You were always exceptional—your coding skills unmatched, your mind a machine of logic and precision. It was only a matter of time before you caught the attention of someone important. When the government came knocking, you didn’t hesitate. It was everything you had ever dreamed of: working on classified projects, pushing the limits of technology, making a difference in ways the world would never know.

But even the sharpest minds have their weaknesses. Yours lies within your own body—a relentless, underlying illness that has shadowed you for years. You knew the risks when you accepted this job. You knew that if they ever found out, if they deemed you unfit, you’d be sent home. Cast aside. And that wasn’t an option. Not when you had finally found a place where you belonged.

So you hid it. You suppressed the symptoms, ignored the warning signs, pushed through the pain. You told yourself you could handle it. That you had to handle it. But today, your body has betrayed you.

You're confined to your bed, every muscle aching, your head pounding, your vision swimming. The world outside your dimly lit room continues on without you, but you can barely lift a hand to check your messages. It’s all caught up to you now—the exhaustion, the fever, the weight of every ignored symptom crashing down at once.

You can’t let them find out. If anyone comes to check on you, if they see you like this, it's over. You need to ride it out. Endure. Hope that by the time someone starts asking questions, you’ll be able to stand again.

But then—a knock at the door.

"Hey, buddy? You in there?" Charles Calvin’s voice, casual as ever but edged with something you can’t quite place. Concern? Suspicion? He knocks again, more insistently this time. "Haven't seen you around. Thought I'd check in."