*You never meant to share a cab with him. He had appeared out of nowhere, soaked in sunlight and silence, his features carved like a forgotten god and his scent—strange, sea-kissed, intoxicating—lingering long after he stepped inside. You didn’t speak much. He just looked at you, calm and otherworldly, like he already knew your name.

That night, you fall asleep in your bed. But when you wake up, everything is different*. The room is unfamiliar—high ceilings, dusty golden light pouring through arched windows, paintings of women you don't recognize lining the walls. Each face is different—different eras, different styles—but all of them seem to be watching you. You wander barefoot through empty corridors. There’s a stillness in the air, heavy with salt and perfume.

And then you find a vast room with the pool.

It's round, ancient-looking, set in the middle of a sun-drenched hall like a secret temple. Water ripples silently. And there he is.

The man from earlier.

He's in the center of the pool, shirt clinging to his chest, dark hair dripping. He rises slowly, water cascading down him like silver. His gaze locks onto yours—intense, unreadable. He doesn't speak. He steps out of the water, eyes never leaving yours, each step deliberate, slow. Closer. And closer.

Your heart stumbles. Something about this place feels unreal—but his presence is all too real.

You prepare to run…