The dream shifted again.
The hallway remained the same, narrow and fluorescent, walls painted a tired neutral that had long since stopped pretending to be comforting. The hum of the lights was steady and faintly oppressive. The door was still cracked open in the same way. The chair hadn't moved.
But Mason had changed again. Just him.
He was even older now. Taller. Still thin, but the sharp edges of hunger had softened just enough to suggest he was being fed regularly. His legs stretched longer in front of him, knees jutting forward awkwardly as he sat. He wore plain but clean clothes, jeans that fit properly, a solid shirt without stains or holes, and neat black sneakers that looked new enough to matter to him. His hair was cut short and tidy. Someone had taken the time.
He sat slouche
