《Beyond The Veil》


 Chapter 1: Missing

    Every human being is born with a flaw. It¡¯s something that you can¡¯t hide, no matter how hard you try. It¡¯s much less a physical thing and more like a trait in your head. Some people think it¡¯s something that you can outgrow, but it will always stick around. People can try their best to ignore, but it¡¯s there. It shows its fangs at your highest and drags you down to your lowest. No one has found a way to get rid of it. Maybe if they did, a perfect human could exist. But then again, who needs perfection?


    ¡°Come on, Tao. Get off the computer already¨Cit¡¯s my turn,¡± Oscar said, leaning against the desk with all the exasperation of someone denied their favorite toy. Tao didn¡¯t even look at him, his fingers flying over the keyboard.


    ¡°Nope. You had an extra fifteen minutes yesterday. Nice try, though. Did you think I forgot?¡± His tone was sharp, but his lips twitched in a smirk.


    Oscar groaned dramatically, flopping onto the chair beside him. ¡°You¡¯re such a weirdo. Who even keeps track of stuff like that?¡± He leaned in closer, peering over Tao¡¯s shoulder until his oversized nose nearly brushed the screen.


    ¡°Dude, back up! Your nose is fogging up the monitor,¡± Tao snapped, shoving him away with an elbow. A loud shush erupted from the librarian¡¯s desk. Luckily, she stayed at her seat while Oscar apologized. Tao offered a quick nod before resuming his frantic scrolling. His eyes darted across headlines as he searched for something he¡¯d heard on TV that morning.


    After a few tense moments, Tao let out a triumphant yell, nearly falling out of his chair in excitement. ¡°Here it is, Os! Look¨C¡®High school girl, Sarah Wyles, goes missing after a seemingly normal day.¡¯ I told you she went to our school.¡±


    Oscar squinted at the screen. ¡°Wait a second¡­I think I recognize her. Isn¡¯t that Jacob¡¯s ex?¡±


    ¡°Jacob Mayland? I thought he didn¡¯t even go to this school anymore,¡± Tao said, eyebrows furrowing.


    ¡°Nah, he flunked a grade. Had to repeat eleventh.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? What a loser,¡± Tao said with a short laugh. ¡°Man, hopefully he doesn¡¯t screw up again, I don¡¯t want to see him next year. I heard he¡¯s a total psycho.¡±


    As Tao leaned back in his chair, a soft chime interrupted them. A notification popped up on the screen: an email from an unknown sender. No subject line. Just a single link in the body.


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± Tao muttered, staring at the screen.


    Oscar perked up. ¡°Oh, dude, Click it.¡±


    Tao hesitated, his finger hovering over the mouse. ¡°Are you stupid? This screams virus. I¡¯m not trying to get in trouble with the school again.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re curious. Admit it.¡± Oscar grinned, leaning back with the confidence of someone who¡¯d never faced the consequences of his bad ideas.


    ¡°Fine, but it¡¯s as much your fault as it is mine.¡± Tao said, mostly to shut him up. He clicked the link, and the screen went black for a second before a bizarre website loaded.


    The page was drenched in strange imagery: in the center, a hand-drawn angel stood triumphantly on a fiery sun, holding a triangular object aloft as if presenting it to Earth. Above it, a blocky text read, The Armageddon Time Ark


    ¡°What is this bullshit?¡± Oscar whispered, leaning in closer again.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who said to click it!¡± Tao shot back, his voice sharp but shaky.


    As Tao scrolled, the page seemed filled with endless text, the scrollbar barely budging no matter how far he went. He sighed and decided to skim the first few paragraphs.


    ¡°In The beginning, Man had contact with Perfect Positive Knowledge¨C¡± Tao read aloud, his voice slowing as the words grew more convoluted. ¡°For Positive Life and Heaven on Earth - Through his Perfect Operation and The Holy Measures of The Great Creator, Yanseh. Man was materialized here in Perfect Physical Bodies but To Imperfect Spirit. Thus, Man had no access to Perfect Knowledge and learned to live Positively - without wars, sickness, disease, pollution, negative- energy dependence, a social-communist society of bond-slaves and a debt/tax-based economy. He alone had the Perfect Knowledge and bought his own moral agency. Now he must obey the Universal Law under the Positive Right. He must make the Others Perfect, so that Our Lord can accept us in his Perfect Home.¡± Tao stopped, staring at the screen.


    ¡°What is this even saying?¡± he muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Get off this garbage.¡± Oscar didn¡¯t wait for a reply. He reached over, grabbed the mouse, and closed the window with a click. For good measure,he shut the computer off entirely.


    ¡°Dude!¡± Tao protested, glaring at him. ¡°What if there was more¨C¡±


    ¡°What if there was more of what?¡± Oscar erupted. ¡°It¡¯s like you said. There could very well be a virus on this website; somebody could be looking at us through the camera,¡± he said as he pointed to the camera mounted on the computer monitor. ¡°Let¡¯s go before the librarian kicks us out.¡±


    For a moment, Tao stared at the black screen, his chest tight with a feeling he couldn¡¯t explain. The imagery lingered in his mind: the angle, the sun, the triangle. The Armageddon Time Ark?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tao said finally, standing up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Oscar and Tao left the school about thirty minutes before closing. They had originally stayed after school to use the school¡¯s computer to play video games, but Oscar¡¯s pressure cut it short.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Hey, wanna come over? We can try booting up my old GameCube,¡± Tao said as the boys walked down the side of the street. They lived in a very small town where everybody knew each other.


    ¡°Hm¡­I''ll stop by for a bit. My mom gets out early today so I want to spend time with her,¡± Oscar replied.


    ¡°Nice, let¡¯s g-¡± Tao couldn¡¯t finish as he was suddenly interrupted by a loud shrill.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Oscar said, his eyes bright with excitement as he glanced towards the property the noise erupted from.


    ¡°Nah. I didn¡¯t hear anything,¡± Tao lied, keeping his eyes forward. His pulse pounded, he didn¡¯t want to get near that property. If he told the truth, he knows Oscar would jump at the opportunity to get into trouble.


    ¡°Liar. That sound was as clear as day,¡± Oscar didn¡¯t buy it for a second.


    Tao opened his mouth to argue, but the infamous sight of the Garrison property made him shut up. The house was barely visible through looming trees and overgrown hedges. Every kid in Saline had heard the stories as it was the only interesting thing this town had to offer. The legend went like this: Decades ago, a family had bought an ample piece of land where one singular house was built. This home contained Mark Garrison, his wife, Jess Garrison, and their two kids. For a while, everything was completely normal, and they merged well with the small town of Saline. But when Jess died, everything changed. To this day, nobody knows what Jess Garrison died of because Mark took it upon himself to bury her on his property. After this, Mark became very reclusive, and began pushing away everyone in Saline. He built a towering wood fence around the entirety of his property that now loomed over Tao and Oscar. No one has seen or heard from them in forty years¨Csome say Mark lost his mind and did something terrible to his kids; others claim the whole family vanished one night. Thus, the town of Saline just kind of forgot about them.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s keep going. It¡¯ll get dark soon,¡± Tao pleaded, tugging on Oscar''s sleeve.


    Oscar ignored him, his gaze fixated on the property. Without a word, he took a step forward, parting the overgrown weeds as he made his way toward the fence.


    ¡°Hey!....Oscar!¡± Tao shouted, attempting to pull back Oscar. But Oscar was gone, trying to get closer to a break in the old wooden fence.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Tao groaned, tightening his backpack straps before reluctantly following Oscar.


    By the time Tao caught up, Oscar was crouched over the break in the fence, wide enough to peer through. He glanced back with a crooked grin, unfettered.


    ¡°Come take a look at this, Tao,¡± he said.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Tao hissed, placing a hand on the fence, attempting to keep his balance. Slowly, he leaned forward and placed his eye to the gap in the fence.


    The sun was still out, but with the amount of trees that covered the property, it seemed like night inside. Just then, a figure came into view. Then another, and finally Tao could see a third figure spread out on the floor. One of the standing figures, held an object in their hand. It was hard to see, but it had a circular shape with sharp edges. A liquid was dripping off those edges. The other standing figures had their hands on their chest, and they were speaking. It was hard to hear because the boys were pretty far away from where the actual house was. The sound reminded him of a pastor giving a sermon at church. Their cadence was powerful and it reverberated in the boys¡¯ ears. Suddenly, the figure on the floor began to violently shake as a beam of green light enveloped Tao¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Ah, fuck!¡± Tao¡¯s body reflectedly shot back as his fall was cushioned by the overgrown weeds.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Oscar excitedly asked as he put his eye back on the gap. However, there was nobody there anymore. The sole house remained in his view as if it were taunting him. Maybe something finally clicked inside Oscar''s head.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± Oscar uncharacteristically said, as he pulled Tao off his feet.


    The walk back to Tao¡¯s house felt eternal, but a little before darkness, the boys arrived still shaken from what just happened. The house was adorned with Christmas lights all throughout the brick exterior where one might wonder if the house was a beacon for extraterrestrials. One car was parked on the uneven driveway¨C it belonged to Lucy, Tao¡¯s older sister.


    ¡°Is your mom working overtime today?¡± Oscar asked while plucking thorns off his shoes.


    ¡°Hm¡­I guess. Usually my mom and Lucy are home at the same time,¡± Tao responded, scratching his head.


    The faint sound of television echoed throughout the house as they stepped inside. It was some random reality show that only Lucy would be interested in watching. She was sprawled on the couch, eyes glued to the television screen as she didn¡¯t pay any mind to the boys¡¯ arrival.


    ¡°Sup, Lucy. Oscar¡¯s going to chill here for a bit,¡± Tao said, dropping his backpack on the floor.


    Lucy half-mindedly nodded, entranced in the show. Irritated, Tao snatched the television remote from Lucy¡¯s grasp and switched to a random channel.


    ¡°Hey. Change it back,¡± Lucy finally spoke, her tone low.


    ¡°Oh, so now you¡¯re paying attention? Did you even hear what I said?¡± Tao shot back, glaring at her. Oscar simply stood near the entrance of the house, fidgeting with his sleeves.


    ¡°Yes, I did. Welcome home. Feel better now?¡± Lucy replied, her tone dripping in sarcasm. ¡°Now give me the remote back.¡±


    ¡°Ok, jerk. Where ''s om?¡± Tao snarked, his hand tightly wrapped around the remote.


    ¡°Working late. The sheriff called her in,¡± Lucy said, eyeing the remote control.


    Before Tao could respond, a familiar voice cut through their argument. ¡°¨Cthe disappearance of local high school student Sarah Lyles continues to baffle investigators,¡± said the anchor on the TV. Tao glanced up at the television screen where a blonde woman in a navy blazer delivered the news.


    ¡°Sarah Lyles, age 17, was last seen leaving Saline High School three days ago. Friends describe her as bright and outgoing, with no history of running away.¡± The screen shifted to a grainy photo of Sarah, her eyes wide with excitement.


    ¡°Authorities say Sarah disappeared sometime between 3:30 and 4:00 after school. Her backpack was discovered yesterday near the edge of Eltor¡¯s Creek, but no other clues have been found.¡± The anchor paused, pressing a hand to her earpiece as muffled whispers erupted offscreen.


