The feeling of being watched finally hit Tess before she and the other four recruits stopped laughing. Their rose-tinted, watery eyes fixated upon the figure of the Professor, who stood before them, his eyes gently closed, displaying patience amidst the lingering laughter. Behind him, the commander and the stoic soldiers stationed by the door maintained their serious countenances, unwavering in their duty.
"Huh?" Tess, perplexed, turned her gaze back towards the Professor, seeking clarity in his presence.
"It is evident," the Professor spoke, his voice steady, "that thou shalt require time to internalize the revelations bestowed upon thee." With a subtle glide, his chair rolled backward as he began to rise. The elongated robes he wore and his deliberate movements gave the illusion that he would ascend indefinitely towards the lofty heights of the ceiling, yet he halted at the precipice of standing.
Fully upright now, he added, "I shall withdraw to rejoin my esteemed brethren." With a graceful bow, he turned away, proceeding down the aisle flanked by towering shelves. As his back faced them, their gazes fell upon his cascading, silver-gray locks that reached down to his back.
Following in the Professor's wake into the darkness, the commander trailed behind, leaving the recruits alone in the room with the watchful soldiers. The door slid open, the soldiers prompting the five teens to proceed. Bewildered and still grappling with their swirling thoughts, the bewildered teens rose from their seats and dutifully obeyed, stepping forward into the unknown.
They were escorted to their living complex, entering a spacious room adorned with several pristine white couches and a resplendent grand chandelier suspended above their heads. Three additional archways connected to the room, each leading to different areas.
One archway beckoned towards the hallway they had traversed earlier, while another offered a glimpse of the outdoors through a glass door, revealing a shimmering pool illuminated by underwater lights that cast dancing reflections in the darkness. A hint of a silver cabinet hinted at the kitchen beyond the last archway.
The place exuded luxury, but Tess's mind was preoccupied, devoid of interest in the lavish surroundings. She slouched on a couch, legs drawn up, and lowered her head until it gently touched her knees.
Her eyes remained open, vacant, as her thoughts wrestled with the surreal nature of their current reality. Lifting her head proved arduous, accompanied by a slight throbbing in her temples. Her gaze shifted to her fellow companions scattered throughout the room.
Lanse occupied one end of a couch, his elbows resting on his lap as he fixated on the ground, peering through the gap between his legs. Likewise, Zack sat in a similar posture, hands clasped tightly over his face, seeking solace in temporary seclusion.
On the other end of the couch, Zino sat, her multifunction bracelet pressed to her ear, attempting to make a distress call, yet met with silence, either a consequence of unanswered calls or the inability to connect.
Szedra occupied another couch, in solitude, supporting her head with her hand, while her jaw rested on her forearm, her eyes gently shut. The atmosphere was permeated by a sense of despondency and frustration..
Lanse's voice resonated through the room, breaking the silence as he rose to his feet. "I am leaving."
Tess uncrossed her legs, allowing her feet to touch the floor, and followed suit, no longer willing to endure the interminable waiting. "How do you plan to do that?" she inquired, her voice tinged with eagerness.
"I'll figure that out," Lanse replied calmly, slipping a pair of black, fingerless gloves onto his hands. His composed demeanor hinted at either a well-thought-out plan or recklessness from being suicidal.
Szedra's eyes fluttered open, withdrawing her hand from beneath her chin, as if rousing herself from a slumber within her own dream world. "Finally, something that sounds practical," she remarked, rising to her feet in agreement with the decision.
Zack, having absorbed their conversation, moved his hands from his face to look up at the three as they began to walk towards the archway that led into the hallway.
"I'm coming too," he declared, ready to join their escape. However, his intentions were halted by a sudden exclamation from Zino.
"Wait!"
They stopped to turn to her standing with trembling legs.
"We can't leave. What if we get caught and punished for trying to escape? Or worse, killed!"
Her words hung in the air, sending shivers down their spines. Tess's attention snapped away from Zino's terror-stricken visage, her mind grappling with the weight of those ominous possibilities.
"We don't even know what this place is," Zino continued. "What if there are cameras—" her voice got lower "—audio or motion sensors, and electrocution beams?" Tears welled in her eyes, cascading down her cheeks.
"Hey!" Zack interjected, attempting to reassure her. "No one is going to be killed, not when I'm around."
Szedra chimed in with a touch of sarcasm, her voice tinged with monotony as she glanced down at her hand, adorned with black-painted nails, held close to her face. "Well, that's certainly reassuring."
He continued despite Szedra's belittling, distancing himself from the couch to get closer to ZIno. "We just need to stick together. Leave no one behind." He took Zino's hand who did not hesitate to shuffle closer to him.
"Okay," she responded meekly. "At least I won't die alone."
Tess, disliking the pessimistic tone of Zino's words, took it upon herself to gather her hair into a small bun at the back of her head and secure her cap firmly in place. With Zino and Zack positioned behind her, they formed a line and proceeded towards the archway, determination etched on their faces.
Unexpectedly, Lanse came to a sudden halt, causing Tess, who was behind him, to collide nose-first with the back of his rock-solid head. "Ugh!" she exclaimed, taking a step back, unintentionally jabbing Szedra in the elbow in the process.
"Ouch!" Szedra hissed, retaliating by stepping back and accidentally stomping on Zack's foot. "Ow! That was my already injured toe," he grumbled.
Zino let out a short shriek as she too stepped back, creating a chain reaction of minor mishaps.
"Crap," Lanse muttered, retracting his leg that had extended into the archway. Tess, using her hands to push against his back, prevented him from bumping into her once more. Frustrated and slightly annoyed, she snapped in a low voice, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"There's a shadow. Someone's coming this way towards the room," Lanse hurriedly explained in fragments, freezing in place to listen intently and fix his gaze ahead. They all followed his lead, witnessing the faint silhouette of a head moving along the wall just outside the archway.
In a swift motion, they scurried back to their respective couches, feigning absolute stillness, as if they hadn't moved a muscle.