Chapter One: "A City Without a Shadow"

  The alarm rang with its usual monotonous, annoying sound.

  I remained lying there, staring at the ceiling as the beeping echoed in my ears, as if I needed an extra moment to process that a new day had begun. I could have gotten up immediately, but I didn’t see a good enough reason to rush. After all, this morning was no different from any other—just as my life wasn’t any different from the days that came before it.

  I’m Christopher. Thirty-eight years old. A man who lives alone, works in a consulting firm, and follows the same routine every day. To others, my life might seem simple, just a series of identical days. But to me, it wasn’t that straightforward.

  I had always felt that there was something hidden beneath the reality I lived in, as if I were just a small part of something much larger. But no matter how hard I tried, I could never see the full picture. Every morning, I asked myself the same question:

  Is this really life? Is this all there is?

  I let out a slow sigh and finally got out of bed. I headed to the bathroom, splashed cold water on my face, and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I looked the same as always—messy brown hair, tired eyes despite having slept well, and a neutral expression that was neither happy nor sad.

  Well… just another day.

  I walked into the kitchen, prepared my usual black coffee, and grabbed a slice of toasted bread. I sat at the table, staring into nothing as I slowly sipped my coffee.

  I was alone… but not entirely.

  It wasn’t loneliness itself that bothered me—it was the feeling of isolation. I was social enough; I smiled at people, talked to my colleagues, and felt like I was part of the world. But at home, it was just me.

  After finishing my breakfast, I put on my usual outfit: a long-sleeved blue shirt and formal gray trousers. It didn’t matter much, as long as I looked presentable for work.

  When I stepped outside, the sun was shining, and people were walking in all directions. I greeted the elderly woman who sold flowers at the street corner, and she responded with a warm smile. I passed by the small café I occasionally visited and gave the owner a quick nod. I liked these morning moments when the world felt normal and familiar.

  Arriving at work, I took the elevator up to my office on the fifth floor. I was just another employee among dozens, spending hours buried in paperwork and screens.

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  Adrian, my closest colleague, was waiting for me at my desk, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk.

  "Late again, Chris."

  I smiled and shook my head. "Five minutes doesn’t count as late."

  Adrian wasn’t just a coworker—he was more like the brother I never had. In this dull place, where everything revolved around numbers and reports, he was the only one who made things feel a little lighter.

  The hours passed slowly. The executive manager, Richard, stopped by my desk to drop off some reports and then disappeared as usual. I had no issues with him, but he wasn’t the kind of person who left much of an impression.

  By the time work ended, I decided to stay a few extra hours to finish some files. I was exhausted, but I wanted to get it done so it wouldn’t pile up the next day. When I finally left the office, night had already fallen, and the city was nothing but scattered lights in the quiet darkness.

  When I got back to my apartment, I wasted no time. I collapsed onto the bed without even changing my clothes and closed my eyes.

  And then I drifted off.

  The alarm rang again.

  I opened my eyes sluggishly. Same morning, same routine… or so I thought.

  But when I stepped outside, the real shock hit me.

  There was no one.

  The city was completely empty.

  I stood frozen at the doorstep, staring at the street ahead of me. The scene was familiar… but unsettlingly different.

  There was no one.

  The street, which was always bustling with life every morning, was now eerily silent. The buildings stood as they always had, the cars were still parked along the sides of the road, but there wasn’t a single person in sight.

  I took a slow step forward, my heart pounding. Maybe I had woken up earlier than usual? Maybe… but that didn’t make sense. I checked my watch—it was 7:30 AM, the time when the city should already be awake.

  "Hello?" I called out loudly, but my voice faded into the emptiness.

  No response.

  I walked further down the street, searching for any movement, any sign that I wasn’t alone. But the city remained as it was—completely deserted.

  I reached the café I passed every morning. It was open, yet no one was inside. The cups were still on the tables, as if the customers had vanished in the middle of their coffee. I approached the counter, where the coffee machine was still running, emitting a low hum. There was no sign of chaos, no signs of a sudden evacuation—just… absence.

  An unsettling feeling crept over me.

  Was this a dream?

  I pinched my arm. The pain was real.

  So… this wasn’t a dream.

  I turned back to the street and started walking toward my office. If anyone was still here, I would find them there.

  The walk to work felt eerie. No sounds, no movement, just emptiness. Even the birds that usually fluttered above the buildings were nowhere to be seen.

  I reached the building and hurried inside. No one. I took the stairs up to the fifth floor.

  Still, no one.

  The offices remained tidy, the computers were still running, and there was even a steaming cup of coffee on a colleague’s desk, as if he had been there just moments ago.

  "Adrian?" I called out.

  Silence.

  I headed to the executive manager’s office. Maybe he had answers. I pushed the door open—empty.

  I stood in the middle of the office, looking around in disbelief.

  There was no way everyone could have disappeared just like that.

  I turned to leave, but then something strange caught my eye.

  A door that wasn’t there before.

  It was on the opposite wall—a wooden door that looked far too old to belong to this building. A shiver ran down my spine. I had worked here for years… I knew every corner of this office.

  That door had never been here before.

  I stepped forward hesitantly, reaching out for the handle, but stopped just before touching it.

  Something felt deeply, terribly wrong.

  But… I had no other choice.

  I extended my hand again, gripped the handle, and pulled the door open—

  A blinding white light burst through, forcing me to shield my face with my hands. I squeezed my eyes shut against the overwhelming brightness.

  And then—

  The light vanished.

  Slowly, I opened my eyes.

  What I saw sent shivers through my entire body.

  I was in a vast, endless white void.

  And in front of me, standing alone in the emptiness, was a single brown door.

  And that… was where the story truly began.

  —(End of Chapter)