CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SIX

LANDON:

Bound by an unrelenting agony, I teetered on the brink of consciousness, only to be yanked back into the torment each time I succumbed to unconsciousness by something cold being placed on my forehead to revive me.

"What are you doing to me?" I croaked my voice a feeble whisper that might have been lost in the vastness of the sterile room. My vision, blurred and hazy, revealed my limbs tightly secured to a metal pole, forming a grotesque crucifix. A ton of wires connected to my body, each adding a layer to the excruciating pain that engulfed me. They were hooked to beeping machines.

Lab-coated figures moved around, their faces obscured by the blur of my struggling awareness. They chattered and huddled, engrossed in discussions that were beyond my comprehension. The hum of machines underscored the surreal scene.

Dr. Grant, acted indifferent to my torment and casually sipped his coffee. He approached, his footsteps echoing in the sterile room, and gently smacked my cheeks."How