The faucet dripped… backward. His mind screamed: I can't control this. I can't…
He grabbed a towel, forcing himself to breathe, heart pounding. Outside, the city of New Berlin moved as usual, oblivious. But Kael knew he was no longer part of that world.