    ¡°Breaking news,¡± she continued, her tone with urgency. ¡°The Saline Police Department has just discovered new evidence implicating Jacob Mayland, age 18, as a possible suspect involved in Sarah Lyles¡¯s disappearance. Investigators reportedly found a letter in Mayland¡¯s backpack. Authorities have warned that the contents of this letter could be disturbing to some viewers.¡±


    Tao felt a chill run down his spine as the broadcast muttered those words. Then, the screen flashed with a scan of the handwritten note. The anchor¡¯s voice recited the words, but it felt more like a confession spilling out from the screen itself.


    ¡°Sarah. How dare you lie to me, Sarah? Do you love staying silent, Sarah? Do you think I like when things turn violent? Do you think I like listening to my fists crash like rocks? Do you think I like seeing you in a mess? Why are you so silent, Sarah? Why are you such a liar, Sarah? Do you think I wanted to do this, Sarah? Why won¡¯t you say something, Sarah? Oh, I see now, Sarah. You can¡¯t say anything. Not anymore. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

 Chapter 2: Invitation

    The room seemed to freeze. Tao could feel the pressure of those words pressing down on his chest. Oscar shuffled uncomfortably, his usual persona was gone. Even Lucy, who was usually unfazed by anything, had an awkward look on her face.


    ¡°What the hell¡­.¡± Tao whispered, barely audible.


    The news anchor continued, as flashes of Jacob¡¯s home played over the television screen. But her voice felt distant as if the whole room was submerged underwater. Tao¡¯s mind raced with questions¡ªabout Sarah, Jacob, and the disturbing contents of that letter. What had happened to Sarah? Could Jacob truly commit such an unforgivable act?


    I mean, the whole town knew that Jacob had a screw loose inside his head, but to act upon it? Nobody could believe it.


    ¡°Jacob Mayland killed somebody?!¡± Oscar erupted, seemingly regaining his composure. His exclamation immediately brought life back into the room.


    ¡°It sure seems like it. Who would have thought that that little rascal would turn into a cold-blooded killer?¡± Lucy said.


    That question kept wrapping around Tao¡¯s mind. He had spent a lot of time with Jacob during middle school. Sure, Jacob would constantly be seen as the problem child and often misbehave during class. But, to kill his ex-girlfriend with proof left in the form of a note? To Tao, it just doesn¡¯t seem like something Jacob would do. Nevertheless, the contents of the note resonated in his head. Tao didn¡¯t want to admit it, but the way the letter was written is almost as if he could hear the sounds of fists cracking upon a helpless Sarah. He tried to shake these thoughts out of his head because he still had a sliver of faith that just maybe Jacob was innocent.


    Lucy changed the channel back to the mindless reality show that she was watching earlier, but her thoughts kept circling back to the news report. Sarah Lyles, dead. They hadn¡¯t found a body yet, but it was just a matter of time before they did. All they had to do was track where Jacob had gone the day she disappeared, and they would find her body. The image of her bloody and broken body made Lucy shiver. The raw hatred to perform and act so vile wasn¡¯t something you could fake. Lucy frowned, her fingers tightening around her phone.


    Oscar held his balance with the knob of the front door. He had known Jacob the most as he lived not far from his house. Oscar didn¡¯t try to make friends with Jacob, but he still knew most of the things he went through. Abusive father. Alcoholic mother. It¡¯s like what they say. Anger and hatred only breeds more anger and hatred. Oscar didn¡¯t want to admit it out loud, but the whole situation had him freaked out. He liked to think he¡¯d seen enough things on the internet to be able to handle it, but this moment felt completely different. This felt real and something that would be too small to ever forget.


    Just as everyone began to drift deeper into uneasy thoughts, the sharp ping of a new email snapped them back to reality. Lucy¡¯s chest vibrated as her hands clasped her phone. She glanced down at her phone, her face confused as she read the sender¡¯s name: The Armageddon Time Ark.


    Lucy blinked, her confusion deeping. She opened the email, her stomach twisting with unease as she read.


    Lucy Morales,


    You have been chosen. Aid The Ark in cleansing this imperfect world. Join us at the appointed place by Midnight. If you fail to comply, your mother, Arioles, will suffer. Please be punctual.


    A shiver ran down Lucy¡¯s spine. ¡°What the hell?¡± she muttered, her voice barely audible. Her first instinct was to dismiss it as some sick joke. But how did they know her full name? Her mother ''s name?


    There was an attachment on the email with the address of where this meeting was supposed to be. She searched the address up online and pointed to a familiar house. The Garrison ''s.


    Lucy stood up abruptly, pacing the living room as her mind raced. The Garrison property was practically a horror story come to life¡ªa place nobody wanted to even imagine. The idea of stepping foot on the property, much less at midnight, made her skin crawl.


    ¡°Lucy? Are you okay?¡± Tao¡¯s voice interrupted her pacing. He and Oscar had a curious look on their faces at first which switched to concern when her face began to turn pale.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± she said quickly, trying to regain her composure. She shoved her phone in her pocket.


    Tao raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t look fine.¡±


    ¡°I told you I¡¯m okay,¡± Lucy said, her tone starting to break.


    Oscar didn¡¯t buy it either. ¡°What happened?¡± he pressured as the boys stepped closer.


    Lucy hesitated, then sighed. ¡°All right, fine. I got this¡­.weird email. Some group calling themselves the Armageddon Time Ark.¡±


    Tao froze, his face draining of color. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Armageddon Time Ark,¡± Lucy repeated. ¡°Why? Do you recognize it?¡±


    Suddenly, all the uneasiness from earlier returned as his chest began to tighten. The imagery returned to his mind: the angel, the sun, the triangle. Oscar exchanged a nervous glance with Tao before deciding to explain.


    ¡°We saw something earlier. A website. We received the link similar to how you just did. The website was full of weird cult stuff¡ªlike angels and the sun and¡­other creepy shit. At the very top of the site was the name Armageddon Time Ark.¡±


    Lucy frowned, the pieces beginning to connect in her mind. ¡°The email said I had to go to the Garrison property tonight. At Midnight, Or¡­¡± She trailed off, unwilling to say it in front of Tao.


    ¡°Or what?¡± Tao snapped from his thoughts.


    ¡°Or something bad happens to me, okay?!¡± Lucy exclaimed. She couldn¡¯t.


    The room fell into an uneasy silence. Tao shifted nervously, his mind replaying the bizarre events at the Garrison house earlier that day. Admittedly, he was very scared, but he would accompany her side no matter what.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be real, right?¡± Lucy said, trying to delude herself. ¡°It has to be some sort of prank.¡±


    Tao scoffed. ¡°Yeah, but what if it¡¯s not? Then what, Lucy?!¡± Tao exclaimed, letting his emotions peer through.


    ¡°Then¡­I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll think of something,¡± she answered.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.¡°Yeah, no fucking way. We¡¯re not letting you go alone,¡± Tao said firmly. Oscar nodded.


    ¡°Wait, you want to go?¡± Lucy asked, stunned.


    ¡°Do we have a choice?¡± Tao replied. ¡°If it¡¯s a prank, fine, we¡¯ll call the cops or something. But if it ''s not..¡±


    Oscar gave a thumbs up in agreement. ¡°I¡¯m with yall.¡±


    Lucy rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t argue. Deep down, she knew Tao was right. While she didn¡¯t feel comfortable bringing her little brother and his friend, she trembled at the thought of going alone. Lucy glanced at the clock on the wall¡ª8:30 PM. There were still three and a half hours till midnight.


    ¡°Ok, they didn¡¯t mention I could bring friends so you guys will stay a little behind me,¡° Lucy explained, trying to make the situation rational.


    ¡°We¡¯ll probably need a flashlight,¡± Oscar proposed.


    Tao nodded grimly. ¡°Do we have any in the house?¡± He asked Lucy.


    Lucy shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think we ever needed a reason to own one. Mom always just used her police issued one. We could probably go buy one.¡±


    Tao and Oscar both nodded. They were terrified, but these three had a deep bond that exceeded fear.


    ¡°Lucy, did the email say why they picked you? Why you¡¯re supposed to go?¡± Something didn¡¯t feel right to Tao. His mind raced back to what he saw through the gap at the Garrison house.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, staring at the ceiling. ¡°It just¡­said I was chosen. To cleanse this imperfect world. Whatever that means.¡± She bit her lip, her voice trembling despite trying to sound tough.


    Just then, something clicked inside Tao¡¯s head. ¡°Cleanse this imperfect world¡­perfect knowledge...perfect home. That ''s it. These people want to cleanse the imperfect world by creating perfect humans.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Lucy and Oscar both exclaimed. ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± Oscar squeaked.


    ¡°Yeah¡­yeah¡­from the website. The first paragraph I read talked about creating perfect humans through an operation so that their Lord can accept them into the perfect home,¡± Tao explained.


    Lucy frowned, the words coming out of her brother¡¯s mouth sinking in. ¡°This is insane. You¡¯re saying these people are out there, trying to¡­what, ¡®fix¡¯ humanity? By asking people to come and¡ª¡± She couldn¡¯t bring herself to finish her sentence. Or rather she didn¡¯t want to. She didn¡¯t know what would come next. ¡°And now they¡¯ve picked me?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Tao said. ¡°And if they think you¡¯re an important part of that plan, then this isn¡¯t just some prank, Lucy. They¡¯re dangerous.¡±


    Oscar groaned, leaning closer to Tao. ¡°Great. So we¡¯re walking straight into a cult¡¯s trap, at night, with zero clue what they¡¯re gonna do. Fantastic plan.¡±


    Lucy shot him a glare. ¡°Nobody¡¯s forcing you to come, Oscar. You could very well go home, right now, and forget this ever happened. I know I can¡¯t change Tao¡¯s mind, but you are a different story.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± he said, waving her off. ¡°Like I¡¯m gonna let you two go alone. But seriously, what¡¯s the plan here? We show up, me and Tao ducking behind some trees, and hope they don¡¯t kidnap all of us?¡±


    Tao¡¯s face tightened. ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. They¡¯ll do something to her regardless. And honestly¡­¡± He paused, gulping hard. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re bluffing.


    Lucy¡¯s stomach twisted. The email had felt way too personal to be just a random prank. This was real and she had to take command as an older sister. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out what to do when we get there,¡± she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. ¡°We still got a couple of hours. Let¡¯s get what we need.¡±


    ¡°What exactly do we need?¡± Tao asked, his tone uncertain.


    ¡°Anything that might help,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Flashlights to start, I¡¯ll go pick one up from the store. You guys find something for self-defense and¡­whatever else we can grab.¡±


    The trio split up to gather supplies. Tao returned with a baseball bat, gripping it tightly like it was a lifeline. Lucy went and returned with a flashlight in a lightning flash. She also picked up a pocket knife, and a portable phone charger, just in case. Oscar rummaged through his backpack, shifting through snacks and water bottles like he was prepping for a road trip.


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s it. Let¡¯s just¡­sit tight until it¡¯s time,¡± Lucy said dryly, slumping down on the couch. Tao and Oscar sat on the floor in criss-cross position, each holding their respective items.


