•National Science Academy, 1st Ward•
Ana
The wardens escorted Ana outside the forest and into a small temporary quarantine camp. Valerian and Ambrose followed close behind for questioning.
She could hear whispers from other students as she passed them.
"What happened?"
"What's wrong?"
"Is he dead?"
" Well, looks like they can't hide it from the students anymore," Ambrose said excitedly. Ana shot him a glare. "What? A win is a win" He shrugged.
"Ana! Are you ok?" Yelled a familiar voice. She turned and saw Lily among the crowd. Worry was evident in her features as she tried to push across the crowd to get closer to her but the wardens stopped her from reaching Ana.
"I'm fine," Ana reassured her. At least she hoped she was fine. 'What have I gotten myself into?" She thought to herself as they entered a large white tent.
As Ana stepped into the sterile and heavily guarded facility, she couldn't help but feel a mix of fear and worry. She knew that entering the laboratory meant she might be in grave danger, but she also understood that whatever was happening seemed to be crucial for her investigation.
Inside the lab, masked scientists and medical personnel worked tirelessly, their faces hidden behind layers of protective gear. Ana was led to a small, isolated chamber, where she underwent a series of tests to determine the extent of her infection. She gasped as she saw a needle.
"Anesthesia induced" A masked scientist announced.
Surprisingly the anesthesia didn't make her sleepy. Perhaps they used the wrong dosage. She held her breath as the tests were conducted, anxiously waiting for the results.
"Results?" A familiar voice boomed as a figure entered the room. "Sir," all the people in the room saluted before going back to their tasks.
"The virus' incubation period should be from 5-10 minutes. The symptoms should show within this period" A scientist reported to Valerian while reading her results.
He handed Valerian a clipboard and Ana saw Valerian's brows knot as he flipped through the pages. "These results say she's negative for the virus"
"Yes, sir. She showed no signs or symptoms. After conducting another test, her results came out negative."
"Impossible" Valerian barked as he threw the clipboard on the floor. "She was bitten by an infected. The virus should be coursing through her veins by now."
"Normally, that would be the case, sir. But this is the first time we encountered such a situation" The scientist cowered as he tried to explain.
"Maybe we should contact the prime minister. He's been the one who continued the research after you left a year ago-"
Suddenly the room suddenly felt cold, and Ana felt shivers run up her spine as Balerian glared at the scientist. "No." He growled. " I told him to stop the research. I told him to burn everything and destroy the virus." He barked, slamming his hand on the table.
The sound reverberated across the room causing the other scientists to flinch and stop what they were doing.
"Why didn't you tell me the virus was spreading throughout the sanctuary!" He barked. "Do you understand what this means?!" He added.
"With all due respect, sir. The Prime Minister has been doing everything to control the spread of the infection." The wardens behind him explained.
In an instant, Valerian wrapped his hand around the warden's neck and pinned him dangerously to the wall. The warden coughed in pain as Valerian tightened his grip on his neck. "Don't make me laugh."
"Valerian? What are you doing here?" Ana asked confused.
"Why is she awake?" Valerian barked at them as the scientist shuffled around in panic.
"But we induced the strongest dose of Anesthesia..."
Valerian pinched his nose bridge and sighed. "Can't you do anything right!"
"You can leave Ms. Firmin. It seems you're not infected."
"Valerian, explain" She ordered.
"Leave us." Valerian waved his hand and instantly the scientists crowded towards the door and left one by one.
"You're quite peculiar, sunshine," Valerian said as she sat on the seat next to her. She sat up from the bed, pulling out the various wires connected to her. Ana couldn't see his face from the layers of protective gear he was wearing but she could tell he was nursing a smile of amusement.
Valerian waved his hand and a blue screen appeared in front of them. "The virus entered your body through direct contact-- the bite-- and yet you showed no signs or symptoms. You were induced with anesthesia and yet your body doesn't seem to be numb."
"See?" He gestured at the screen. "Your white blood cells completely destroyed the virus--better yet, it seemed the virus merged completely with your cells."
Valerian took of his helmet. He looked at her straight in the eye. Suddenly, Ana felt a familiar bone-chilling shiver as she stared at his crystal blue eyes. Ana wanted to run. This was more than she bargained for. She wanted nothing to do with this mess.
Valerian blinked and suddenly his blue pupils turned yellow. Cat-like eyes stared at her, like the ones she saw at the clocktower.
As their eyes locked in an intense gaze, time seemed to slow down for both of them. In that moment, the world around them faded away, leaving only the raw vulnerability of her emotions on display.
Each heartbeat echoed like a drum in their chests, the intensity of the connection filling the air with an electric charge. For the first time since she met him, she finally felt genuine FEAR.
She could feel his breath on her skin, the closeness intensifying the emotions swirling within her. Ana gulped. 'He was dangerous.' she thought. Now it was finally clear to her why RAQCI wanted him assassinated.
Valerian's eyes narrowed, reflecting a mix of anger and curiosity as he leaned closer to her, his voice low and demanding.
"Tell me the truth," he commanded, his tone hard. "Who are you?"