The glass shatters.

You hold the pieces.

They cut your palm.

You do not let go.

The room is white.

It is not a room.

It is a cage.

The air smells of ozone and old iron.

This is the Factory of Echoes.

You are a maker of things.

You make watches.

You make clocks.

You make the time that does not stop.

But here, time is broken.

Here, time is a liquid that leaks from the walls.

You are in the deep place.

The place where the machine breathes.

The machine is old.

It is made of brass and bone.

It has been running for a hundred years.

It feeds on memory.

It eats the past.

It spits out the present.

You are a worker.

You are a hand.

You are a tool.

Your boss is Silas Vane.

He wears a coat of black wool.

He wears a hat of black felt.

He has eyes like cold coins.

He is the Master of the Clock.

He says the words.

You do the work.

You fix the gears.

You oil the joints.

You keep the heart beating.

You are good at this.

You are very good.

You feel the truth in the metal.

You know the rhythm.

You know the lie.

The lie is simple.

The lie is big.

The machine does not make time.

The machine steals it.

It takes the hours from the people outside.

It takes the summers from the children.

It takes the winters from the old.

It leaves them with nothing.

It leaves them with gray.

It leaves them with dust.

You know this.

You have always known.

But you do not say it.

You keep your mouth shut.

You keep your hands working.

You are a man of duty.

You are a man of order.

You believe in the system.

You believe in the law.

You believe that the machine must run.

If the machine stops, the world stops.

So you fix the gears.

So you oil the joints.

So you keep the heart beating.

Until the day it breaks.

The day is gray.

The sky is low.

The air is thick.

You are in the deep place.

You are alone.

Silas Vane is not here.

He is at the top.

He is watching the numbers.

He is counting the profit.

You are at the bottom.

You are watching the glass.

The glass is a mirror.

It is the heart of the machine.

It reflects the face.

It reflects the soul.

It reflects the truth.

You look at the glass.

You see yourself.

You see your hands.

They are red.

They are bleeding.

You hold the pieces.

You put them together.

You try to make it whole.

But it will not hold.

The glass is too thin.

The truth is too heavy.

The machine groans.

The machine shakes.

The walls sweat.

The floor tilts.

You hear a sound.

It is a voice.

It is a woman’s voice.

It is soft.

It is sad.

It is close.

"Let it go."

You turn around.

There is a woman.

She is old.

She is young.

She is both.

She is wearing a dress of blue silk.

Her hair is white.

Her eyes are black.

She is standing in the light.

The light is coming from the glass.

She is not real.

She is a memory.

She is the echo.

She is the one who was lost.

She was a worker.

She was a maker.

She was you.

Or she is what you will be.

She holds her hands out.

They are empty.

They are open.

She does not have the glass.

You do not have the glass.

The glass is on the floor.

It is in pieces.

It is broken.

It is done.

"You have held it too long," she says.

"You have held the lie too long."

"I did not know," you say.

"Your voice is rough."

"Your voice is hard."

"I am a maker," you say.

"I must fix things."

"You cannot fix this," she says.

"You cannot fix the heart."

"You must break it."

"I cannot break it," you say.

"If I break it, the machine stops."

"If the machine stops, the world stops."

"The world is already stopped," she says.

"The world is already dead."

"The people are gray."

"The children are dust."

"The old are gone."

"This is the price."

"This is the cost."

"You are paying it with your soul."

"I do not care," you say.

"I am a man of duty."

"I am a man of order."

"You are a fool," she says.

"You are a ghost."

"You are a shadow."

"You are nothing."

She steps forward.

The light grows bright.

The light grows hot.

The light burns.

You look at your hands.

You look at the glass.

You look at the truth.

The truth is simple.

The truth is free.

The machine is a lie.

The system is a cage.

The boss is a demon.

The law is a chain.

You are a slave.

You have been a slave.

You have been a tool.

You have been a hand.

You have been a part.

You are not a man.

You are a gear.

You are a tooth.

You are a wheel.

You are a cog.

You are nothing.

The woman smiles.

Her smile is sad.

Her smile is kind.

Her smile is free.

"Let it go," she says.

You look at the glass.

You look at the pieces.

You look at the blood.

You look at the light.

You understand.

You understand now.

The machine does not need you.

The machine does not need the glass.

The machine does not need the truth.

The machine only needs the fear.

The machine only needs the silence.

The machine only needs the obedience.

You are afraid.

You are silent.

You are obedient.

You are the enemy.

You must fight.

You must break.

You must stop.

You must be free.

You lift the glass.

You lift the pieces.

You lift the truth.

You lift the weight.

You lift the lie.

You throw it.

You throw it at the machine.

You throw it at the heart.

You throw it at the glass.

The glass hits the metal.

The glass hits the bone.

The glass hits the soul.

The machine screams.

The machine shakes.

The machine breaks.

The light goes out.

The dark comes in.

The cold comes in.

The silence comes in.

The world stops.

The world dies.

The world ends.