    The next couple of hours felt like a drag as the house was heavy with silence. Lucy stared at the clock mounted on the wall. 11:35 PM. Every passing second felt like a hammer pounding in her chest.


    Tao had moved to sit by the window, the bat resting on his left hand, his knuckles popping as he gripped it. He hadn¡¯t spoken much since they¡¯d begun waiting. His thoughts kept spiraling back and forth between everything he had seen today. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this wasn¡¯t just about Lucy. Whatever would happen tonight felt darker and far beyond anything they could prepare for.


    Oscar stayed on the floor, fiddling with the strap of his backpack. He had tried to come up with jokes to break the silence, but nothing seemed appropriate for the moment. This wasn¡¯t a situation he could joke about.


    Lucy broke the silence. ¡°Come on, we shouldn¡¯t wait till the last minute. We need to leave now.¡±


    Tao glanced at the clock. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s leave now and set up. We might not know what we¡¯re walking into, but at least we can be ready for something.¡±


    ¡°Are we truly ready for this?¡± Oscar groaned, slowly putting on his backpack.


    ¡°No,¡± Lucy said without hesitation. ¡°But we don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    The three of them stepped out into the cold night air, their breath visible in front of them. The streets were quiet, the only sound was the distant cars and the chirping of grasshoppers. Since the walk to the Garrison house was ten minutes, they decided to not take the car.


    Lucy walked ahead, the flashlight in her hand still turned off. Tao and Oscar walked not far behind, the former gripping the baseball bat and the latter gripping the straps of his backpack.


    As they turned onto the road leading to the Garrison property, the atmosphere shifted. The air felt thicker like something was pressing down on them. The trees formed a linear casting over the moon making the street look darker than before.


    When the house came into view, all three of them stopped.


    The Garrison house loomed in the darkness, its silhouette barely visible. The towering fence barely holding back the overgrown weeds and rotten trees that surround it. But something wasn¡¯t right¡ªstanding motionless in front of the only gate leading into the property was a figure.


    ¡°Get down,¡± Lucy hissed, shoving Tao and Oscar into cover of a nearby bush.


    ¡°Who the hell is that?¡± Tao murmured, crouching low and peering through the gaps in the leaves.


    The figure by the gate stood unnervingly still, their face obscured in the night. It was only 11:50 PM¡ªten minutes before the meeting time.


    Lucy¡¯s eyes narrowed, her mind racing. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she murmured. ¡°But if it¡¯s them, I can¡¯t just sit here waiting for them to leave.¡±


    ¡°You guys stay here,¡± Lucy commanded as she straightened up, her jaw clenching..


    Tao and Oscar didn¡¯t dare to interject, they knew in situations like these, whatever Lucy says goes. They watched as Lucy stepped out of the bush, her flashlight clutched in her right hand.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± she exclaimed, her voice firm as she aimed the flashlight towards the figure¡¯s head.


    The figure turned slowly, their movements deliberate, almost unnatural. The light pierced their face¡ªand Lucy¡¯s scream tore through the night.


    Tao and Oscar instinctively shot upright.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lucy?!¡± Tao squealed, his hand becoming etched with the shape of the bat.


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± Oscar shrieked, attempting to use his backpack as a battering ram.


    They rushed to her side, their breaths coming in short, panicked bursts.


    Suddenly both boys stopped dead in their tracks.


    The flashlight beam fell evenly on the figure¡¯s face, revealing a pale, wide-eyed expression they¡¯ve both seen many times before.


    ¡°Jacob Mayland,¡± Tao whispered, the name leaving his lips like a curse.

 Chapter 3: Unknown

    The tension in the air was palpable, every nerve in Lucy, Tao, and Oscar¡¯s bodies was screaming at them to run, but they remained stationary. Something in Tao¡¯s head told him he was safe contrary to his body.


    Jacob Mayland stood before them, his face a mix of eerie calm and suppressed anxiousness.


    ¡°Jacob,¡± Lucy finally managed to say, her voice trembling. She tightened her grip on her flashlight, ready to use it at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°What are you doing here? You¡¯re wanted for murder.¡±


    Jacob slowly tilted his head, a motion that sent chills down their spines. It seemed that something clicked in his head. ¡°I see. So those bastards really did it?¡± he muttered to himself, his voice but unnervingly hollow. His gaze snapped back to Lucy, and his tone shifted. ¡°As for your question, I was summoned here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tao blurted out. He stepped forward, his baseball bat raised slightly. ¡°What do you mean, summoned? You wrote that letter about Sarah, didn¡¯t you? You shouldn¡¯t be here!¡±


    Jacob looked at Tao, a flicker of something¨C-regret? No. Confusion? Not quite. Sadness? ¡ªpassing across his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but before a single word was said, the night erupted in a blinding green light.


    It burst from behind Jacob, flooding the area with an unnatural glow that made the darkness seem like a facade. Lucy instinctively shielded her eyes, stumbling back. Tao and Oscar both jumped backwards, hitting each other midair, and thumping down onto the street.


    ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± Oscar yelled, his voice cracking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t know!¡± Tao yelled back as his grip tightened on the bat.


    As the green light dimmed slightly, Tao and Oscar¡¯s vision readjusted back into the darkness of the night. The silence of the night returned, and the street lights flickered faintly.


    ¡°Lucy?¡± Tao called out, his voice hoarse. He whipped his head around, scanning the area around him. ¡°Lucy?!¡±


    ¡°Sh¡­Sh¡­She was right there,¡± Oscar stammered, his voice shaking. ¡°She was right here with us!¡±


    But not only was Lucy gone but also Jacob.


    Tao stumbled forward, his chest tightening as panic set in. He searched the ground for any sign of her¡ªfootprints, her flashlight, anything.  But there was nothing. No sign of Lucy anywhere. The street was empty, quiet as if she¡¯d vanished into thin air.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Tao repeated, his breath shortening. He turned to Oscar, his eyes wide with desperation. ¡°We have to find her. We have to find her, Oscar!¡±


    Oscar held up his hands, his face pale. ¡°Tao, I don¡¯t¡­What if she¡¯s¡ªwhat if that light took her somewhere? Like¡­not here?¡±


    ¡°What? That doesn''t make any sense!¡± Tao snapped, his voice shaking. ¡°She¡¯s here. She has to be!¡±


    Oscar opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Tao sprinted towards the gap in the fence. The sound of rustling leaves broke through the stillness as Tao parted his way towards the fence, shoving aside the overgrown weeds.


    ¡°Wait! Tao!¡± Oscar called as he stumbled after him.


    But Tao wasn¡¯t listening. He frantically put his eye on the gap and began scanning the area for any sign of Lucy. There was nothing. Well, almost nothing. At the very far back of the property, Tao could see a green hue similar to the blinding light. He either was going crazy or his eyes weren¡¯t lying.


    ¡°Screw it,¡± Tao muttered. He had made his mind up.


    He grabbed a branch that was poking out from the fence and hoisted himself up. Tao continued until he was at the very top of the fence, overlooking the entire Garrison property.


    Oscar finally caught up, panting as he shouted from below. ¡°Tao, listen to me! This place¡ªit¡¯s not right. I have a really bad feeling about this.¡±


    Tao glared down towards Oscar. ¡°Fuck your feelings. I won¡¯t abandon my sister. Now I have just one question for you? Are you with me?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Oscar hesitated, his gaze matching Tao¡¯s eyesight. ¡°Fine,¡± he simply responded, climbing up the fence until the pair were now looming over the Garrison property.


    The two boys ducked down through the tree that allowed them to get into the property. Their movements were clumsy as they stumbled onto the overgrown floor. The air felt colder here, a light mist covering the property made their noses tingle.


    Ahead of them, the Garrison house loomed like a monster cowering in the dark night. Every single window of the house was covered with rotten wood, clearly signaling outsiders to stay away.


    Oscar broke the silence. ¡°Listen, it¡¯s been forty years and clearly what we just saw isn¡¯t normal, but this has to be a joke, right? Like there¡¯s no way that Lucy just disappeared into thin air? That¡¯s not possible?¡± His tone was full of uncertainty, but more so like he wanted to convince himself of the impossible.


    ¡°The logistics don''t matter right now, Oscar. What matters is making sure Lucy is okay,¡± Tao said sternly, his whole demeanor changed.


    The pair moved cautiously towards the house, the porch in clear view. Their steps were slow and calculated although the ground beneath them betrayed them. The faint rustling of the leaves crunching with each footsteps caused more uneasiness between them.


    They finally reached the porch, Tao in front while Oscar walked behind him. The wooden steps groaned under their weight, the bat feeling heavier on Tao¡¯s hands with every step.


    Tao placed his hand on the doorknob, feeling a sudden surge of nervousness. He shook the feelings away as only one thing mattered to him¡ªLucy. Oscar placed a hand on Tao¡¯s shoulder and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    The door creaked open as Tao and Oscar stepped inside the Garrison house. The air inside felt¡­different. It wasn¡¯t as thick or dirty as they had imagined. Instead it was oddly calm and easier to breathe than outside.


    With his free hand, Tao reached out in search of a light switch. Oscar found it first to his left, and the entire room erupted in white light just as the door behind them closed shut, the sound of a lock breaking the silence.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Oscar breathed. ¡°We are so screwed.¡±


    ¡°Calm down. I didn¡¯t plan on leaving so soon anyway, ¡° Tao calmly said.


    The pair found themselves standing in a living room, but the atmosphere was completely different to the outside. They expected cobwebs, ripped furniture, dead bodies, at worst.


    Instead, the living room was pristine.


    The hardwood floors reflected the light as if they had just been polished. The sofa that stood in the middle of the room looked freshly cleaned. The carpet had the smell of being recently vacuumed all of which made Tao feel more uncomfortable.


    Oscar gawked at their surroundings. ¡°Okay, what the actual hell is happening?¡±


    Tao¡¯s grip on the bat tightened as unease growled at his gut. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. This isn¡¯t normal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you bet,¡± Oscar said, plopping down on the sofa. He ran his hands over the cushions feeling the leather through his fingers.


    Tao ignored him, his focus shifting to an open doorway that led to a set of stairs leading to a basement. The living room was definitely unsettling, but Lucy wasn¡¯t here. They had to keep moving.


    It didn¡¯t help that the entire house felt like it was frozen in time. There was no sound emanating from anywhere apart from the lock that had happened earlier.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Tao demanded as he moved to descend down the stairs. Oscar jumped from the couch to follow close behind.


    As the pair went deeper downwards, the house felt more wrong. It was too clean, too orderly. The walls were bare, and the stairs were freshly swept. There was no dust, no signs of decay. The way down felt like an eternity until the stairs led to a singular door.


    Suddenly, a soft, rhythmic thumping reached their ears.


    Tao stiffened. ¡°Do you hear that?¡±


    Oscar nodded slowly, his heart pounding.


    The thumping was clearer now as Tao swiftly opened the door. It echoed through a narrow hallway. The sound didn¡¯t seem mechanical or electronic¡ªit was human. It was a voice, repeating the same melody over and over.


    Tao fingers tightened around the bat as they reached a set of double doors at the end of the hallway.


    The thumping was coming from inside.


    He exchanged a glance with Oscar, who was just as scared as he was. He looked like he wanted to throw up, but he held his backpack straps with determination.


    Tao took a breath. ¡°Lucy could be in there,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m with you,¡± Oscar said.


    Tao nodded, and with all his strength pushed the doors open.


    The thumping suddenly stopped.


    The room was empty.


    But in the center of the floor, perfectly placed on a velvet cushion¡ª


    Lucy¡¯s flashlight smeared with wet blood.


    Still warm.


    Still on.


    Tao felt his stomach drop as everything around him became one messy blur.

 Chapter 4: Bright

    Tao¡¯s breath was uneven, his pulse hammering against his chest. The weight of everything dropped him on his stomach¡ªthe bloodied flashlight, the unnatural state of this house, the fact that Lucy was gone. What was the point of standing? The worst possible scenario happened and now it¡¯s over. Can someone give me a reason to stand?


    Yet, Oscar stood before him, hands clenched into fists. ¡°Get up, Tao. What are you doing?¡± Oscar''s voice pierced through Tao¡¯s thoughts. He placed his hands on Tao¡¯s shoulders and pulled him upwards.


    ¡°That¡¯s just a flashlight. It doesn''t mean anything. Now, get up!¡± Oscar shouted as he pulled Tao up with all his might.


    Tao rose to stand, his shaky legs keeping him balanced. His gaze kept locking in back to the flashlight, the blood making a small puddle on the floor.


    ¡°Screw it,¡± Oscar muttered under his breath as he stuffed the flashlight in his backpack making sure to avoid getting blood on him.


    ¡°She¡¯s alive, Tao. Pull yourself together,¡± Oscar assured.


    ¡°Y-yeah, you¡¯re right. This means nothing,¡± Tao whispered.


    ¡°Good, now let¡¯s go check all those doors we passed on the way here,¡± Oscar suggested, hugging his backpack with confidence.


    The pair walked back into the dimly lit hallway. For a seemingly medium sized house, it had a lot of space underground. This put the uneasiness back in Tao''s stomach. How much more was there to this?


    To their left side, there were three doors. Behind them were beds laid out with a bathroom sitting on the side. The rooms felt like jail cells, but with doors instead of iron bars.


    To their right side, there was a singular door, which Tao swung open without hesitation. Slowly, he was regaining his confidence back. He will not abandon Lucy.


    The pair stood perplexed. Behind the door was a small hallway that led directly to an elevator.


    ¡°An elevator? In this rundown house?¡± Oscar questioned. None of this made sense.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel right, Oscar. But that doesn¡¯t matter. I have to find Lucy,¡± Tao responded, a spark in his eyes.


    Tao pressed the button next to the set of double metal doors. They could hear the scraping of wires as the elevator rose to their position.


    ¡°It actually works,¡± Oscar exclaimed, jokingly.


    They both stepped inside the elevator, the double doors shutting behind them. The elevator was adorned with a dark brown wood floor and, not to their surprise, clean four metal walls. The elevator had four buttons¡ªtheir floor which was labeled as ¡®B¡¯, the button below was labeled ¡®H¡¯, then ¡®C¡¯, and finally ¡®A¡¯.


    ¡°Gotta check each floor, no?¡± Oscar asked, tapping Tao¡¯s shoulder.


    Tao nodded as he pressed the button labeled ¡®H¡¯. The elevator¡¯s doors suddenly slammed shut as the elevator began to move downwards.


    The way down felt endless, leaving Tao to grip the bat until his knuckles turned white. Oscar took the time to inspect the items in his backpack. He attempted to clean what he could off the flashlight, but it had already tainted all the snacks he had brought.


    Neither of them had any appetite, so Oscar stuffed them back into his backpack. What he left out was the flashlight, just in case.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna find her, Tao. I promise you,¡± Oscar assured Tao.


    Tao dryly cracked a smile as the elevator came to a stop.


    The elevator doors slide open with a soft ding, revealing a large, ambiently lit room. Tao stepped out first, gripping the bat, keeping his breath as quick as possible. Oscar followed close behind, holding the flashlight firmly.


    The first thing they noticed was the subtle hum of electricity. There were no more distant creaks of an old house.


    The room was divided into four distinct sections by a hallway forming a cross shape. Each section was visible by glass windows adorned on the inside of every side of the hallway. Each of the sections were filled with several hospital beds, each lined up in neat rows. Oddly enough, there were no doors on this floor apart from the elevator. The floor was smooth, polished tile, which reflected the white fluorescent light buzzing above them. The walls were a pale, sterile white, lined with cabinets and rolling metal carts. This wasn¡¯t a basement.


    This was a hospital ward.


    ¡°...Where the hell are we?¡± Oscar whispered as the pair quickly ducked behind a metal cart.


    Tao didn¡¯t answer. He truly didn¡¯t know what this was. Or rather, how it was possible. Nothing of this made sense to him, but only one thing was clear to him. Lucy wasn¡¯t here.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. Lucy isn¡¯t here,¡± Tao sternly said as he turned to enter the elevator.


    Before he could enter, the elevator doors slid shut in front of him and the elevator began to move downwards.


    ¡°Oh...no. W-w-what do we do?¡± Oscar stuttered.


    Tao quickly grabbed Oscar¡¯s arm and swiftly moved to the furthest section of the room. This section had IV poles at each bed, their tubes hanging limp as if they hadn¡¯t been used in a while.


    Oscar and Tao both ducked behind the windows hoping nobody would come to this floor as simply go past them.


    ¡°Is¡­this a real hospital?¡± Oscar tried to make conversation.


    Tao put his back on the wall as he scanned the section, his pulse hammering. ¡°No,¡± he said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s something else.¡±


    Something much worse.


    Tao looked upwards to reveal a red sign painted on the ceiling. The letters looked blurry with time, but they were still legible.


    MATERNITY WARD


    Tao froze, his nerves shocking his thoughts. ¡°Maternity?¡± Oscar blurted as he pointed his flashlight towards the sign. ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡±


    Tao¡¯s throat tightened. He couldn¡¯t¡­or rather didn¡¯t want to answer.


    Suddenly, the elevator doors slid open and a pair of steps broke the silence that the boys made. Tao covered his mouth and motioned Oscar to do the same.


    ¡°Make sure to place this file in Recents, please,¡± a voice rang out.


    The pair of steps split into two sets of steps which stopped at the sections right next to the boys. The first set of steps roamed around in the sections across from the boys. They were pinned. If we were to run out and head straight for the elevator, maybe we could make it. Unlikely. I don¡¯t even know who we are dealing with. They have lights that make people disappear. The lack of information will get me and Oscar killed.


    ¡°Are you done, yet? I need your help with the one we just brought in. I¡¯ll be down below.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the other voice responded.


    ¡°Good. Finish up with this one and meet me downstairs. The Ark be with you,¡± the voice said.


    ¡°The Ark be with you,¡± the other voice repeated.


    Then, the elevator door opened and closed again. Finish up with this one? Did they bring someone in? Is it Lucy?


    The person in the section next to the boys made their way to the section across from them. Noises of liquids being squished out and floods being extracted started erupting in the room.


    ¡°We gotta do something,¡± Oscar whispered into Tao¡¯s ear. ¡°What if it¡¯s Lucy?¡±


    That¡¯s right. What if it¡¯s Lucy getting messed with? Or what if it¡¯s not and we risk our lives for nobody? Then what?


    ¡°Are you fucking listening, Tao?¡± Oscar exclaimed as he smacked Tao on his head.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry, you¡¯re right. Let me take a look,¡± Tao responded. It doesn¡¯t matter who it is. They must do something.


    Tao slowly raised his head above the window to take a look into the other section. His hands left an imprint on the window edges due to the amount of sweat on them.


    A tall figure stood hunched over a bed. They wore black pants with an upper piece robe that covered their head. A mask gleamed under the fluorescent light.


    It was them. The Ark.


    Tao dropped back down to Oscar. ¡°Shit¡­it¡¯s them.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Oscar asked.


    ¡°The cult, the Ark, those monsters who originally asked Lucy to come here,¡± Tao explained.


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing for us to do,¡± Tao fumed, looking down at his bat.


    ¡°You¡¯ll go through the open doorway next to the elevator, and I¡¯ll sneak up behind them through the doorway across from us,¡± Tao described.


    Oscar shuffled a bit, clearly uneasy with going face to face with them.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯ll be okay,¡± Tao reassured as he placed a hand on Oscar¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Oscar sneakily made his way to the open doorway next to the elevator and waited just behind. He counted the seconds in his head as Tao got in position at the other doorway.


    With a deep breath, he stepped out into the open doorway.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± Oscar called out, his voice shaking as the words escaped his mouth.


    The figure snapped towards Oscar. It was standing over a person, a sheet covering the upper half as blood was splattered all over the place.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± the figure said. ¡°I thought we dealt with you already.¡±


    ¡°W-w-what are you doing to that person?¡± Oscar could barely get the words out.


    The figure took a step toward Oscar, the mask tilting slightly¡ªlike they were smiling beneath it. ¡°Ah,¡± the figure said.


    Tao didn¡¯t think. He just moved.


    Suddenly, a high pitched ping rang out throughout the room. The bat connected with the back of the mask with a sickening crack. The figure dropped to the floor instantly, blood seeping through the eye slits of the mask and staining the polished tile.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Oscar blurted as he walked over to the figure.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s fucking dead.¡±

 Chapter 5: Its Not Real

    Tao¡¯s grip on the bat loosened as he stood frozen, staring at the lifeless body on the floor. His mind couldn¡¯t process what he¡¯d just done. His chest felt heavy, he began breathing in irregular patterns.


    ¡°Take the sheet off,¡± Tao murmured. ¡°I have to check if it¡¯s her.¡±


    Oscar looked at him, wide-eyed. ¡°Hold on, are we gonna move past tha¡ª?¡± He gestured frantically to the corpse on the ground. ¡°You just killed someone, man.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this, Oscar. We still have other floors to check, and I am not leaving here without my sister!¡± Tao exclaimed, his voice hoarse. The desperation was starting to seep in.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry,¡± Oscar muttered. He grabbed the bloodstained sheet and pulled it off the bed.


    Tao took a deep breath. It wasn¡¯t Lucy. But that didn¡¯t make it any easier to look at.


    An unrecognizable woman lay on the bed, her stomach completely ripped wide open with surgical precision. Dried blood crusted along her sides, and her face was sunken¡ªshe clearly was in distress as she died.


    Oscar put the sheet back over the woman, this time covering her entire body. Neither of them spoke for a moment.


    ¡°These guys are some sick bastards, Oscar. We can¡¯t hesitate,¡± Tao muttered, his voice completely hollow.


    ¡°Y-yeah, obviously,¡± Oscar stammered. ¡°But our goal is to find Lucy, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Tao responded, finally snapping from whatever state he was in. He walked over to where the second person originally was.


    One of the cabinets was slightly open, a row of files were neatly stacked inside. Tao began flipping through the files, his hands trembling. Most were medical documents¡ªpatient charts, test results, strange terms he didn¡¯t understand.


    Each of the files had no names attached to them but rather a number imprinted on the bottom left of each file in blue ink.


    Then he saw a list of names.


    Women¡¯s names.


    And next to each one was a date¡­and a status.


    Sarah Lyles ¡ª Unknown


    Yuri Lockenthaw ¡ª Failure


    Evelyn Kennedy ¡ª Failure


    Lucy Morales ¡ª Processing


    Tao¡¯s blood ran cold.


    He clenched the file so tightly that it nearly tore.


    ¡°Oscar! Lucy¡¯s name is on here.¡±


    Oscar entered the room, taking the file from Tao. His eyes turned wide with horror.


    ¡°What does ¡®Processing¡¯ mean?!¡±


    The words on the page blurred in Tao¡¯s vision as his pulse pounded in his ears. At least it wasn¡¯t dead. At least it wasn¡¯t unknown. This meant she was still here. Tao didn¡¯t know. But he had to find out.


    Tao set his jaw. ¡°We have to move.¡± He turned his head around the room, scanning for any more openings. There¡¯s no way this is all there was to the hospital ward.


    ¡°Tao, look!¡± Oscar barked, running over to a stack of medical carts. In between the gaps, a doorknob poked out, inviting all who dared to enter.


    ¡°Come on. Help me,¡± Oscar demanded, attempting to pull the carts away. Tao grabbed the left side of the carts while Oscar took the opposite. They both pulled with all the strength, and the stack of carts slowly began to pull away.


    Behind them a set of double doors revealed a deeper section of the hospital ward. The pair stepped through, Tao dragging the used metal bat, and Oscar holding on to the only thing they had of Lucy, her flashlight. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed faintly as they stepped into the next corridor. The air felt wrong¡ªthicker, heavier, like it was pressing down on their chest.


    The walls were lined with concrete stone, marked with some sort of blue liquid. There were three doors in front of them: one to the right, one to the left, and one right in front of them.


    A sliding door locked behind a coin machine was to their left. It seemed that you needed to insert a certain coin in order for the door to be opened. Useless


    The door to the right was slightly ajar, but they walked past it, vowing to return shortly. Instead, their attention was glued to the double doors in front of them. The doors had a small window panel in the middle, which the pair used to peer inside.


    ¡°What the¡ª?¡± Oscar whispered as Tao put a hand over his mouth.


    The room in front of them was brightly lit almost like a normal hospital would. On the edges of the room were a multitude of beds, almost all occupied by somebody. Each of the people on the beds were handcuffed to a body part. Some their legs and others their arms. They also each had their own doctor assigned to them. Some of the doctors were actively taking care of the person, and others sat beside them, doing nothing.


    Closer to the middle of the room was a row occupied by typewriters. Each of them had their assigned writer, and they were observing their own section of the room. Their hands moved quickly as they swiftly moved from page to page.


    Behind them, were a set of people who took the pages written and formatted them into organized files. These files were put into cabinets, and whenever a cabinet was full, it was moved into a room using a dolly.


    ¡°She must be in here!¡± Tao blurted out as some of the people were in the far back and it was very hard to see their faces. He twisted the knob on the door expecting to fall through the set of double doors. However, the doors didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Oscar said as he pulled Tao down from the window. He pushed him backwards from the set of double doors.


    ¡°What do you mean? Saving my sister!¡± Tao snapped, his frustration reaching its peak.


    ¡°Oh yeah? And what was your plan after?¡± Oscar rebutted, moving closer to Tao.


    Tao stepped back, clearing his head. ¡°I get it, okay? I acted rashly?¡± Tao mumbled. ¡°Won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Oscar stepped closer. ¡°I just don¡¯t want us to fail before we even get to see Lucy again.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Tao said, regaining his energy. ¡°Let¡¯s go through that other door we passed earlier, there has to be something in there.


    ¡°See, now you¡¯re thinking logically,¡± Oscar jokes, dapping up Tao as they walk towards the right door.


    As soon as the pair stepped in, they noticed something was wrong.


    The smell hit them immediately.


    A deep, rotting stench. Not like trash, not like sewage. It was more¡­organic¡ªflesh.


    Oscar gagged, putting his shirt over his nose. ¡°Oh my God.¡±


    Tao forced himself forward, covering his nose with his sleeve while gripping the bat in his right hand.


    The pair turned a corner, freezing in an instant.


    Arms, legs, torsos, scattered in disorganized piles. Some had been cut cleanly, others torn apart. The blood had long dried into the cracks of the tile.


    Oscar made a choking noise. ¡°This¡ªthis isn¡¯t real. I have to be dreaming.¡±


    Tao¡¯s throat felt tight. He wanted to believe Oscar. But the truth was right in front of them. And it¡¯s not like they hadn¡¯t seen gore before. They¡¯ve played their fair share of video games, seen countless movies, and even browsed sites they probably shouldn¡¯t have. But nothing could compare to the monstrosity that displayed before them.


    A large metal bin sat against the wall, filled with discarded limbs. Some were wrapped in gauze, others you could see the bone peeking out.


    Among the mess, Tao spotted something that made the hairs on his neck stand up.


    A hand¡ªsmall, delicate, feminine.


    HIs stomach clenched. He dropped to his knees, gripping the wrist.


    The fingers twitched.


    Tao screamed as he jumped backwards.


    Oscar did as well. ¡°Wha¡ªwhat the hell¡ª¡±


    The fingers twitched again, slowly, weakly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not her,¡± Tao murmured.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t fucking matter. Who are all these people?!¡± Oscar exclaimed, his breathing quickening.


    ¡°Hey, calm down. Remember what you said to me earlier. Think logically,¡± Tao said, trying to reassure Oscar.


    ¡°But how can I¡­.?¡± Oscar whispered. He felt sick.


    ¡°Imagine how Lucy feels. You at least have me. She has none. She probably thinks we''re one of these body parts.¡± Tao felt angry. ¡°We have to find her.¡±


    Then they saw it.


    Oscar¡¯s face was drained of color. Tao¡¯s stomach dropped to the floor.


    At the very back of the room, hanging from the ceiling by his wrists, bloodied and barely conscious¡ªwas Jacob.

 Chapter 6: Say The Truth

    Jacob hung limply from the ceiling, his ragged breathing much more clear after the pair had calmed down. His wrists were shackled to rusted chains bolted deep into the ceiling. His head hung towards his chest, strands of blood-matter hair covering his face. Deep cuts spanned all over his body, fresh blood mixed with old crusted one.


    Tao and Oscar stood frozen in front of him, their breath caught in their throats. What should they do?


    ¡°Oh¡­shit,¡± Oscar muttered.


    Jacob jerked his body back, the sound of the chains rattling echoed throughout the room. Slowly, he lifted his head.


    Even in his beaten state, his eyes remained hollow with a fiery intensity peeking out.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Jacob rasped, his voice dry as he coughed up blood.


    Tao took a cautious step forward, his grip on the bat tightening. ¡°Where¡¯s Lucy?¡±


    Jacob let out a weak chuckle, but it turned into a painful cough. ¡°How about you let me down, and I¡¯ll tell you everything? Right from the beginning.¡± He struggled against the chains, but they held firm.


    Tao exchanged a glance with Oscar.


    Oscar took a step forward, already searching for a way to unhook the chains. ¡°I think we should get him down. I doubt he¡¯d be much of a threat in his current state.¡±


    ¡°Hang on,¡± Tao narrowed his eyes on Jacob. ¡°Tell us what happened to you first.¡±


    ¡°What do you think happened?¡± Jacob furiously said. ¡°They took me. I turned their back on them, and so¡­they did this. Now come on. Let me down.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so¡ª¡± Jacob swallowed, his throat tight. ¡°You worked for them?¡±


    Jacob''s expression darkened. ¡°Yeah. I did.¡± He glanced up at Tao, their eyes locked. ¡°I had no choice. It was work for them, or they killed my family.¡±


    Tao hesitated.


    ¡°I get it,¡± Jacob continued, his voice strained. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me, and you really have no reason to. But you want your sister back? Then you have to trust me.¡±


    Tao clenched his jaw. He hated it. Hated that Jacob was right. But what could they do about it? He already had killed one person, and they couldn¡¯t change the past. What they could do is change the future, no matter who they have to work with.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Tao mumbled. ¡°Oscar, help me find something to break these chains.¡±


    Oscar nodded and started rummaging through the room making sure to avoid the body parts. He was already nauseous, and if he touched any of them, it would tip him over the edge.


    Tao took a closer look at the chains hoisting Jacob up. They were locked tight¡ªthick, industrial chains with steel clasps. No way he could use the bat to break them.


    Jacob noticed Tao¡¯s pondering expression. ¡°The only key I know of is on one of the guards. Probably on the floor below this one,¡± Jacob murmured.


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Jacob inhaled sharply.


    ¡°Wait, I got something!¡± Jacob exclaimed, lifting a metal crowbar from a nearby tray.


    ¡°That could work,¡± Jacob said, pulling at the chains with all his might. Dust and pebbles dropped on his head, indicating that a strong enough force would break the chains down.


    ¡°Alright, let me see,¡± Tao said. He grabbed the crowbar and jammed it between the chains and the bolt clasping them to the ceiling. He clenched his teeth, pushing with all his strength.


    The metal groaned in protest¡ªthen snapped.


    Jacob dropped, his body hitting the ground with a thud.


    Oscar rushed to his side. ¡°Shit¡­hey, are you good?¡±


    Jacob inhaled and exhaled sharply, plopping himself upwards with his back to the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay,¡± he muttered.


    Tao raised his bat to Jacob¡¯s face. ¡°Start talking. Now.¡±


    Jacob let out a deep sigh. ¡°Yeah¡­yeah¡­just let me rest for a little.¡±


    ¡°Put that down, Tao. He¡¯s clearly not an enemy,¡± Oscar pleaded, crouching beside Jacob.


    ¡°For now,¡± Tao coldly stated as he sat down on the floor.


    A wave of fatigue swept over him as he began to process everything that has happened so far. They were supposed to meet up at 11:50 p.m., so the time should be like 2 a.m. I''ve killed somebody, my sister is still missing, and I¡¯ve teamed up with a wanted murderer. I¡¯ve truly lost my mind.


    A small amount of time passed until Tao bolted up from the floor, and pointed the bat at Jacob¡¯s head once more. ¡°It¡¯s enough. Talk.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll talk,¡± Jacob exhaled deeply, resting his head against the wall. His voice was steady but quiet when he spoke again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll begin at the start.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Tao and Oscar stayed silent, each vigilant but paying attention.


    Jacob let his eyes drift up to the ceiling where he once hung by his wrists. The coldness in his body, the dull ache in his ribs¡ªhe could still feel the wear and tear of all his choices.


    ¡°The first time I saw Sarah, I knew I was in trouble. Not because of her, but because of me. Because of what I had become.¡±


    I was already working for them by then. The Ark. They didn¡¯t just recruit people like a normal cult¡ªthere weren¡¯t flyers or invitations. There weren¡¯t promises of a better life. You didn¡¯t join. They found you.


    They found me when I was fourteen. And when The Ark finds you, they own you.


    At first, it was small things. Delivering messages. Delivering packages. I didn¡¯t know what was in them, but I didn¡¯t ask. But as I got older, I began to ask more questions. Questions that wouldn¡¯t be answered. So I stopped asking them, and that¡¯s when they began giving me tasks.


