Chapter 1 the first dive
The city never truly slept; it merely twitched. Streetlights flickered like nervous eyes, and the hum of traffic resembled breathing more than the sounds of machines. Somewhere between midnight and morning, Eli Vance realized he hadn’t dreamed in weeks.
He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the wall where the paint peeled in the shape of a door. Every night, he heard whispers behind it—not voices, but echoes, as if someone were replaying his own thoughts out of sync.
Tonight, the whispers called his name.
He pressed his palm against the wall. The air rippled. And the world folded inward.