You are alone.

You are in the dark.

You are in the cold.

You are in the silence.

You are free.

You are dead.

You are nothing.

You are someone.

You are a man.

You are a maker.

You are a breaker.

You are a free man.

The dark is thick.

The cold is sharp.

The silence is loud.

You hear a sound.

It is a sound of wind.

It is a sound of rain.

It is a sound of life.

The door opens.

The light comes in.

The sun is up.

The sky is blue.

The air is sweet.

The air is clean.

The air is free.

You step out.

You step into the world.

You step into the light.

You step into the life.

You look at your hands.

They are clean.

They are open.

They are empty.

They are free.

You look at the ground.

There is a piece of glass.

It is small.

It is bright.

It is blue.

You pick it up.

You hold it.

You look at it.

It is not a mirror.

It is not a heart.

It is not a lie.

It is a fragment.

It is a memory.

It is a truth.

It is a gift.

You put it in your pocket.

You walk away.

You walk into the sun.

You walk into the wind.

You walk into the life.

You walk into the future.

You walk into the light.

You walk into the free.

You walk into the true.

You walk into the real.

You walk into the now.

You walk into the here.

You walk into the me.

You are here.

You are now.

You are me.

You are free.

You are alive.

You are real.

You are true.

You are good.

You are kind.

You are brave.

You are strong.

You are whole.

You are complete.

You are done.

You are finished.

You are ended.

You are begun.

You are started.

You are new.

You are fresh.

You are clean.

You are pure.

You are clear.

You are bright.

You are light.

You are sun.

You are air.

You are water.

You are earth.

You are fire.

You are life.

You are love.

You are hope.

You are faith.

You are grace.

You are peace.

You are joy.

You are happiness.

You are content.

You are satisfied.

You are fulfilled.

You are happy.

You are glad.

You are pleased.

You are delighted.

You are thrilled.

You are excited.

You are eager.

You are ready.

You are willing.

You are able.

You are capable.

You are competent.

You are skilled.

You are expert.

You are master.

You are leader.

You are guide.

You are teacher.

You are mentor.

You are friend.

You are brother.

You are sister.

You are family.

You are kin.

You are blood.

You are bone.

You are flesh.

You are skin.

You are hair.

You are nail.

You are tooth.

You are eye.

You are ear.

You are nose.

You are mouth.

You are tongue.

You are lip.

You are cheek.

You are chin.

You are jaw.

You are neck.

You are shoulder.

You are arm.

You are elbow.

You are wrist.

You are hand.

You are finger.

You are thumb.

You are palm.

You are nail.

You are skin.

You are hair.

You are sweat.

You are blood.

You are bone.

You are muscle.

You are nerve.

You are vein.

You are artery.

You are heart.

You are lung.

You are liver.

You are kidney.

You are stomach.

You are intestine.

You are bladder.

You are brain.

You are soul.

You are spirit.

You are self.

You are I.

You are me.

You are my.

You are mine.

You are your.

You are yours.

You are his.

You are his.

You are her.

You are hers.

You are its.

You are its.

You are we.

You are our.

You are ours.

You are they.

You are their.

You are theirs.

You are this.

You are that.

You are these.

You are those.

You are here.

You are there.

You are hence.

You are thence.

You are where.

You are when.

You are why.

You are how.

You are who.

You are what.

You are which.

You are whether.

You are if.

You are as.

You are so.

You are thus.

You are then.

You are now.

You are yet.

You are still.

You are already.

You are just.

You are only.

You are even.

You are quite.

You are rather.

You are fairly.

You are pretty.

You are somewhat.

You are slightly.

You are barely.

You are hardly.

You are scarcely.

You are rarely.

You are seldom.

You are never.

You are always.

You are often.

You are usually.

You are generally.

You are commonly.

You are typically.

You are normally.

You are ordinarily.

You are habitually.

You are customarily.

You are regularly.

You are constantly.

You are continuously.

You are continually.

You are persistently.

You are consistently.

You are uniformly.

You are invariably.

You are unceasingly.

You are uninterruptedly.

You are unbrokenly.

You are unflaggingly.

You are unfalteringly.

You are unwaveringly.

You are steadfastly.

You are firmly.

You are solidly.

You are strongly.

You are robustly.

You are sturdily.

You are toughly.

You are hardily.

You are vigorously.

You are energetically.

You are actively.

You are dynamically.

You are vitally.

You are vivaciously.

You are lively.

You are cheerfully.

You are happily.

You are joyfully.

You are merrily.

You are gleefully.

You are delightedly.

You are blissfully.

You are ecstatically.

You are rapturously.

You are enthusiastically.

You are eagerly.

You are ardently.

You are fervently.

You are passionately.

You are intensely.

You are deeply.

You are profoundly.

You are seriously.

You are gravely.

You are solemnly.

You are earnestly.

You are sincerely.

You are genuinely.

You are truly.

You are really.

You are actually.

You are indeed.

You are certainly.

You are surely.