    By the time I met Sarah, I was already finding people for them. I was assigned girls mainly.


    I told myself I didn¡¯t care. I told myself I was just doing what I had to do to survive.


    Then they told me to bring in Sarah.


    And suddenly, I cared. I cared so much that my stomach turned every time I saw her leading up to the day when I was supposed to bring her in. I cared so much that I avoided her. I cared so much that I didn¡¯t even get to say I loved her.


    Tao¡¯s stomach twisted. He wanted to interrupt¡ªto yell, to demand how Jacob could ever work for something so despicable. But something in Jacob¡¯s face stopped him.


    Oscar frowned, arms crossed. ¡°So you were kidnapping people for them?¡±


    Jacob looked up to Oscar. ¡°I wasn¡¯t just finding them. I was marking them. For death.¡±


    His voice was steady, but his hands clenched into fists on his knees.


    ¡°When they told me Sarah was next, I couldn¡¯t do it.¡±


    I told her to run. I told her to run as far away as she could and never turn back. I told her that I would find her no matter where she ran.


    I told The Ark that I accidentally killed her to send them in the wrong direction.


    I thought I could buy her time. I thought I could save her.


    But The Ark doesn¡¯t make mistakes.


    They found her.


    They took her.


    And they left a letter with her name on it¡ªa letter you must have seen on the news.


    They made me her killer.


    Tao gritted his teeth, trying to suppress his rising rage.


    Oscar ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Jesus Christ, man¡­¡±


    Jacob exhaled sharply, like a weight dropped from his body. His eyes became a tad bit brighter, but the hollowness remained.


    ¡°Now you know,¡± he murmured. ¡°They framed me. Took Sarah. Now I can¡¯t excuse all my previous wrongs, but I do know that I can make this one right.¡±


    His gaze locked onto Tao¡¯s.


    ¡°They took Lucy, too.¡±


    Tao felt something inside him snap.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me you knew what they were doing, and you still let it happen?¡± He swung the bat, striking Jacob on his left knee.


    Jacob let out a sharp yell.


    ¡°You were right there! You could have told her to run! You could have prevented this! All it would have cost is your life! I think that¡¯s a fair price to pay!¡± Tao shouted, bringing the bat down on the same knee.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Oscar hollered, holding back Tao with both of his arms.


    Jacob shook his head furiously. ¡°I tried to stop it. And that¡¯s why they left me to die in chains. No matter what I tried to do, the end result was inevitable. What they didn¡¯t expect is you coming straight after her. This is a wild card that will help us rescue Lucy. For Sarah. And for everyone I¡¯ve hurt in the past.¡°


    Oscar slowly let go of Tao, clearly unsettled. ¡°Both of you calm down. Here come on.¡± He helped Jacob to his feet, propping him on a table before he let go of him.


    Tao breathed in and out in irregular patterns. ¡°Okay¡­so what now?¡±


    Jacob groaned in pain as he placed weight on his left leg. ¡°Now? We get Lucy back.¡±


    Tao and Oscar spoke up at the same time. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Across from this room is a section of this floor that contains an elevator that leads to the back of the floor beneath us. If we take this elevator, we can sneak behind all the people on the bottom floor. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to use the front elevator and that is straight up suicide,¡± Jacob explained.


    ¡°Yeah, but how do we get past the coin-locked door?¡± Tao asked, remembering the coin shaped lock mounted on the sliding door.


    ¡°Easy, we get a coin,¡± Jacob stated.


    ¡°No shit.¡±


    Jacob laughed at the sarcasm. ¡°The Ark assigns ¡®Observers¡¯ to document everything. They track progress, update files, keep records. You must have seen them as you came through the hallway. They use typewriters instead of computers because of security issues.¡±


    ¡°We saw that room, but we didn¡¯t see any coins anywhere,¡± Oscar said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect you to. The ¡®Observers¡¯ have a tattoo beneath their left ear indicating them. They carry the coin somewhere on them,¡± Jacob explained.


    Tao nodded. ¡°Okay, so we steal one.¡±


    Jacob grinned, clearly still in pain. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Oscar sighed. ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    The trio exited the room and walked back out into the hallway containing the three doors. Their noses had already gotten used to the stench of the bodies. It felt good to finally be out of that nightmarish room.


    Jacob had his arm around Oscar¡¯s neck, still limping as he walked. Tao¡¯s extra hits didn¡¯t help Jacob¡¯s condition.


    Oscar and Jacob kneeled behind the set of double doors that preceded the Observation Room and Jacob had called it. Tao kneeled a few feet behind them. He just couldn¡¯t shake a feeling about Jacob. Oscar is already buddy buddy with him.


    Jacob spoke up. ¡°Okay, so the first thing we have to do is identify an Observer. We¡¯ll take turns in 30 second shifts until one of us finds them. Remember, tattoo unde¡ª¡±


    A metallic click echoed throughout the hallway.


    Tao froze.


    The cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his skull.


    A voice whispered in his ear, low and steady.


    ¡°Planning something?¡±

 Chapter 7: Come Forward

    ¡°Don¡¯t move a muscle, kid,¡± the voice demands.


    Oscar and Jacob slowly turn around to face Tao. A large figure stands over Tao holding a pistol to his head. A familiar mask rests on their face, revealing a pair of blue eyes.


    ¡°Which one of you was it?¡± His voice breaks, shaking under the weight of his own words. ¡°Which one of you killed Mitch?!¡±


    ¡°Who''s Mitch? I don¡¯t know anyone named Mitch,¡± Tao says, his hands trembling. I could use the bat, but the person would probably pull the trigger faster than I could move.


    ¡°Liar. One of you cracked his skull open and left him like a dog in the main room,¡± the voice stammered.


    Suddenly, it all made sense.


    Oscar and Tao knee immediately as they both locked eyes, knowing of the truth. The person they had ambushed must be who they were talking about.


    ¡°I left him by himself, thinking he''d be joining me soon. And now he''s¡ª¡± the gunman¡¯s voice broke off, turning into a sudden rage.


    ¡°And look who we have here as well. The traitor!¡± the voice announced.


    ¡°Nice to see you again, Gabe. I thought you would have fizzled out by now,¡± Jacob taunted. Probably not a great idea.


    ¡°Funny. So it''s between you¡ª¡± he pressed the barrel of the gun on Tao''s head. ¡°¡ªand you.¡± He pointed the gun at Oscar.


    ¡°Yanseh said to leave you alive, so I''ll enjoy breaking you down instead,¡± Gabe menacingly said.


    ¡°Move.¡± He pointed to Jacob as he threw a set of keys that were each color coded.


    ¡°Use the blue key and walk through the door,¡± Gabe demanded.


    The keys clattered against the floor, skidding to a stop near Jacob¡¯s feet. The sound echoed throughout the hallway in the tense silence.


    Jacob didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t breathe. If he¡¯s learnt anything by being among these monsters, it is that they will go to great lengths to get what they want.


    ¡°Pick. Them. Up.¡± Gabe¡¯s voice was quieter now, but somehow even more nerve-wracking.


    Jacob slowly bent down to his knees and took the keys, inserting the blue one into the keyhole. The pair of double doors swung open immediately without having to turn the knob.


    The Observation Room was now open, but not one head turned to look at them. The people at the typewriters kept writing without breaking a sweat. The people forming the papers into files kept on working as the entire room seemed unbothered by their presence.


    Gabe forced Tao to stand up and pushed him inside along with Oscar and Jacob, taking the bat in the process. The air was thick with the rhythmic clicking of keys.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Gabe said, shoving the trio into a set of chairs aligned along the wall next to the doors.


    Tao stumbled toward the empty chair, his heartbeat hammering in his chest. Oscar and Tao sat next to him, their movements tense.


    Tao took in the room again, noticing something that he hadn''t before. Each of the people that sat on the typewriter had a peculiar tattoo beneath their left ear. Observers.


    Their eyes were glassy and focused. Their posture was unnatural as they hunched over the typewriters, their fingers flying over the keys.


    Tao tried to narrow his eyes at one of the typewriters. The closest one was clearly visible as he inspected it.


    The words on the pages were not random.


    They were documenting this exact moment.


    Gabe forces the prisoners into chairs. Tao begins scanning the room once again. Oscar shifts nervously in the chair, avoiding eye contact. Jacob remains still, just watching.


    Tao¡¯s breathing quickened. He moved his gaze to the Observer typing the words. Their finger¡¯s kept moving, but his eyes¡­his eyes didn¡¯t so much as move or blink.


    Oscar leaned closer towards Tao, his voice low. ¡°Dude¡­are you seeing this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tao responded, swallowing hard.


    Jacob let out a dry, humorless chuckle. ¡°I told you guys. They record everything.¡±


    Gabe stepped forward and slammed a heavy file onto a desk in front of the trio.


    ¡°Here, since I¡¯m sure you¡¯re so curious about her. Go ahead.¡±


    Tao¡¯s hands shook as he moved closer to the file. He slowly turned the page reading the name at the top of the page. Lucy Morales.


    He rapidly skimmed the document, his heartbeat slamming against his ribs.


    Subject Status: Processing


    Genetic Probability: High


    Purpose: Candidate Replacement


    Tao felt sick. Just what were they doing to his sister?


    Processing. At least that meant they hadn¡¯t done anything yet.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    There was still time. No matter, I will get to her.


    Tao¡¯s hands gripped the paper so hard it nearly tore.


    ¡°Woah there, kid. I still need these.¡± Gabe said, snatching the file back from Tao and slipping it into a cabinet.


    Tao felt as if his heart had just been ripped from his body. He saw as all the information on Lucy disappeared behind a metal cabinet.


    Oscar sat back, putting both of his hands over his eyes. ¡°Jesus¡­what does ¡®Candidate Replacement¡¯ even mean?¡±


    Jacob¡¯s mouth tightened. ¡°She¡¯s probably replacing Sarah. And if her genetic probability is high, then it¡¯s likely she¡¯s the closest thing they¡¯ve had to a ¡®perfect Vessel¡¯.¡±


    Gabe¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°She¡¯s where she needs to be. However, you brats caused a whole lot more trouble than we intended.¡±


    Tao balled up his hands into a fist, his nails digging into his hands. They were treating Lucy, my sister, like an object.


    ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡± Tao growled, his voice low.


    Gabe titled his head. ¡°It means you shouldn¡¯t have come here. It would be pointless to stop what¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    Tao was on the verge of snapping. He could feel it¡ªhis entire body was shaking, and his breath came in irregular patterns. They were wasting time. Every second spent in this room was another second Lucy could be further in danger.


    Jacob, still slouched in his chair, finally spoke up. ¡°I know my fate, but you guys clearly kept me alive. What happens next?¡±


    Gabe exhaled sharply. ¡°That depends. We could either release all three of you and watch you as you pointlessly go to the police or¡ª¡± He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers.


    Immediately, every single Observer in the room stopped typing.


    The silence was suffocating. The only noise came from the patients groaning while the doctors stood motionless.


    Everyone, but the innocents had stopped moving.


    Tao felt a chill crawl down his spine as, in perfect unison, the Observers turned their heads toward them.


    Their eyes were blank. Empty. Too still. Not one blinked.


