while (reality != null) { reality--; if (self == void) break; }

What happens when the familiar begins to slip away?

Aaron, a quantum computing engineer, leads an orderly life built around routine and precision—until small things start to disappear. First, a coffee cup. Then, entire files. Soon, his once-familiar world begins to unravel in ways he can’t explain. As the line between reality and illusion blurs, Aaron is drawn into a void that seems to follow him, swallowing everything he once knew.

Is it just stress and fatigue, or is reality itself collapsing? With each step closer to the unknown, Aaron realises that what lies beyond might not be a breakdown of the world, but of his own mind. The more he tries to escape, the deeper the void pulls him, until one final step forces him to confront the terrifying truth.

The Missing Step is a haunting exploration of how little we really know—about the universe, and about ourselves.

Read the short story [runtime=”24m”]:

Soundtrack (made with Suno AI): Voidwave Distortion