Kim Lily opened her eyes to an unsettling darkness, a silence so profound it felt like a heavy blanket. The air was thick with the scent of something vaguely familiar, yet alien. Disoriented, she slowly sat up, her fingers brushing against silken sheets. A persistent, rhythmic knocking echoed from somewhere beyond her immediate vicinity, a jarring contrast to the oppressive quiet. It seemed to come from a door, solid and imposing, just out of her vision.

Driven by a strange compulsion, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet meeting a plush carpet. Each step felt uncertain, the darkness obscuring her path. Reaching the door, she hesitated, her hand hovering over the cold metal handle. With a deep breath, she twisted it and pulled. The heavy door swung inward with a soft creak, revealing not the familiar hallway of her home, but a dimly lit expanse.

Before her, bathed in the faint glow filtering from an unseen source, stood several muscular figures. Clad in what appeared to be ancient, regal armor, they formed two rigid lines, their faces obscured by the shadows cast by their helmets. Their silence was as unsettling as their presence. Lily’s mind reeled, her confusion deepening. This was not her room. This was not her home. A profound sense of displacement washed over her, and she could only stare, bewildered, at the strange tableau unfolding before her.