Summary
Caleb is torn from his home by shadowy creatures, trapped in a massive interstellar zoo where he is nothing more than a specimen. Days stretch into endless cycles of observation and silence, each moment eroding his sense of self as he struggles to communicate with beings who do not—and perhaps cannot—understand him. When chaos finally tears through the facility, he is “rescued” by towering, hamster-like creatures whose idea of care is ownership. In their world, he is not free, only cherished as a pet, subjected to rituals of strange affection and alien routines. Every attempt at rebellion is met with gentle force, every gesture of humanity ignored. Caleb learns that escape is impossible, that understanding is a lie, and that in this vast, indifferent universe, captivity wears many masks—and sometimes, the cruelest is the one that smiles.
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