He had nothing to lose. Using his last fifty dollars, he ordered the obscure components from a chemical supply site Monarch had linked. They arrived the next day in unmarked vials. He mixed the solution, drank it, and dreamed of geometric light.
Outside, the rain had stopped. The city lights reflected off the wet streets like scattered jewels. Elias looked at his phone one last time.
“Dear User Elias Voss. Your trial of Monarch’s Cognitive Ascension tier has concluded. Your balance due is 18.7 hours of REM-sleep neural processing, to be deducted at random intervals over the next 30 days. Failure to pay will result in the repossession of learned skills, starting with language and proceeding to motor functions. Thank you for choosing Monarch.”