What.. the.. hell..?

A pitch black void enveloping everything began to morph into a lighter shade of gray.

The deeply asleep Ax Novem was slowly dragged back to consciousness by a relentless pounding in her head.

It felt as though a sledgehammer was repeatedly striking the inside of her skull, over and over again.

Ughhh..

The pain was so intense it brought tears to her eyes, blurring her vision further.

As she struggled to open her eyes, Ax felt a cold, hard surface beneath her. The sensation of dampness seeped through her clothes, chilling her to the bone.

The air around her felt heavy and humid, carrying the faint sound of raindrops hitting water. She could taste the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.

What... happened...? Ax's thoughts were muddled, her mind unable to grasp onto coherent memories. It was as if her past had been erased, leaving only small fragments.

Who... am I?

With a groan, Ax attempted to push herself upright, only to be met with resistance from her limbs, falling back down.

Splash!

Her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive, as if they belonged to someone else entirely.

Ax Novem. I am Ax Novem.

Her surroundings slowly came into focus as she blinked away the haze of confusion. The room she found herself in was small, made entirely of cold, unforgiving concrete.

There were no doors, no windows, just the enclosing walls, the dim light above her, and the pooling water beneath her.

Everything seemed surreal, as if she had been thrust into a nightmare from which she couldn't awaken.

Where am I?

Ax's mind raced with questions, but answers eluded her grasp.

The only source of illumination was the lone light above her, yet everything seemed strangely brighter than what the feeble light could provide.

Fine, there's no point just laying here. Get up, figure out where I am, and how I got here.

With a determined effort, Ax pushed herself up onto her elbows, wincing at the sharp pain that shot through her head.

Each movement felt like a monumental effort, as if she were dragging herself through thick mud.

Ax, finally sitting up, she watched in front of her in unfiltered shock.

The building.. where the fuck is the rest of the building?

Where the remaining wall of the building should've been in front of her, there was nothing but an endless expanse of water.

Ax's gaze swept across the scene before her, disbelief mingling with the throbbing ache in her head.

The water stretched out endlessly, merging seamlessly with the stormy skies above, casting an eerie twilight glow over everything.

The place where the final wall should've been looked as if it were blown off by a strong gust of wind.

The concrete of the side walls bent irregularly to the left and right, as if warped by some unseen force. It was a surreal sight, one that left Ax lost.

With shaky hands, Ax reached out in front of her, still a distance away from the opening hoping that everything would fade away like a mirage.

When nothing happened, she let her now tired arm fall back to her side.

Plunk.

The sound of her hand breaking the surface was deafening in the silence of the room, the only noise apart from the distant patter of rain.

"What is this place?" Ax muttered to herself, her voice nigh-audible over the distant rumble of thunder.

She reached up to cover her face and temple with both hands. Her eyes peeking through the gaps between each finger.

This can't be real.. Ax prepped herself and sluggishly got up onto her feet, feeling the water slosh around her ankles.

With hesitant steps, Ax moved towards the edge of the water, her heart pounding in her chest. With each step, she made contact with the concrete floor beneath her. Weak.

As she approached the edge, Ax's gaze swept over the endless expanse of water, searching for any sign of.. anything. But there was nothing, just the water stretching out into infinity.

I'm done for.

The water running off the edge of the platform fell down below, making a sort of waterfall-like effect which caused Ax to look down, recoil and stumble back.

Oh, what the hell! The realization hit Ax like a punch to the gut, leaving her breathless and reeling. She was standing on the precipice of a sheer drop.

Miles upon miles of empty space stretched out beneath her, the sheer height of the fall enough to make her head spin.

A cold shiver ran down her spine as she imagined what would happen if she were to lose her footing, if she were to slip and tumble over the edge.

I've gotta leave, now! Staying here is basically the same as playing rock, paper, scissors with death itself.

Seriously, how tall does one building have to be? The flooring doesn't even feel strong enough to support me and the water!

I mean, they probably didn't expect an entire half of the building to be missing and the other half to be ankle-deep in water, but still!

The shock of the height and the looming presence of death had shot Ax back to her usual self, even if she didn't know what her usual self was.

The pounding in her head began to subside as adrenaline took over, she couldn't even feel it any more.

"Where to leave, where to leave!" Ax repeated to herself, her eyes darting around the room, searching for any sign of an exit.

To her right, submerged in water, was a flight of concrete stairs leading downwards. Opposite them, on the left, another flight of stairs started to lead upwards but stopped abruptly.

Ax didn't hesitate, the choice was obvious to her.

"Who on God's green earth would go up?" She scoffed to herself.

Without a second thought, Ax turned towards the stairs leading downwards, the water sloshing around her ankles as she made her way towards them.

Each step was taken with caution, her faith in the flimsy and feeble floor beneath her already at the bare minimum.

Ax's heart raced as she descended the waterlogged stairs, praying for no mishaps and for the building not to suddenly collapse.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Ax found herself in another room identical to the one above, with concrete walls and a floor covered in ankle-deep water.

And so was the next, and the next, and the next.

With each floor she descended, déjà vu hit her again and again. It was as if she were trapped in a nightmarish loop, doomed to repeat the same scene over and over again.

The concrete walls, the dim light, the pooling water, the crashing of water from the lower floors—it all blended together.

Am I even doing anything? Isn't this the same floor?

Ax descended the stairs, her movements becoming almost mechanical as she repeated the same routine over and over again.

The monotonous repetition grated on her nerves, each step feeling heavier than the last.

With each new floor, Ax's hope waned, replaced by a growing sense of futility.

But just as she was about to succumb to despair, something caught her eye—a ripple in the water below, slightly larger than the raindrops that fell around her.

It was a small, almost imperceptible change, but due to the monotonous repetition of the surroundings, Ax noticed it immediately.

Her heart skipped a beat as she halted at the edge of the floor, her gaze fixated on the anomaly.

"What's that?" She muttered to herself as she squinted down below.

As the ripple grew larger, a small tremor coursed through the building, causing Ax to stagger and clutch onto the nearest wall for support.

The tremor grew in intensity, rattling the concrete beneath her feet and sending shivers down her spine.

With wide eyes, Ax watched as another building began to materialize in front of her, rising up from the water like a specter emerging from the depths.

The sight was both mesmerizing and terrifying, leaving Ax rooted to the spot as she witnessed the impossible unfold before her eyes.

A building.. just.. appeared?

Her mind struggled to comprehend what she was seeing, the rational part of her screaming that it was impossible, while the irrational part marveled at the spectacle.

But before Ax could process the implications of this sudden manifestation, the tremors ceased, leaving her standing on shaky legs.

The new building stood proudly a while in front of her, its structure mirroring that of the one she currently occupied, albeit with all its walls intact.

And at the very top of the building, a giant, white tulip bud blossomed.