, Reboot
- Xander walks down a dark corridor, haunted by memories of the night he found his father in the
study.
- He recalls seeing his father’s large body bent over the desk, a yellow envelope, and a 9 mm pistol
wrapped in a cloth.
- His father, tearful, tells him to keep it a secret from his mother and to go to sleep, saying softly,
“Goodnight, sleep well.”
- Xander hears his father’s voice echoing in his head, confused about why there’s a pistol in the house
and what his father could need it for.
- The darkness seems to absorb his name, as if it now knows him and can call him by it —
his real name.
- Six months later, twelve-year-old Xander (who had just turned twelve the previous month) returns to
the study where the memory originated.
- His father calls him in — “Xander, is that you? Come in, young one.”
- The study looks the same: the door handle is still cold, the smell of polish still lingers, and papers are
scattered around.
- His father sits in a leather chair by the fireplace, holding a Montblanc pen and a book, surrounded
by documents and notes.
- Xander notices a missing space on the bookshelf where a book had been taken out.
- Xander informs his father that someone is at the door for him.
- His father, frowning, asks if his mother let them in and whether Xander knows who they are.
- Xander describes “two uncles” — men dressed in jeans and tight black T-shirts, unlike the usual suit-
wearing visitors his father’s work attracts.
- His father looks uneasy, saying he wasn’t expecting anyone and is quite busy.
- Xander explains that one of the men said it was urgent and mentioned someone named “Tok.”
- His father, startled, corrects him: “Dok?” and Xander confirms, “Yes!”
- The name “Dok” triggers a sudden reaction — his father stands up quickly, trembling, realizing
something serious is happening.
- He grips Xander’s shoulders, urgently telling him to hide and not to come out until he calls for him.
- A woman’s scream echoes through the house — Xander’s mother — causing him to panic and ask if it
was her.
- His father kisses him on the forehead with desperation, saying, “I love you, Xander. Remember that.
Always. No matter what happens.”
- His tone carries fear and finality, urging Xander again to think smart and hide immediately.
- The darkness feels alive around Xander, tightening like a cloak as terror rises within him.
- The name “Dok” repeats in his mind — he knows it’s connected to what’s happening.
- From down the hall, he hears one of the visitors address his father formally as “Judge Gericke,”
revealing his father’s title and position.
- As Xander runs, he sees the men’s shadows moving across the walls — monstrous, violent shapes
invading the home.
- His heart races; fear overwhelms him as if the darkness itself is attacking.
- In the lobby, under a dim, soft light, his father greets the intruders: “Evening, can I help you?” — his
voice strained and hollow.
- Xander then hears the dull sound of a punch and sees the twitch of a collapsing shadow — his father
falling to the floor.
- His body reacts with sheer terror: fire shoots through his veins, his nerves jolt awake, adrenaline
floods his mind, and his heart pounds violently — knock, knock, knock — echoing the rhythm of his
fear.