EPISODE 12: THE BECOMING ## PROLOGUE: THE WEIGHT OF EVERYTHING Marcus Cole had been a Watcher for what felt like forever. In the Corridor, time didn't work the way it had in life. Days and years and centuries blurred together, marked not by the turning of clocks but by the arrival of souls, the opening of doors, the weight of guilt processed and released. He'd guided thousands of people through their memories, helped them understand what they carried, watched them make their choices at the three doors. And now, finally, it was time. The Keeper stood before him, his forgettable face showing weariness for the first time. "I've carried this role since shortly after Eve created the Corridor. I remember everything—every soul, every moment, every decision. And I'm tired, Marcus. It's time for me to make my own choice." "Are you sure you're ready?" "I've been ready for eons. I was just waiting for someone to take my place." The Keeper smiled—an expression that transformed his unremarkable features into something almost beautiful. "That someone is you." --- ## PART ONE: THE TRANSFER ### CHAPTER 1: THE MEMORIES The transfer began with memories. The Keeper placed his hands on Marcus's temples, and suddenly Marcus saw everything. Not gradually, not piece by piece—everything at once. He saw the first soul to...