In his dreams, he is still less than human. "Object X" is naked and on his knees, happy to be released from his cage but scared of his newfound freedom and mindful of his lowly status. He is a slave without a master, a bottom without a top, a vessel with nothing to contain. He tries to look at himself in the mirror, but the surface is black. It reveals nothing.
The night is long; he doesn't know it, but he's been sleeping for days and days. When he awakens for a moment or two now and then, he's still in a trancelike state. He lies in bed and stares at the ceiling. The sheets feel soft and inviting, and he envisions them taking the place of his cape--the cape he tells himself he does not deserve to wear, ever again.