As Rio rode back to the forest, his mind buzzed with the revelations from Mrs. Kagiso's AD. He didn't need the transit system to guide him; the route to the forest was etched in his memory. Yet, despite his familiarity with the path, a sense of foreboding crept over him as he ventured deeper into the woods.
The trees loomed overhead, casting eerie shadows that seemed to dance in the dim light filtering through the canopy.
As he reached the clearing where Mr. Alkis had been attacked, Rio's senses were on high alert. He scanned the area, looking for any signs of movement or disturbance. The ground showed signs of struggle, confirming Mr. Alkis's account of the attack.
The forest lay eerily quiet, devoid of the usual sounds of life. It was as if the very air was synthetic, lacking the natural symphony of birds chirping and insects buzzing. Rio cautiously approached the cottage he had discovered on his previous visit, his senses alert for any sign of danger.
As he pushed open the door, he was greeted by an empty room. The furniture and medical equipment that had been there before were gone, leaving behind only empty space. It was as if everything he had seen earlier had been nothing but a mirage, a trick of the light in the dim forest.
Rio's heart sank. He had been so sure that he was on the right track, that he was close to unraveling the mystery that had brought him here. But now, faced with an empty cottage, he felt a sense of defeat creeping over him.
As Rio searched the area around the cottage, he noticed a faint trail leading deeper into the forest. The trail was barely visible, as if someone had tried to conceal it, but Rio's sharp eyes caught the subtle signs of disturbance in the underbrush.
Following the trail, Rio soon found himself in a small clearing. In the center of the clearing stood a strange, ancient-looking tree.
As Rio searched through the forest, he came across another cottage, nearly identical to the first. However, like the first cottage, this one had also been cleared out, leaving no trace of its previous occupant. The only sign that someone had been there was the embers still warm in the fireplace, suggesting that whoever had lived there had only recently left.
Undeterred, Rio continued to search the forest, uncovering five more cottages, all of which had been similarly cleared out. It was as if someone had been living in them but had hastily vacated, leaving no clue as to where they had gone.
As night fell, Rio realized he would need to find a place to rest. He couldn't continue searching in the darkness, especially not in this strange and eerie forest.
As night descended upon the forest, a blanket of darkness enveloped the strange cottages, casting long shadows that danced eerily in the moonlight. The air was still, devoid of the usual sounds of nature, creating an unsettling silence that hung heavily in the air.
Rio sat by a dying campfire, the only source of light and warmth in the vast darkness of the forest. The embers crackled softly, casting flickering shadows that seemed to play tricks on his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, that unseen eyes were following his every move.
The forest seemed to come alive with the sounds of the night – the rustling of leaves, the hooting of owls, and the distant howling of wolves. But beneath these familiar sounds, there was an underlying sense of foreboding, as if the forest itself was hiding secrets, waiting to be discovered.
As Rio was on the verge of surrendering to sleep in the forest, distant muffled conversations startled him. He immediately extinguished the campfire to avoid giving away his position. The night had been unproductive; his tireless search had yielded nothing. It seemed increasingly likely that Batho and the inhabitants of the cottages were intentionally hiding from him.
Rio strained his ears, trying to make out the words being exchanged. The voices were too far and too indistinct to discern any meaning. He decided to move closer, creeping silently through the underbrush towards the source of the sound.
As he drew nearer, the voices became clearer, though still too low for him to understand. Rio cautiously peeked through the foliage and saw a group of figures gathered around another campfire, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames. They appeared to be discussing something with great intensity, their gestures animated and urgent.
Rio cautiously approached the group.
His eyes widened in surprise and disbelief at the sight of Batho among them. His instincts had been right; these were indeed the inhabitants of the mysterious cottages. Batho sat quietly by the campfire, his presence amidst the group confirming Rio's suspicions. Some of them were engaged in a heated discussion, their voices rising and falling in intensity.
However, it was the sight of a few individuals surrounding someone who appeared to be drawing blood from their arm that caught Rio's attention. He squinted, trying to get a clearer view, his heart racing with a mix of curiosity and unease. The scene was surreal and unsettling, and Rio couldn't shake off the feeling that he had stumbled upon something far more sinister than he had imagined.
As the figure shifted, revealing Dr. Rega drawing blood, Rio's heart skipped a beat. He remembered the man vividly from his encounter at Mr. Kagiso's mansion. Dr. Rega, a renowned geneticist, had been brought in to unravel the enigma of Batho's existence. Mr. Kagiso had been insistent on uncovering the truth behind Batho's birth, a baffling event considering Mr. Kagiso's supposed sterility.
Rio's mind raced, connecting the dots between Dr. Rega's involvement and the messages in Mrs. Kagiso's AD. The doctor's presence here, in this mysterious forest camp, raised more questions than answers. What was his role in all of this? Why was he drawing blood in such a clandestine manner?
