As the door creaked open, Ezekiel emerged with a fierce scowl etched on his face, unable to hide the anger that had been simmering within him during his captivity within a blazing well.
Yet, his eyes were met not with an equally enraged individual, but with a young woman whose countenance was positively radiant.
Her peculiar gaze held a sense of intrigue, as if she knew something that Ezekiel did not.
Initially poised to pounce on whoever lay beyond the door, Ezekiel halted his attack as he took in the sight before him.
There was something about this girl that made him pause, that made him consider a different approach. Perhaps there was more to this situation than he initially thought.
As he mulled over his next move, he took a few moments to simply gaze in silence at the girl before him. She appeared to be around his age, or perhaps even older, with her golden locks cascading down her cheeks and her large, dark eyes contrasting sharply against her pale complexion.
Despite the cold weather, her lips appeared as pale as the rest of her face, and were marred by numerous scratches.
Standing beside him, she seemed diminutive in comparison, and he couldn't help but notice that even among his peers, he was considered tall - much like his father before him.
The girl was dressed casually in a pair of jeans, a dark hoodie, and a military-green jacket layered on top.
Ezekiel regarded the girl with suspicion, his gaze sweeping from head to toe. He knew he needed to remain level-headed until he could ascertain what was truly happening.
The girl seemed to recognize him, offering a friendly smile and opening the door further. In that moment, Ezekiel caught sight of his little brother nestled safely in the girl's arms.
He couldn't help but feel taken aback, his eyebrows rising in surprise as he studied the scene before him. He examined his brother's face intently, searching for any signs of distress before turning his attention back to the girl.
"Why is he with you?" he asked, his voice measured and calm.
Ezekiel swiftly closed the distance between himself and the boy, his intentions clear.
However, his own flesh and blood, his little brother, resisted his advance with all his might. Ezekiel's heart sank at the realization that his brother did not recognize him and knew nothing of their shared past.
The young child was even afraid of him, and Ezekiel knew it was because he was responsible for tearing him away from their parents.
A pained cry escaped from Nathan's lips as Ezekiel's arms reached out for him. In a moment of desperation, the girl stepped in, raising her arm to halt Ezekiel's advance.
Inadvertently, she made contact with his bare chest. Ezekiel recoiled from her touch, his expression darkening with anger.
"Don't touch me," he snarled, his gaze fixed on her. "Why is he with you? You had better start talking, or I will end your life right here and now."
In the midst of this tense moment, a man suddenly appeared in the hallway. He was older than the others, yet still quite young, perhaps in his late twenties.
The most striking thing about him was his unique appearance: his hair was gray, and he had cut the right half of it completely, opting instead to tattoo a volcano mountain in its place. The left half was left long, cascading down to his neck in a dark wave.
The man's piercing green eyes and rugged, masculine features added to his aura of mystery and strength.
He was taller and more muscular than Ezekiel, making him appear larger despite their similar heights. His attire was reminiscent of military gear, with a dark shirt and jacket.
On his leg, he carried something that looked like weaponry.
In this charged atmosphere, the sudden appearance of this mysterious man only added to the sense of danger.
"You did it," he said, referring to his successful completion of the test. "We lost a few along the way, but that was to be expected. Some people just can't use their brains to the fullest."
Ezekiel scoffed. "A few?" he muttered under his breath.
As Ezekiel engaged in conversation with the mysterious figure before him, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
"Your voice sounds different," he noted, his brow furrowed with suspicion.
But the enigmatic stranger merely chuckled. "Ah, yes, I altered it with a spell to ensure you took our previous conversation seriously. After all, would you have believed me if I didn't sound like a middle-aged man?"
Ezekiel remained skeptical, pressing the stranger for answers. "Who are you?" he demanded, his impatience mounting.
As the tension between them grew, a nearby girl interjected, "You two can't stand here all day, you know." With that, she strode away, leaving Ezekiel to wonder just what he had stumbled into.
The man invited Ezekiel indoors, citing the chilly weather outside, but upon realizing that he had followed him, he quickly clarified, "You do understand that you are not among government officials, correct?" He went on to emphasize their stark differences.
Inside, Ezekiel was taken aback by the large group of people gathered in the room. Feeling uneasy and uncertain about what was happening, he urged the gentleman to introduce him. However, Ezekiel's attention was primarily focused on the girl cradling his brother, Nathan, in her arms. He refrained from approaching her, fearful of appearing frightening to Nathan who was already intimidated by him.
``As a person that has supremacy signs you are destined to be dead when discovered, you had to be reported to the authorities but for some reason, your parents didn't do that and you ended up indulging yourself with life like any other normal person, am right ?`` the man said with a sarcastic smile on his rigid face .
Ezekiel didn't want to say anything, he just looked away, but the man added :" Am I right, Ezekiel Cooper?"