Chapter 15

Soren woke up drenched in cold sweat, his face pale and his pajamas sticking to his skin. Beside him, Zoe jolted awake and quickly turned on the bedside lamp. "Soren. Soren, are you feeling sick?" she asked, her face filled with panic as she took in his ghostly complexion. She immediately woke the housekeeper and called 911. Before long, the paramedics arrived and loaded Soren into the ambulance. The siren's piercing wail seemed to cut through them, and Zoe kept crying as the paramedics checked Soren's vitals. "It's too noisy…" Soren grimaced, forcing his eyes open only to see Zoe's tear-streaked face. For some reason, he felt nothing but irritation as he stared at her frantic expression. "No… no…" he muttered. "Soren! Soren, what's wrong? Talk to me!" Zoe urged, her tears dripping from her chin and onto his face. Then, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in Soren's mind. "Warning. Warning. The male lead is deviating from the plot. Immediate compliance measures are required. Immed