I take in the seamless marble floors and massive crystal bay windows covering Victor's office, where he insisted on bringing me after I accepted to answer his questions. Olivia and the other man, whose name I had found out was Robert, both didn't want to allow me to move around and said I needed more rest. They both called it a physical and mental "breathing space". I was the one who assured them I was more than ready to get out of bed and go with Victor, to which they couldn't object further.
The wide marble hall led to a wide desk made of white wood. Toward the right, there was a sitting area with a circular crystal coffee table and a couple of white armchairs. At this point, I couldn´t ignore the apparent liking of the rather minimalistic kind of interior design people had here, consisting of light colors with wooden and glass furniture. On the left side, a modern spiral staircase went up to the second floor, which I supposed led to his bedroom.
During the few minutes I had been beholding the impressive surroundings, the eager tall man had gone directly to the front desk to look in between his drawers. I stood awaiting his signal to start the "interview". Curiosity had taken the best of me, so any kind of explanation I could get from this discussion would be greatly appreciated by my anxious mind, spiraling about what this scenario was, could be, and will be, and most importantly, what my current state of safety was.
Suddenly, Victor raises his head and looks at me, after a few seconds he finally says:
"Please sit down and get comfortable, we'll start in a minute. And again, don´t worry, as Olivia told you before, these are just some questions we do to get some background information. We do this for all the people that we take in or rescue. I know you must also have a lot of questions and we'll get to those in due time."- He talks at a pretty fast pace, his manners denote eagerness, which only makes me feel more befuddled.
I slowly walk up to one of the armchairs. My legs are still a little bit sore, and probably will be for the next couple of days. As I sit down, I watch him grab a digital tablet and pen, his eyes move quickly from the top to the bottom of the screen, skim-reading through whatever is being displayed on the modern gadget. I start thinking of the questions I wanted to ask him but my mind is still racing, not being able to slow down to form one coherent thought.
Eventually, he sits down on the armchair opposite me. Having him up close this way allows me to examine his features more closely. His hair is wildly tousled, a few strands framing his forehead and prominent eyebrows. His emerald eyes, although vibrant and euphoric, are accompanied by darkened eye bags, signaling a clear lack of sleep. Had he been up all night? If so, why?
After lightly clearing his throat, he began talking in a controlled but enthusiastic demeanor:
"Alright, let's begin with the basics: I'll introduce myself and you'll do the same, okay?" -After a short pause, I gently nod with my head, to which he smiles kindly and continues. - "Well, my name is Victor Atlas, I'm a neurologist and the Superior in Atlas. My father founded Atlas after traveling the world and meeting extraordinary people with great abilities. Most of those people lived in horrible conditions, that's why he wanted to create an organization, similar to an academy, where they could enhance and put those capacities to use. We specialize in mental talents and the development of gifted intelligence, but we offer training in combat and other physical activities as well. Now, I know you're probably confused as to why I know your name, well... this isn´t the first time we've met. Although I didn't recognize you at first, when they did the ocular scan everything made sense, and… Normally, instructors are the ones who do this kind of interview, but…I had to meet you."
He's getting very excited, struggling to correctly express his last thoughts, letting emotions rather than words leave his mouth, but I can also sense a hint of melancholy. At this point, I'm speechless, the fact that this stranger, who seems to be a very well-known person, knows who I am and is more than inclined to talk to me leaves me in complete disorientation. I venture out of my initial silence and with complete honesty I say:
"I'm terribly sorry sir, but I have no idea who you are."
. . .
*3ºperson POV*
Olivia Jacques walks hurriedly through the corridors leading to the backdoor; there's been an alert of a newcomer. She replies and commands Rescue Team 4 about the instructions to follow. In a couple of minutes, she's standing in front of the elevator which goes down to the subterranean level and connects the secret entryway from the forest. This is a pretty peculiar rescue, considering no one tends to find that entrance without knowing of its existence beforehand.
They quickly inform her that the foreigner is a young girl who's in critical condition. As she hears the information she speeds up until she reaches the underground lobby adjacent to the forest backdoor. She's shocked at the view. How could that frail, weak, and malnourished girl cross the forest, made specifically as concealment? The medical personnel assists the unconscious lady while Olivia calls Victor.
"Sir, we have a rescuee. She's a very young girl in awful condition and is being transferred to intensive care as we speak. How do you want us to proceed?"- The answer is quick, and completely out of the ordinary, leaving Olivia mute.
"I saw everything. I order you to transfer her to a medical dorm immediately. I will talk to her as soon as she wakes up."