老王 wakes up with a pounding headache, sunlight streaming through the blinds and birds chirping outside his window. He groans and rubs his temples, trying to process the date. Friday? No, wait, that doesn't make sense. His calendar is blank, his phone is dead, but the smell of burnt toast and coffee percolating downstairs tells him it's morning.

He drags himself out of bed, tripping over something on the floor. A quick glance reveals a neon green bar fixed to his forehead, glowing faintly. The bar is segmented into ten equal sections, currently on eight. It's labeled "SAN/10". "What the actual hell?" he whispers, touching it.

The sensation is weird, like a low hum vibrating through his skull. He tries to ignore it, focusing on getting dressed. His limbs feel heavy, his thoughts sluggish. This is weird. He's always been a bit of a space cadet, but not like this. Everything feels... disjointed? Like he's watching himself from behind, slightly out of sync.