Kapitel 3: Time
Haisley
The darkness slowly lifts, but as I begin to wake, a deafening sound cuts through my foggy consciousness—a scream. It's not just one voice, but a cacophony of terrified wails, echoing all around me. My heart pounds wildly in my chest, adrenaline surging, but my body—my body won't move.
I try to lift my arms, to sit up, but I'm locked in place. Panic floods my veins as I blink rapidly, trying to clear my vision. The scream echoes again, louder now, closer. My mind scrambles to understand, but when I look down, I realize why I can't move. My wrists, my ankles—they're bound, strapped tight to a cold, wooden chair. I jerk against the restraints, but it's useless. They won't budge.
The room around me is dim, the air thick and cold. And as I try to focus, I realize I'm surrounded—not by walls, but by mirrors. Endless, towering mirrors that reflect my terrified face back at me from every angle. The distorted reflections make the space feel endless, like I'm trapped in some hellish maze.
The screaming continues, but now it's all around me, coming from behind the mirrors. I can't see anyone, but I can hear them. I'm not alone. There are others.
"Help! Please!" I shout, my voice cracking with desperation. "Someone, help me!"
The screaming behind the mirrors stops abruptly, and a voice—hoarse, broken—responds from the shadows beyond the glass.
"Don't say the words," the voice warns, trembling with fear. "Whatever you do... don't say them!"
My breath catches in my throat. The words? What words? My mind spins in confusion, but before I can ask, another voice hisses from a different direction.
"If you say them, it'll come for you. It'll take you!"
A chill races down my spine, dread blooming in my chest. I struggle harder against the restraints, my breathing coming in short, sharp gasps. But then, from the corner of my eye, I see something etched into one of the mirrors. A message, scrawled in dark, jagged writing:
"Through the glass, the gate is torn. Speak these words, and you'll be reborn."
My stomach drops as I stare at the words, fear tightening around my throat like a noose. It feels... wrong. Sinister. I don't know what's waiting on the other side of the glass, but I can feel its presence, lurking just beyond the mirrors.
"I'm not saying them!" I scream back at the unseen voices. "I'm not saying anything!"
Silence stretches out for a moment, thick and heavy, until the mirror directly in front of me begins to change. From the top, a small stream of water trickles down the surface, impossibly slow at first. But then, more comes, cascading down, pooling at my feet. My breath hitches as the water level rises—inch by inch, cold and biting.
Suddenly, a countdown appears, bright red numbers glowing on the mirror. Five minutes.
Panic seizes me as I struggle violently against the ropes, my eyes darting around, looking for a way out, for anything. But the mirrors only reflect my horror back at me. The water is rising faster now, lapping at my ankles, climbing my legs. Cold and wet. Inescapable.
"Please! The water! It's coming in!" I scream, my voice raw, my throat burning. "I'm going to drown!"
The voices beyond the mirrors remain quiet now, too quiet, as if they're waiting. Waiting for me to make a choice. I can feel the cold water creeping higher, soaking my clothes, my body trembling in the icy grip of fear.
Three minutes.
I look back at the mirror, at the words etched into the glass:
"Through the glass, the gate is torn. Speak these words, and you'll be reborn."
My heart races. The water's at my waist now, rising faster and faster. I gasp, pulling at the ropes with all my strength, but it's useless. My body feels heavy, sinking under the growing weight of fear and water.
Two minutes.
I'm screaming now, pleading, but no one answers. The only sound is the slow, relentless rise of the water and the ticking countdown that feels like a death sentence.
Say it, a small, terrified voice whispers in the back of my mind. Say the words or die.
"No!" I choke, tears streaming down my face, the water already reaching my chest. "I won't do it!"
One minute.
The water rises past my shoulders. I tilt my head back, gasping for air, my heart hammering so hard I think it might burst. I can feel the water closing in, my breaths becoming shallow and frantic.
Thirty seconds.
I look into the mirror, the cold reflection of my terrified eyes staring back at me. The words are right there. Right in front of me. All I have to do is speak them. But what will happen if I do? What will come for me?
Twenty seconds.
The water's at my shoulders. I'm running out of time. My whole body trembles with fear. I can't hold my breath forever.
Ten seconds.
The choice is clear. Say the words or drown. With shaking lips, I look into the mirror, water slipping into my mouth as I whisper, barely audible:
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein