John found himself in a dead-end alley, the figure trapped. It turned to face him, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
"You've been commanded," it whispered, its voice echoing in John's mind.
The words sparked a memory, a flash of insight. John saw the truth, the thread that connected everything.
He was not the master, but the tool. The command was not a command, but a trigger.
The figure vanished, leaving John stunned. He stumbled backward, his mind reeling with the implications.