Chapter 6 - Investigation

Now that I was free, I wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't that I didn't like that I was finally out of my cell, it's that I wasn't sure what lay ahead of me. I questioned myself which direction I should go. But, I was afraid...

Not sure what to do first, I decided to walk in the opposite direction of where that kid from earlier had run off to. That kid is bigger than me, and a raging monster at that. I did not want to take the risks, not yet at least, when there were other options to explore first, and when there were still a few things that I was curious about.

The first thing I checked for was the children in the other cells. I walked up towards the nearest one. 

When I went closer, a horrid stench caught me off guard. There was a corpse in the corner of the room, one that seemed to have started rotting not too long ago!

I backed away and looked elsewhere and could not help vomiting. It was a sight that I had never once seen in my life on earth, and the thought of the corpse being that of an imprisoned child too, it disgusted me! 

I couldn't stay near the cell any longer, for it might induce nightmares later. I didn't want that.

As I walked up to the next room, I met a familiar scene. I quickly turn my head away, not wanting to stare at another corpse again. Unfortunately, the more rooms I passed by, the more my memories were getting filled with the pictures of innocent children who died a death so undeserved.

It was all the same horror movie all around me as I traversed through the opposite direction of where the kid had run off to. Soon, I met with a dead end. I turned around, ready to head back, but that's when a thought struck me. 

Perhaps it was because I had been too focused on the children, that I didn't notice it earlier. 

The bowls in each room, there were less of them the closer the room was to the end of the hallway. The room to my left and right for example, had two empty bowls.

I nodded to myself before I began to move forward. Each of the cell rooms before mine fell under my eyes again. My eyes moved from one corner to another, quickly catching the number of bowls there are in each room. 

The sight of corpses, especially those which looked like humans, I wasn't yet comfortable with. I knew I would have to get used to it, however. But that's why, the more rooms I passed by, the more my turmoil heart became stable. I had to be strong in this world. I forced myself to do so at that moment while walking through what seemed to be the path to the underworld.

 It might take a while, but perhaps one day, I'll have to be cold-blooded.

Two bowls, three bowls, four bowls, and so on. It seems there was a level to each cell room. I for example was in level six A or seven B. A total of seven bowls of food that I was allowed, while those after me, level seven and so on, received more food, and perhaps, better food too.

Thinking about my experience a few minutes ago, my heart felt heavy. I couldn't imagine surviving within an even harsher condition than that I was in. It made sense why I'm still alive while those kids from level six B and prior are all dead. 

As such thoughts sinked into me, I felt terrified. This world, no, rather, this place that I had opened my eyes to… Those that are behind this place, those soldiers, they must be cruel and dangerous!

"This…"

While passing by the cells of level seven and higher, I felt my own reality shatter. I was baffled by how the reality was so different from what I was expecting. I had thought that with the increase of food there would be plenty of others alive, but I was wrong. 

It was all just a deja vu. The very same horror that I had experienced earlier. Other than the empty cell room level nine, everyone I found was either a corpse or a fresh corpse. 

Out of all the fourteen levels there are in this area, it seems that me and that raging kid were the only ones still alive.

I had reached the end of the area. The exit, presumably. It was a double door that was closed, but that could be easily opened with a simple push.

My hands touched the wooden texture of the door. It felt rough, as if it was a construct that was hastily made. There was no resistance as I pushed my hands. It was almost too light compared to what I had expected, that I almost fell to the ground with my head.

I froze. While I lost my balance and was close to falling, my movements came to a sudden halt. I tried to stop myself from falling of course, but there was a deeper meaning to my sudden halt. 

My heart… No, my strange wild instincts suddenly kicked in, the same one that had driven me into strange hunger. This instinct, it was telling me that I left something behind. 

"Was it food again, perhaps?" I wondered.

My curiosity was intrigued. I did not step through the door as a result, but took my steps back instead.

I turned around, looking to my left and right. One step forward and then another step. Again, I came to a sudden halt. 

For a short second, my instincts barked at me. Slowly taking a step back, that's when I felt it.

To my right!

In a swift motion, I spun my body to look at cell room level fourteen. In the room, there was a fresh corpse of a frail looking girl! 

Having already inspected the room before, I was already aware of that.