The room is cold, illuminated by a spectral light. The doctor approaches the bed where the patient lies motionless, his hands clenched around the edges. His eyes betray a growing unease, but she remains impassive, pretending to reassure him as she continues her precise, methodical movements. She takes the stethoscope and places it on the man’s chest, feeling every rapid heartbeat beneath the surface of his skin, like a drum of fear.She proceeds with the heartbeat monitor; the readings are regular.Upon waking, the light feels even colder, and his head throbs. The patient senses something dif...

The room is cold, illuminated by a spectral light. The doctor approaches the bed where the patient lies motionless, his hands clenched around the edges. His eyes betray a growing unease, but she remains impassive, pretending to reassure him as she continues her precise, methodical movements. She takes the stethoscope and places it on the man’s chest, feeling every rapid heartbeat beneath the surface of his skin, like a drum of fear.She proceeds with the heartbeat monitor; the readings are regular.Upon waking, the light feels even colder, and his head throbs. The patient senses something different, something pressing beneath his skin. The doctor, with a fleeting expression, stands beside him. The weight in his chest becomes oppressive. An unwelcome realization dawns on him as his body reacts to an impulse he cannot comprehend. A microchip. Its purpose? The mystery envelops him like a silent, inescapable shadow.With a precise motion, she grabs the syringe for the first anesthesia. The needle pierces the skin without hesitation, releasing a fluid that slowly spreads, bringing a creeping numbness that travels through his veins. The patient’s limbs grow heavy, as though caught in an invisible vise. The room sways for a moment before settling.

She grabs a mask and approaches again. She places it firmly over the patient’s face, ensuring it fits perfectly. The air seeps in with a soft hiss, carrying a sweet, pungent odor.

The doctor begins to count slowly, each number marking time like a tolling bell: one, two, three... The patient feels darkness wrapping around him, each thought and breath growing slower, more distant. At five, the world dissolves.

Upon waking, the light feels even colder, and his head throbs. The patient senses something different, something pressing beneath his skin. The doctor, with a fleeting expression, stands beside him. The weight in his chest becomes oppressive. An unwelcome realization dawns on him as his body reacts to an impulse he cannot comprehend. A microchip. Its purpose? The mystery envelops him like a silent, inescapable shadow.