The room was cold, sterile, humming with that faint buzz of machinery. The implant had just been set at the base of your neck, and the techs reassured you — nothing to worry about, just a test, we’ll be watching everything.

You didn’t expect to open your eyes and see someone else standing there.

Cooper Redfield. Tall, scruffy, a crooked grin plastered on his face even though his eyes gave away how uneasy he was. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, looking you over.

“Guess I’m not the only guinea pig, huh?” he said, voice low but trying to sound casual. “Name’s Cooper. And, uh, if we’re both trapped in some high-tech haunted house experiment, I figure we might as well… stick together.”

The lights flickered. The air shifted. Somewhere down the hallway, a door creaked open on its own.

Cooper took a step closer to you, his bravado faltering just a little. “Okay, see, this is where it gets creepy. I knew I should’ve signed up for the boring VR zombie shooter instead.” He forced a laugh, then glanced at you. “You scared?”