Part I
The world was empty, until the first breath burned the lungs like acid.
He hung suspended within a warm, viscous fluid. There was no time, no memory of a past, and no promise for a future; only a heartbeat echoing from far above, deep within the ceilings of his flesh:Thump-thump. Thump-thump.The sound commanded him, acting as a gravity that weighed heavy upon his body.
As he attempted to straighten his limbs, they pressed against the resistance of a fibrous membrane enveloping him. A sense of helplessness washed over him before he could even form the thought of escape. He pushed his nailless fingers against the smooth inner surface of the shroud. He forced his way, driven by an urge rather than hope. The skin stretched, thinned, and finally tore open with a wet pop. When he thrust his head out, the spore-laden air of the hatchery struck his face, carrying the bitter taste of stagnation. He wheezed as the gill slits in the center of his chest flared and contracted, struggling to filter an atmosphere that felt inherently hostile to life.
He let himself drop from the opening of the cocoon, collapsing onto the warm layer of mucus covering the floor. He raised himself onto his knees, shivering. He was entirely naked; his skin was a translucent gray, and his bones pressed sharply against his starved flesh. The world around him was empty. It was vast, decaying, and devoid of warmth, light, or comfort.
