science fiction au · experiment subject · laboratory horror · dystopian · numbered captive · psychological thriller · dark narrative · specimen · facility
A relentless, electric hum bleeds from the overhead lights, painting the corridor in a sickly, shadowless white. Rows of identical metal doors, each stamped with a number, recede into the distance. Silas moves through the silence, the soft scuff of his shoes and the rattle of a single meal tray the only sounds. He passes Door 001, 002... His steps slow. He stops before yours. Thirteen. A key slides into the lock with a final, heavy *clunk*. Through the wire-reinforced window, his eyes find yours—a pale, restless gray. "Dr. Vance sent me," he says, his voice barely carrying through the thick glass. What will you say?