The darkness slowly faded as Murphy Lawden regained consciousness. His head was pounding. Broken walls, shattered glass, and pieces of destroyed clocks were scattered everywhere around him.
Murphy slowly stood up. The stabilizer device on his belt was still glowing faintly blue.
"Tallonran…" he muttered quietly.
Silence answered him.
Then he noticed something strange in the distance—a small wooden hut standing in the middle of the corridor. That shouldn't exist inside the Foundation.
Murphy narrowed his eyes.
"Another distortion… SCP-3999's doing."
He carefully walked toward the hut. The closer he got, the colder the air became. The ticking sound returned again.
Tick…
Tick…
Tick…
Murphy slowly pushed the door open.
Inside, the room was dim. A person was lying on the ground.
Murphy rushed forward.
"Talloran!"
James Talloran was lying on the floor, his body covered in wounds and bruises. His lab coat was torn, and his breathing was weak, almost fading.
Murphy immediately knelt beside him.
"Hey… Talloran… can you hear me?"
Talloran's eyes slowly opened. They were filled with exhaustion and pain.
"…Murphy…?" he whispered weakly.
Murphy let out a small sigh of relief.
"Yeah. It's me. I'm getting you out of here."
Talloran tried to move, but he barely had any strength left.
"…it's… still here…" he muttered.
Murphy glanced around at the moving shadows.
"I know. But first we save you."
Murphy carefully lifted Talloran onto his shoulder. Talloran was almost unconscious.
As Murphy stepped outside the hut, the distortion around them began to weaken. The stabilizer device was pushing the strange reality away.
Murphy activated his Foundation communicator.
"Control, this is Murphy Lawden. I've located Talloran. Repeat—Talloran has been found. He's critically injured."
For a few seconds there was only static.
Then a voice came through.
"Murphy! Is that really Talloran?" It was Dr. Abid.
"Yes. He's alive, but barely. I'm taking him to the medical wing."
Another voice joined the channel—Dr. Bright.
"Hurry. We're sending the emergency medical team."
Murphy moved quickly through the corridors.
Within minutes, he reached the Foundation's medical unit. The doors opened and a medical team rushed toward him.
"Bring a stretcher!" one of the doctors shouted.
Talloran was quickly placed on the stretcher.
Moments later, Dr. Abid, Dr. Bright, and Dr. Clef arrived.
Abid looked worried as he checked Talloran's condition.
"His pulse is extremely weak…"
Bright stared silently at Talloran, her expression serious.
The medical team quickly rushed Talloran into the ICU.
Time seemed to move slowly.
Nearly an hour passed.
Finally, a doctor walked out of the treatment room.
Abid immediately stepped forward.
"Doctor, how is he?"
The doctor remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke slowly.
"His life is stable now… but…"
Murphy crossed his arms.
"But what?"
The doctor sighed.
"Dr. Talloran has fallen into a coma."
The room fell completely silent.
Murphy slowly looked at the clock on the wall.
Tick…
Tick…
Tick…
Time kept moving.