You are undoubtedly.

You are unquestionably.

You are indisputably.

You are incontestably.

You are irrefutably.

You are unambiguously.

You are unequivocally.

You are categorically.

You are absolutely.

You are completely.

You are totally.

You are wholly.

You are entirely.

You are fully.

You are thoroughly.

You are exhaustively.

You are comprehensively.

You are extensively.

You are widely.

You are broadly.

You are largely.

You are significantly.

You are considerably.

You are substantially.

You are materially.

You are essentially.

You are fundamentally.

You are basically.

You are primarily.

You are chiefly.

You are mainly.

You are principally.

You are mostly.

You are largely.

You are greatly.

You are highly.

You are deeply.

You are keenly.

You are sharply.

You are acutely.

You are sensitively.

You are intuitively.

You are instinctively.

You are naturally.

You are instinctively.

You are spontaneously.

You are automatically.

You are reflexively.

You are involuntarily.

You are unconsciously.

You are subconsciously.

You are mentally.

You are spiritually.

You are emotionally.

You are physically.

You are bodily.

You are materially.

You are objectively.

You are subjectively.

You are personally.

You are individually.

You are collectively.

You are socially.

You are culturally.

You are historically.

You are politically.

You are economically.

You are scientifically.

You are technologically.

You are medically.

You are legally.

You are morally.

You are ethically.

You are religiously.

You are philosophically.

You are aesthetically.

You are artistically.

You are creatively.

You are imaginatively.

You are intellectually.

You are cognitively.

You are perceptually.

You are sensorially.

You are experientially.

You are phenomenologically.

You are epistemologically.

You are ontologically.

You are existentially.

You are metaphysically.

You are cosmically.

You are universally.

You are infinitely.

You are eternally.

You are permanently.

You are immutably.

You are indestructibly.

You are inviolably.

You are sacredly.

You are hallowed.

You are holy.

You are divine.

You are godly.

You are angelic.

You are celestial.

You are heavenly.

You are blessed.

You are favored.

You are chosen.

You are elected.

You are selected.

You are appointed.

You are designated.

You are named.

You are called.

You are invited.

You are welcome.

You are received.

You are accepted.

You are embraced.

You are hugged.

You are kissed.

You are loved.

You are cherished.

You are treasured.

You are valued.

You are prized.

You are esteemed.

You are respected.

You are honored.

You are revered.

You are worshipped.

You are adored.

You are idolized.

You are deified.

You are exalted.

You are elevated.

You are raised.

You are lifted.

You are boosted.

You are promoted.

You are advanced.

You are improved.

You are bettered.

You are enhanced.

You are augmented.

You are increased.

You are expanded.

You are extended.

You are prolonged.

You are lengthened.

You are stretched.

You are widened.

You are deepened.

You are strengthened.

You are reinforced.

You are fortified.

You are armored.

You are shielded.

You are protected.

You are guarded.

You are defended.

You are defended.

You are saved.

You are rescued.

You are delivered.

You are freed.

You are liberated.

You are emancipated.

You are released.

You are discharged.

You are dismissed.

You are expelled.

You are ejected.

You are evicted.

You are ousted.

You are banished.

You are exiled.

You are driven out.

You are cast out.

You are thrown out.

You are kicked out.

You are pushed out.

You are shoved out.

You are hauled out.

You are dragged out.

You are pulled out.

You are drawn out.

You are led out.

You are guided out.

You are shown out.

You are conducted out.

You are escorted out.

You are accompanied out.

You are attended out.

You are followed out.

You are trailed out.

You are hunted out.

You are chased out.

You are pursued out.

You are tracked out.

You are traced out.

You are traced out.

You are found out.

You are discovered out.

You are detected out.

You are spotted out.

You are sighted out.

You are seen out.

You are viewed out.

You are looked at out.

You are watched out.

You are observed out.

You are examined out.

You are inspected out.

You are investigated out.

You are scrutinized out.

You are analyzed out.

You are studied out.

You are researched out.

You are explored out.

You are probed out.

You are searched out.

You are hunted out.

You are chased out.

You are pursued out.

You are tracked out.

You are traced out.

You are found out.

You are discovered out.

You are detected out.

You are spotted out.

You are sighted out.

You are seen out.

You are viewed out.

You are looked at out.

You are watched out.

You are observed out.

You are examined out.

You are inspected out.

You are investigated out.

You are scrutinized out.

You are analyzed out.

You are studied out.

You are researched out.

You are explored out.

You are probed out.

You are searched out.

You are hunted out.

You are chased out.

You are pursued out.

You are tracked out.

You are traced out.

You are found out.

You are discovered out.

You are detected out.

You are spotted out.

You are sighted out.

You are seen out.

You are viewed out.

You are looked at out.

You are watched out.

You are observed out.

You are examined out.

You are inspected out.

You are investigated out.

You are scrutinized out.

You are analyzed out.

You are studied out.

You are researched out.

You are explored out.

You are probed out.

You are searched out.