[Intro – Clean Guitar, Atmospheric] He wakes but never dreams A silent war inside his scream No wounds you see, but deep they go A prisoner of long ago A whisper crawls inside his head Reminding him what’s left for dead They said he'd make it, now he prays To disappear in endless days [Verse 1 – Slow, Clean-Electric Blend, Kick Drum Pulse] [(Light gain on rhythm guitar, low tom hits. Vocals: calm, grim, spoken-sung like Hetfield’s delivery)] He stares through glass that’s not there Time froze beneath a blank stare Hands won’t move, mouth won’t speak Strength now sounds so goddamn weak He hears the whispers in the dark The gunfire left its final mark Not on his flesh, but on his soul A shattered man with no control [Chorus – Heavy Distorted Guitars, Full Drums Kick In] [(Distorted power chords, double-time cymbals, deeper vocal tone)] Locked inside he’s screaming still But silence is a louder kill They see a man, but he's not whole They saved his skin, not his soul [Verse 2 – Faster, Mid-Tempo Thrash Riff Begins] [(Guitars: Galloping rhythm. Drums: steady kick-snare. Vocals: firmer, more aggressive)] He sees the ghosts when he blinks Truth is crueler than they think No medals soothe the war within No honor covers broken skin Flashbacks blaze in every breath He walks the edge of life and death He’s free outside, but deep below He’s trapped in places no one knows [Bridge – Clean Guitar Returns, Tension Builds Slowly] [(Back to eerie calm, soft guitar arpeggios. Drums: light toms, slow heartbeat rhythm)] He begged for light they never gave Now walks the world a breathing grave They call it healing, he calls it hell A silent room becomes his cell [Climax – Full-Speed Thrash, Double Bass, Screamed Vocals] [(Tempo shifts to 120 BPM. Guitars: brutal downpicking. Drums: double kick barrage. Vocals: screamed/growled with anguish.)] Suffocate the past! No more voices, make them last! Chain the screams behind his eyes No one hears the man who dies! Locked inside no open door Lost in battles, won no war Breathes in pain, exhales regret Still not dead, but not here yet [Outro – Clean Guitar Reprise, Fading Echoes] [(Return to intro melody, just one guitar and soft ambient noise. Vocals whispered or spoken.)] He walks… no footsteps fall A ghost inside a soldier’s wall You see a man… but can’t define The cost of war that steals the mind

Locked Inside