The Mindscape

“Are you ready, Subject 274?” The cold, clinical voice crackled through the speakers.

Jake swallowed hard, strapped into the sleek metal chair. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

With a hiss, the machine hummed to life, and a blinding light filled his vision. When it faded, Jake found himself standing in a vast, empty plane — a featureless white expanse stretching as far as the eye could see.

“Welcome to the Mindscape.”

Jake whirled around to see a figure materialize from the blank void. It was a faceless, humanoid form, its skin a glossy black.

“What is this place?” Jake demanded. “What have you done to me?”

“We have digitized your consciousness,” the entity replied, its voice like nails on a chalkboard. “This realm is a construct of your mind, a virtual reality within your psyche.”

Jake’s breath quickened. “Why? What do you want from me?”

The entity glided closer, its featureless face mere inches from Jake’s. “Your compliance.”

With a sickening lurch, the plane distorted, morphing into a twisted hellscape. Grotesque monstrosities emerged from the ground, their twisted forms oozing and pulsating.

“Stop it!” Jake cried, recoiling in horror. “This is just a trick, a sick game!”

“No game, human.” The entity gestured, and one of the creatures lunged at Jake, its gaping maw filled with row upon row of razor-sharp teeth.