As Rio observed, Dr. Rega carefully collected the blood sample, his movements precise and deliberate. The other inhabitants of the camp seemed unaware of Rio's presence, engrossed in their activities. Some were engaged in intense discussions, while others tended to various tasks around the camp.
Batho sat apart from the group, his expression unreadable. Rio couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that gripped him. What was Batho's connection to Dr. Rega and the others? And why were they living in seclusion in this remote forest?
As Rio watched, Dr. Rega finished collecting the blood sample and handed it to another person, who quickly stashed it away in a container. The doctor then turned and began conversing with a few individuals, gesturing animatedly as he spoke. Rio strained to hear their words, but the distance and the crackling of the campfire made it impossible to make out their conversation.
He carefully crept towards the camp, staying low to avoid detection.
As he neared the outskirts of the group, he could see that they were a diverse mix of individual of different genders and age groups. All of them were humans with no SynthHumans and Synthetiks.
As Rio tried to get a clearer view, his foot accidentally kicked a small stone, causing a slight noise. The group immediately fell silent, and all eyes turned in Rio's direction. He froze, heart pounding in his chest, unsure of how they would react to his presence.
As Rio stealthily moved through the undergrowth, he mimicked the rustling sounds of small animals, masking his approach.
At that moment, a group of squirrels skulked past the bushes. The people caused their eyes to follow the squirrels, assuming the rustling sounds belonged to them.
Their voices rose and fell, echoing through the silent forest. Rio strained to catch their words, piecing together fragments of their conversation. They mentioned Mr. Alkis being saved and their hideouts being compromised, suggesting they were in a precarious situation.
Amidst the tension, accusations were hurled at Batho, blaming him for their predicament. Some voices were filled with anger, while others expressed disappointment and frustration. Batho, however, remained silent, his gaze fixed on the dancing flames of the campfire, his expression unreadable.
Rio's heart raced as he realized the gravity of the situation. These people were not ordinary forest dwellers; they were part of something larger, something secretive.
As Rio observed the group, a chilling thought struck him. These people could be the passengers from the missing flights, individuals similar to Batho in some way. However, Batho appeared to be the only child among them.
Dr. Rega stepped forward, his demeanor calm and authoritative. He spoke in a soothing tone, gesturing for Batho to join him. Batho complied, walking over to the doctor accompanied by a woman whose eyes were filled with a profound sense of affection.
Rio watched in astonishment as Dr. Rega drew blood from Batho's arm. The procedure seemed routine to the group, suggesting that this was not the first time such a thing had occurred. The woman standing beside Batho watched the process with a look of deep love and concern, further deepening the enigma surrounding their relationship and purpose.
The woman standing beside Batho was a striking figure, with flowing blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall of gold. Her eyes were a deep, mesmerizing blue, like the ocean on a calm day.
As Dr. Rega worked, Rio couldn't help but notice the advanced medical equipment scattered around the clearing. The devices were sleek and futuristic, unlike anything he had ever seen before. They hummed softly, emitting a soft blue light that illuminated the area.
As Dr. Rega finished drawing the blood, the woman's caring nature shone through. She gently placed a hand on Batho's shoulder, offering him silent reassurance. Batho, in turn, looked at her with a gaze filled with adoration, mirroring the affection she showed him.
Dr. Rega carefully placed the vials containing the blood samples into a sleek, futuristic-looking machine for analysis. The machine hummed softly, its screen displaying intricate graphs and data as it processed the samples. The scene was both fascinating and unsettling, adding to the air of mystery that surrounded the group.
Rio remained hidden, observing the group with a mix of curiosity and unease. The woman with blonde hair and deep blue eyes, whom he had noticed earlier, cared for Batho with a tenderness that seemed out of place in this mysterious gathering. Batho's gaze towards her mirrored the same affection.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rega proceeded with his work, seemingly unfazed by the presence of the others. He carefully studied the numbers displayed on the machine, a look of intense concentration on his face. Rio couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something significant about these numbers, something he was missing.
As Dr. Rega summoned each person in turn, administering injections based on the readings, Rio's curiosity peaked. The group members received their injections with an air of familiarity, as if this ritual was a routine part of their lives.
Rio watched closely, his mind racing with questions. Could these injections be the same Zonizide that Mrs. Kagiso had been administering to Batho?
Quietly, Rio activated the recording function on his AD, capturing every detail of the scene before him. He filmed their faces, their expressions as they received the injections, hoping to gather more clues about what was happening in this mysterious gathering. The AD's lens silently recorded the events, storing the footage for later analysis.
As the last person received their injection and the group began to disperse.
Rio clicked his AD to a stop, reviewing the footage he had just recorded, when suddenly, he felt a sharp push from behind. Startled, he stumbled and fell to the ground, the forest floor rough against his palms. As he looked up, he found himself face-to-face with a man sporting a big beard and eyes filled with fear and suspicion.
"Intruder!" the man bellowed, his voice echoing through the stillness of the forest. "Someone has been watching us!"