CHAPTER 1 — “The Signal That Didn’t Exist”

👋 Author’s Note — Chapter 1 Chapter 1 is where the quiet cracks begin. I wanted the opening to feel like standing in a silent corridor and realizing—without any proof—that something is watching back. Riven doesn’t hear the anomaly because he’s unstable; he hears it because the station has started choosing what to hide. Calyx enters as the balance he thinks he can rely on, though neither of them knows how quickly that balance will bend. Their tension isn’t loud yet—just something that settles under the skin before you notice it. The anomaly doesn’t announce itself. It rearranges the room and waits for someone brave enough to notice. Thanks for stepping into the first c***k with me. Things only get stranger from here. 00:17:43 always feels too quiet.