empty set, book 1, camp of cadavers

The boy blinked, disoriented, the grey walls of the hallway blurring as he was shoved forward. He didn't know where he was, or more importantly-who he was. His brown and purple hair fell into his eyes, and he tried to push it back, but his hands were bound, shackled tightly in front of him. Shackles around his ankles slowed his steps, and something cold and metal pressed against his neck-like the poles animal control used on wild dogs, catchpoles he remembered.

Why can I remember that? The boy thought, blinking again, squinting at the walls. The word "cylindrical" popped into his head to describe the hallway. He knew words, knew how to speak, but when he tried to recall anything about himself, his mind hit a wall. Nothing.

"Keep moving." A rough shove from someone behind him sent him stumbling. He shot a glance over his shoulder. Five guards? Why did he need five guards? He didn't feel dangerous-if anything, he felt empty, like someone had erased the important parts of him and left an empty, pathetic husk.

How old am I? The boy wondered, trying to count the years in his head, but no numbers came. It was as if anything that would define him was plucked out of his memory, leaving only fragments. Almost as though they'd wiped him clean on purpose.

Another shove sent him stumbling again, and he barely caught himself, bound hands awkwardly flailing. "A-alright, I'm going!" he stammered, and the third guard snorted, pushing harder on the catchpole around the boy's neck. The guard in front held up a lanyard as they reached the end of the hallway. For a moment, The boy felt dizzy, the walls rippled, and he blinked again-were they teachers now?

The wall at the end of the hall slid out of the way with a low hiss. the third guard unhooked the pole from the boy's neck, before giving him a hard shove. He tumbled forward, landing hard on his hands and knees. His heart pounded, confusion gnawing at him. Why were they treating him like this?

When he looked up, the hallway was gone. He was inside a bubble-an enormous, transparent sphere three times his hight, floating weightlessly. A man, who looked to be in his twenties, stood in front of him, his smile wide but pathetically fake.

"Hello, p.o.w." The man's tone was bright but dripping with insincerity. "I know you're probably really confused, but we're doing this for your own safety."

The boy's mind raced, his confusion spiking. My safety? How could this be safe?

"You have about an hour to explore before lights out," the man continued, though his words hardly registered. The boy blinked, staring at him. Explore? Lights out? Nothing made sense.

"Wait!" the boy's voice cracked as he pushed himself shakily to his feet. "What's my name? Who am I?"

The man frowned, flipping through a file. After what felt like ages, the man sighed and glanced up. "Your file number is 83. Your name is The- oh, great, coffee stains... Theo? Nero. Im like 90% sure thats what that says"

Nero. That name. Theo's stomach twisted, the word sparking something deep in his chest-something unsettling, something that felt familiar and dangerous. The man's fake smile faltered at the mention of the last name. He scribbled something on a piece of paper and sent it through a pipe-made of bubbles, of all things.

The man cleared his throat, gesturing to an elaborate door behind him. "The main area is through there. Behave yourself, and please...enjoy your stay at Reprise Rehab."

Reprise Rehab? The boy- theo, couldn't process it all fast enough. He barely registered the man's words as he walked past him, fingers brushing the door handle.

The instant he touched the door handle, noise hit him like a wave-laughter, shouting, the steady tick of a clock, echoing all together. His eyes widened, taking in the massive room he found himself now in. Spherical, with walls so far apart it felt like an entire town could fit inside. No. There was an entire town inside it.

A map in front of him showed four quadrants: Floor 1 NW: Arcade, Floor 1 NE: Campus/Dorms, Floor 1 SW: Mall, Floor 1 SE: Forest. Each section sprawled across the room like a miniature world. The sheer scale of it made Theo's head spin. Twenty miles across and Forty miles high? That was his best guess.

The boy took a step back, his breath shaky as he tried to make sense of it all. This place, these people-none of it added up.

"Theo," he whispered to himself, testing the name on his tongue. It felt right, but at the same time, there was a strangeness to it. Something lurking beneath the surface, waiting to be uncovered.

Then it clicked. "I am Theo Nero. I am 14 years old. I am-" Theo's voice shook. Tears threatened to roll down his cheeks. Then. Everything went white