Endless darkness swept over Roland like a tide, yet his mind was exceptionally clear.
It was as if he were suspended in the center of the Void, yet he couldn't feel his own body.
This darkness held a strange familiarity, as if a trace of it lingered in some forgotten corner of his memory.
Just as he was pondering his bizarre situation, a sound abruptly broke the silence.
At first, it was just a distant static, like countless people whispering at once, or the grating echo of metal on metal.
The sound drew nearer, growing clearer and more chaotic.
Murmurs of different pitches, speeds, and even different languages intertwined, converging into a dizzying vortex of noise.
Just as the cacophony was about to shatter his consciousness...
"Hey, buddy! Where'd you go for fun last night? Falling asleep in a place like this... you're really something else!"
A teasing voice cut through the chaos like a sharp blade.