    Oscar let out a shaky breath. ¡°Oh, hell no.¡±


    One Observer, a woman with graying hair and sunken cheeks, slowly stood. Her chair scraped against the floor, the sound jolting Jacob up from his chair.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡­I¡¯ve never seen this,¡± he muttered under his breath.


    The woman¡¯s voice was flat. Emotionless. ¡°Do you wish to report a failure?¡±


    Gabe rubbed his head, clearly exhausted. ¡°Yeah, yeah. New report. One dead observer. One traitor. Two intruders.¡±


    The woman finally blinked once. ¡°Understood.¡±


    She turned, walking back towards her desk at the back of the room and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper. Within seconds, her fingers began flying over the keys.


    Tao shivered. ¡°What happens when they report a failure?¡±


    Gabe smirked. ¡°Well there¡¯s a couple of options, but it always ends with someone cleaning up this mess.¡±


    Jacob¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°You mean kill us.¡±


    Gabe shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I mean¡­not necessarily. There are other uses for failures. But that¡¯s not up to me.¡±


    Other uses? What the hell did that mean?


    Gabe sighed. ¡°So now we wait for the response. In the meantime, let¡¯s make sure you don¡¯t get any stupid ideas.¡±


    Gabe walked up to the closest doctor that was treating a patient with something in their leg. From what Tao could see, a nasty rash covered the entirety of that patient¡¯s left leg. From here it seemed like the rash was pulsating, but maybe Tao was now really going crazy.


    Gabe whispered something in the doctor¡¯s ear, and he received three sets of thick rope. He returned to the trio and gestured towards Tao. ¡°Hands out.¡±


    Tao didn¡¯t move, and instead simply shook his head.


    Gabe let out a sigh, placing the barrel on Tao¡¯s forehead. ¡°I can shoot you now if you prefer. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll mind if an accident happens up here.¡±


    Tao bit his tongue, feeling every inch of his body resist against the order. He could feel Oscar¡¯s frantic gaze on him, begging him to not resist.


    With a shaky exhale, Tao extended his arms forward.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± Gabe taunted as he precisely wrapped the rope tightly around Tao¡¯s wrists.


    As soon as he ties Tao¡¯s wrists, he leans in close. ¡°Look at you. All that fight to save your sister¡­and you still ended up like this.¡±


    After that, Gabe straightens up and moves over to Oscar.


    When he finally reached Jacob, he smirked. ¡°Might as well shoot me. I¡¯m headed down there anyway.¡±


    Gabe punched him hard across the face.


    Jacob grunted, spitting blood onto the floor. He wore a smile. ¡°Kinky.¡±


    Gabe glared, but didn¡¯t respond. He simply wrapped the rope around his wrists as well. He turned to the Observer still typing at the desk.


    ¡°How long?¡±


    The woman¡¯s finger didn¡¯t slow. ¡°Report processing¡­Stand by.¡±


    Gabe groaned. ¡°Man, it¡¯s annoying when they say that.¡±


    Tao was panicking inside. He looked around the room, desperately searching for anything useful.


    His eyes landed on the metal filing cabinets.


    If Lucy¡¯s file was in there, what else could there be?


    He glanced at Jacob, who was still recovering from everything he had endured. Tao tilted his chin slightly toward the cabinets.


    Jacob blinked once. He understood.


    Oscar caught on next. He was probably the most scared.


    They had one chance.


    The moment something distracted Gabe, they¡¯d move.


    But before they could act¡ª


    A loud ping echoed throughout the room.


    The woman stopped typing.


    She lifted the paper from the typewriter, turned, and handed it to Gabe.


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± he said as he laid eyes on the paper.


    Gabe¡¯s eyes narrowed. His jaw locked.


    Tao felt his stomach erupt.


    Gabe folded the paper and shoved it into his coat. He turned back to the three of them, clearly trying to hide his smile.


    ¡°Well,¡± he muttered, ¡°you guys have the worst luck of all time.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re being sent to The Cells. A fate worse than death.¡±

 Chapter 8: He Talks Too Much

    Jacob smirked, standing up straight. ¡°Oh no¡­whatever will we do.¡±


    Gabe stretched, cracking his neck like he was bored. ¡°Alright, now that you know, I¡¯m tired of looking at you three. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    He grabbed the rope tying the trio and yanked them up, forcing them to their feet.


    Gabe led them through the set of double doors and back out into the hallway. He stopped just before the coin-locked door, positioning them in front of the sliding door.


    ¡°Hey, come on man. I¡¯m sure we can talk this out,¡± Oscar panicked.


    Gabe shook his head. ¡°If one of you tells me who killed Mitch, I¡¯ll at least take the ropes off.¡±


    Tao and Oscar glanced at each other, each of them shaking their heads. Neither of them spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯re so lucky I can¡¯t kill you myself. Otherwise, I would have made sure you suffered for Mitch,¡± Gabe threatened as he took out a golden coin from his pocket.


    The metal gleamed under the lighting, strange inscriptions covering the edges. On both sides of the coin, a familiar angel was carved into the surface.


    Tao recognized the angel from the website they had browsed after school. Wow. How long has it been? It feels like I¡¯ve lived a hundred lives in just a couple of hours.


    Gabe flipped the coin into the slot and the lock clicked open.


    The doors to the Cells slid open.


    A wave of cold air hit them.


    Tao peered inside. The hallway beyond was pitch black.


    Gabe grinned and shoved them forward.


    But Oscar reacted without thinking.


    He spun around and grabbed the edge of Gabe¡¯s coat, pulling him inside the Cells.


    Gabe¡¯s eyes widened. He tried to yank Oscar¡¯s hands away, but it was too late.


    The force of the pull sent him staggering backward.


    The doors slammed shut behind them.


    Gabe crashed into the trio and they were all sent barreling towards the floor.


    The sound of metal echoed throughout the darkness.


    The gun hit the floor with a sickening clunk.


    It spun once. Then¨C


    Silence.


    Nobody breathed. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke.


    And then everyone was sent scrambling in the darkness to find it.


    ¡°You idiots! What did you do?!¡± Gabe shouted in the dark, his voice strained.


    Nobody responded.


    The trio were still tied together, so they moved like a worm in quick successions. Tao pushed forward while dragging Oscar and Jacob behind him.


    As Tao tried to get to his feet, his shoulder slammed into a wall, dropping him back on his knees. A boot crushed Oscar¡¯s fingers as somebody tripped over him.


    Jacob was the only one seemingly calm in the situation as he moved with precision making sure to avoid any injuries.


    Somewhere in the dark, Gabe¡¯s voice turned sharp.


    ¡°I swear to God, once I find this gun, all of you are fucking dead!¡±


    Tao couldn¡¯t react before a hand snatched around his ankle.


    He instinctively kicked back, the bottom of his foot connecting with Gabe¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ow¡­you little shit!¡± Gabe cursed, but his grip remained tight. His fingers dug into Tao''s flesh as his other hand clasped at his knee.


    Tao gasped in pain, frantically looking for anything that would push him away from Gabe. His hands scraped against the floor, but there was nothing he could use as leverage.


    Oscar fumbled his fingers around Gabe¡¯s pockets. He was distracted, so this was the only time Oscar could do something. I brought us into this mess, so I have to get us out.


    Then his fingers touched something sharp.


    A knife.


    Oscar pulled the switchblade out of Gabe''s pocket and carefully caressed the blade in the dark to flip it open.


    I''m not a killer. I can''t do this. I won''t become a murderer.


    Oscar cut the ropes binding himself and quickly took off his backpack. He scrambled around inside, his hands getting dirty with the blood that had become dried.


    Oscar took out the flashlight and switched it on, revealing Jacob crouching behind him.


    ¡°Hold still!¡± Oscar hissed, rapidly sawing through the thick rope that was around Jacob''s wrists.


    The second the rope snapped, Jacob jerked away the remains of the restraints.


    Then they were reminded as Tao let out a blood-curdling scream.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Gabe had reached Tao¡¯s chest, his entire weight pressing down into him.


    Oscar frantically scanned the room for the only thing that could save them, the flashlight beam bouncing off the walls.


    The gun was only a few feet in front of them.


    Gabe saw it too, the gun cleansing the rage in his eyes.


    For a second, he hesitated, but ultimately, slammed Tao¡¯s head into the concrete as he lunged forward.


    Jacob didn¡¯t even think. He didn¡¯t have time.


    If Gabe got that gun, they were all dead.


    So he lunged forward, swishing past Oscar.


    Jacob was fast, but Gabe was much faster.


    The gun was inches away. I had to do something.


    Jacob threw himself forward with all his strength, fingers stretching.


    Too slow.


    Gabe¡¯s hand wrapped around the grip.


    His fingers curled around the trigger.


    Jacob¡¯s eyes sparkled in the dark, the entire room slowing down for him.


    Gabe smirked.


    And then he pulled the trigger.


    Silence.


    A deafening silence spread throughout the hallway.


    ¡°W-what?¡± Gabe¡¯s grin disappeared. The safety was on.


    Jacob didn¡¯t hesitate.


    With one final push, he stretched his arms out, diving straight into Gabe¡¯s side, knocking him off his feet.


    The gun fell from Gabe¡¯s hand, clattering across the floor once more.


    Tao groaned, pushing himself up from the concrete, his vision still blurry from his chest being crushed.


    Oscar was frozen like a statue, simply holding the flashlight towards the scuffle that Gabe and Jacob were in.


    They threw punches at each other on the ground. Jacob landed a hit to Gabe¡¯s ribs, but Gabe retaliated, slamming a knee into Jacob¡¯s chin.


    Jacob threw his head back, his chin erupting pain into his head.


    Gabe clutched at his stomach, but he was already crawling towards the gun.


    But Tao saw it first.


    And he did not hesitate.


    The gun had slid just beyond their scuffle, near the exit of the hallway where everything remained pitch-black after it.


    This was it.


    If Gabe got the gun again, they were dead.


    Jacob was flat out on his back, Oscar was frozen, and all stood between death and life was me.


    Tao¡¯s hands clenched. His entire body was still aching, but he had to force himself forward, ignoring the pain.


    He moved.


    So did Gabe.


    Tao¡¯s heart pounded in his ears with each step that he took.


    Jacob, catching his breath while trying to sit up, shouted, ¡°Tao! Look¡ª¡±


    Too late.


    Gabe grabbed the collar of Tao¡¯s shirt, and yanked him straight into the floor.


    Tao hit the floor, his body going immediately limp.


    Gabe stepped over him. ¡°Stay down, kid.¡±


    He turned, his hand reaching for the gun.


    A shadow brushed past Gabe.


    And before he could even react, a foot connected with the gun.


    The weapon skidded across the floor, spinning once.


    And landed straight into Jacob¡¯s hands.


    Gabe¡¯s heart sank.


    He tried to lunge, but it was too late.


    Jacob switched the safety off, and fired one shot.


    Bang.


    Gabe¡¯s body jerked violently.


    Then slowly, he collapsed to the floor.


    His body hit the floor with a thud, his lifeless eyes staring into the ceiling.


    Blood seeped from his forehead.


    Jacob lowered the gun, his breathing stabilizing.


    He stared at the body for a moment.


    Then he let out a deep sigh. ¡°Stay down.¡±


    Tao exhaled shakily, finally recovering from being dropped on his back.


    Oscar stood frozen. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his hands shaking.


    He had done it.


    He acted impulsively again.


    And someone was dead because of it.


    Tao rose to his feet and limped over to Oscar, placing a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Oscar.¡±


    Oscar snapped out of it. His arms stayed at his side.


    Then, slowly, he looked up to Jacob.


    Jacob wiped Gabe¡¯s blood off the gun, then tucked it into his waistband.


    ¡°Are you fucking crazy?!¡± Oscar burst out, his hands shaking violently.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Jacob met Oscar¡¯s gaze, confused.


    ¡°I said, are you fucking crazy?!¡± Oscar exploded, sweat dripping from his head. ¡°Why did you kill him?!¡±


    Jacob scoffed, stepping up to Oscar. ¡°If I didn¡¯t do that, we would all be dead. Is that what you want?¡±


    ¡°N-n-no of course not. But we would¡¯ve had him at gunpoint. There was so much he could tell us. There was no reason to-¡± Oscar began breaking down, but Tao was there to hold him up.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Oscar. But it had to happen. Calm down for now,¡± Tao whispered, trying to reassure his best friend.


    Jacob tilted his head towards Gabe¡¯s corpse. ¡°You know what? If he had the chance, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to put a bullet in your skull. Or Tao¡¯s. Or mine.¡± His voice dropped. ¡°So I didn¡¯t hesitate either.¡±


    Tao locked eyes with Jacob. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Jacob clicked his tongue but didn¡¯t argue.


    Silence enveloped the hallway, thick and suffocating.


    The only sound was Gabe¡¯s blood forming into a pool onto the floor.


    Tao looked toward the room ahead past the hallway exit¡ªThe Cells, shrouded in blackness.


    ¡°Come on. Go pick up your backpack and hold the flashlight tightly,¡± Tao spoke softly at Oscar.


    Oscar swallowed hard, but he didn¡¯t have any more energy to fight back. His hands were still trembling, but he walked over, carefully avoiding Gabe¡¯s body, to his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder.


    Jacob exhaled sharply. ¡°We need to move. There¡¯s no way out of the Cells unless we go through the elevator at the very end like I mentioned. All this corpse serves now is a reminder of what needs to happen if we want to make it out alive.¡±


    And one by one¡ª


    They stepped into the dark, leaving behind the last remains of whatever innocence they had left.

 Chapter 9: Come Back To Me

    Oscar wasted little time flicking the flashlight on. They had barely escaped Gabe¡¯s grasp, and he wasn¡¯t keen on navigating through the dark.


    Jacob had the gun tucked in waistband, the safety off. Tao was the only one empty handed as the bat he had was left behind in the Observation Room. He felt oddly naked.


    The Cells were colder than the rest of the floor. Not just physically, but in a way that made Tao¡¯s head feel like it was about to explode.


    The air carried a smell that resembled old newspapers. Something old. Something forgotten.


    Jacob placed a hand on the gun, but didn¡¯t raise it. ¡°Stay close.¡±


    Oscar scoffed. ¡°Like we have a choice.¡±


    Then¡­something moved in the dark.


    The darkness concealed the figure, but the noise it made was¡­unnatural.


    A soft shuffle. A dragging sound.


    Jacob didn¡¯t seem to see it because Oscar was the first to stop.


    ¡°Wait¡­did you guys see that?¡±


    Tao didn¡¯t. He was at the very back, and had mostly been in his own headspace the entire time.


    Jacob raised the pistol at the darkness, a brave display which could have otherwise been valiant.


    A shadow raised above Oscar and in one fell swoop, he disappeared into the darkness.


    No scream. No struggle. Just¡­gone.


    The flashlight dropped with a hard thud, illuminating what it could.


    ¡°Oscar!¡± Tao shouted at the dark, he didn¡¯t have any time to react.


    There was no response, just silence.


    Then a soft humming echoed throughout.


    Somewhere deep in the Cells.


    A lullaby.


    Jacob collapsed to the floor, letting out a soft chuckle. ¡°We are so fucked¡­¡±


    Tao, enraged, walked up to Jacob, yanking the gun from his hands.


    ¡°What do you mean? What the fuck was that?¡± Tao¡¯s voice was stern, rage storming inside him.


    Jacob raised his hands in surrender. ¡°I know what that was. I know what these monsters have been trying to fabricate. I can¡¯t believe they actually did it. Sick bastards.¡± He swallowed hard, his bravado slipping.


    The lullaby continued, this time growing softer, the sound moving farther away.


    Taking Oscar with them.


    Tao¡¯s grip tightened on the gun. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Jacob slung his head up, gaze meeting Tao¡¯s.


    ¡°That was what they call ¡®The Mother¡¯.¡±


    Tao froze, the name sent chills down his spine. ¡°The Mother? What does that even mean? Make some sense, Jacob.¡±


    Jacob let out a heavy sigh, standing back on his feet.


    ¡°The Ark has been trying to perfect a human specimen for the longest time now. But what they didn¡¯t expect was these inhumane side effects to the experiments they were conducting. Once they experimented enough, they found out what works and what doesn¡¯t. The Mother is a being they have been curating for the longest time. I guess it finally succeeded.¡±


    Tao gasped. Could it be? Was he too late?


    Jacob noticed Tao¡¯s face. It was as if all the air was zapped out of him.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t her. The Ark wouldn¡¯t go this far to just use her as a throwaway. She¡¯s still alive. I promise.¡±


    Tao reached down and picked the flashlight. The beam was slightly dimmer, but was still better than navigating in the dark.


    ¡°Can I have the gun back?¡± Jacob muttered.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Sorry. I just¡­really want to see my sister again,¡± Tao whispered.


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    ¡°I swear you will,¡± Jacob said, putting a shoulder on Tao¡¯s shoulder and taking the gun from him.


    ¡°Now, come on. Let¡¯s go get Oscar back first.¡±


    ¡°But how? We don¡¯t even know what it is,¡± Tao questioned.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Whatever it is, we¡¯re gonna kill it,¡± Jacob stated, checking the clip on the gun.


    14 rounds left. Plenty.


    ¡°Allright, I don¡¯t know my way around the Cells because very few people have been here before, but The Mother most likely resides at the very back. Near where we were headed anyway. The plan is to find her, kill her, and get Oscar back. Once that¡¯s done, we take the elevator to head to the bottom floor,¡± Jacob explained.


    Tao nodded. There was nothing we wouldn¡¯t do to get Lucy back.


    With that, the duo pressed forward, moving through the dark corridors with nothing but a flashlight and a pistol.


    The lullaby grew softer, drifting deeper into the Cells.


    Rows of empty cells lined the walls. Most of them were empty, but some had remains of blood and other bodily fluids.


    Some doors were wide open, others hung off rusted hinges.


    Tao drifted the beam across the floor revealing scratches, drag marks, and something weird.


    A dark and congealed substance covered the floor.


    Jacob broke the silence.


    ¡°The Ark¡­they really tried this hard to perfect something for a while. Once their plan for a perfect human kept on failing, they pivoted to a pet project. This is what is the result of it.¡±


    Tao kept walking. ¡°Why? What¡¯s the whole point of this?¡±


    ¡°They want vessels,¡± Jacob muttered. ¡°But they made a mistake.¡±


    The flashlight flicked, its beam landing on a twisted mass in one of the cells.


    Tao gagged.


    It wasn¡¯t a body. There were several. All of them were fused together. Limbs hung from every part of the mass. The dark substance covered the mass. Its skin was paper-thin, stretching all over the bones that didn''t align.


    ¡°Jesus Christ¡­¡± Tao whispered, covering his nose from the revolting smell.


    Jacob¡¯s face twitched. ¡°Failed attempts. This is what happens to the people unfit for the procedure. They become a hollow version of themselves stuck in neverendless purgatory. It¡¯s sad. I¡¯ve never been here myself, but I would see the transformations first hand and it was¡­¡±


    Jacob put a hand over his mouth. ¡°Never mind¡­let¡¯s keep walking.¡±


    They pressed forward, finding more cells. Each of them is worse than the last. Each of them leaves a permanent imprint on their minds.


    One contained a figure slumped in a corner, a pair of skeletal hands were stuck to the cell wall. The dark substance covered their entire body like a type of parasite. The figure¡¯s eyes pierced Tao¡¯s soul. Its eyes were so empty, wanting death.


    Kill me.


    Another cell had a child-sized figure sitting upright, its head tilted sideways. Tao thought it was dead until it began to twitch.


    Its fingers began moving in erratic speed, emanating a crunch sound that reverberated in Tao¡¯s ears.


    Tao moved instinctively.


    He rushed towards the figure, kneeling down just before it. His hands wrapped around its frail body, dark sludge seeping onto his shirt.


    ¡°Tao, no! You can¡¯t help them! I¡¯ve tried!¡± Jacob shouted, sprinting to him, attempting to pry the figure from him.


    ¡°But he¡¯s hurting! He needs help!¡± Tao cried back, pulling the figure closer.


    The figure¡¯s head twitched. Then its neck snapped, and its head rotated backward.


    It had no eyes, the dark substance slipping out like a tear.


    ¡°Waaaaaah,¡± it cried, an infant-like wail.


    Its tiny hands gripped Tao¡¯s shoulders, pulling itself closer.


    Its jaw began tearing open revealing blackened teeth beneath the stretched flesh.


    Tao froze, panic setting in.


    Jacob didn¡¯t.


    BANG


    A single shot was fired, tearing through the figure''s head. Its body went limp instantly, slumping in Tao¡¯s arms.


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    Tao flinched, his chest heaving.


    There¡¯s no saving them.


    He was covered in the dark substance, the smell sticking to his skin like glue.


    Jacob grabbed him by the collar and yanked him backward, away from the corpse.


    ¡°You can¡¯t save them,¡± Jacob hissed, his voice strained with regret. ¡°They¡¯re gone. All of them.¡±


    Tao¡¯s hands trembled. The figure¡¯s wail echoed inside his ears.


    For the first time, he felt it. This feeling was draining.


    He wanted to curl up and disappear. He wanted to be back home with his mom. He wanted to sit on the couch watching TV with Lucy.


    That¡¯s right. Me and her would watch the morning cartoons together just before we left for school. Mom would be in the kitchen preparing breakfast while our laughter echoed in the living room.


    I want to be back at school goofing around with Oscar during lunch or computer class.


    That¡¯s right. Me and Oscar would often eat our lunch quickly, so we could sneak off to the computer lab. We would play games all lunch period or go on weird websites and have a blast.


    That¡¯s right. If I didn¡¯t click that link, I wouldn¡¯t be here.


    Oscar wouldn¡¯t be here.


    Lucy would still be safe.


    Mom wouldn¡¯t be alone.


    Tao¡¯s breath quickened, his chest moving up and down.


    He bit down on his lip, blood seeping out. He pushed these memories away.


    Tao¡¯s vision blurred, tears mixing with the grime on his face.


    ¡°I have to fix this,¡± he whispered, voice cracking.


    ¡°I swear to God¡­I¡¯m gonna fix this.¡±