(POV - Emily Parker)
Emily and Laura walked through the facility's corridors with firm, confident steps. The long corridor, with its whitish texture, was quite familiar to both of them. In this sector, only contained anomalies were present, creating an atmosphere of safety, though still full of mystery.
"I wonder what the director is planning this time"
Laura, walking beside Emily, couldn't hide the concern on her face about the director. Although they both knew that no words could truly reassure her, Emily was also fully aware that the director was a cunning fox, always pursuing his own goals within the organization.
"There's no point in worrying about it now. The most we can do is try to thwart his plans. Besides, it won't be the first time, and I doubt it'll be the last"
Emily sighed resignedly as she shared her thoughts with Laura. With years of experience alongside the director, she had learned to understand his way of thinking and acting. The concern, at a certain point, had become tiring; after all, he had always managed to get by so far. Emily saw no reason for this time to be any different.
As they walked down the corridor, Emily noticed someone approaching. The figure, dressed in typical staff attire, didn't immediately catch her attention. However, the person walked with their head slightly down, which was understandable, as the atmosphere of that place often transmitted a depressing vibe. Despite this, Emily couldn't identify who it was.
Emily trusted her memory, but the fact that she had never seen that person before was, at the very least, suspicious. In an environment like the one she worked in, suspicions were unacceptable. Shortly after passing the figure, Emily stopped under Laura's curious gaze and called out.
"Hey! You! Can you stop for a moment?"
Emily turned after saying those words and noticed that the person was still there. They also casually turned towards Emily, allowing their face to become more visible. Their hair, relatively long, covered part of their face, but not enough to completely conceal it. Emily crossed her arms and stared at the man, sizing him up with interest.
"What team are you part of?"
"I'm a member of the cleaning sector, ma'am"
The man calmly answered Emily's question, but that didn't lessen her suspicions. Although there was nothing overtly suspicious about his appearance, the feeling of distrust persisted, creating a subtle tension in the air.
"I trust my memory, and I have a good relationship with the cleaning sector, but I've never seen you around"
"I'm new, arrived yesterday"
The man's words were concise, and Emily didn't believe he was lying; it would be easy to verify. Even so, she decided to check. After briefly checking her tablet, she confirmed that the man was indeed telling the truth.
The man stared at Emily, who returned the gaze. Although she no longer felt a reason to keep him there, a lingering sense of distrust continued to hover over her. Additionally, the upcoming conversation with the director only heightened her anxiety, making her headache worsen quickly amid all the accumulated stress.
"Alright, you can go. Sorry for stopping you so suddenly"
"No problem, ma'am. If you need me, you know where to find me"
After a polite farewell, the man left. Emily watched him go before turning back and resuming her walk. Laura, with a curious look, remained silent as she followed. The two continued down the corridor for a few minutes until, suddenly, the lights went out completely, leaving them in darkness.
Although it was dark, Emily's eyes quickly adjusted to the lack of light. Laura then pulled her phone out of her lab coat pocket and turned on the flashlight.
"How strange. In all the time I've worked here, the lights have never gone out, not even once. Could maintenance have made a mistake?"
Laura received no response to her comment. Confused, she pointed the flashlight at Emily beside her, only to see her face marked by fear and despair. In that moment, even Laura realized something was about to happen.
***
(POV – Protagonist)
It had been a few minutes since the lights went out. I was sprawled on the floor, waiting for something to happen, but honestly, I was starting to feel like if I stayed lying down any longer, I'd become part of the floor. Determined to act, I got up and looked around.
Though it was dark, I could see almost perfectly. Even though I still didn't know how to get out of the room, it wasn't like I hadn't thought of ways to do so while I lay on the floor.
(It was around here, wasn't it?)
I started walking towards where I remembered the glass was, through which the scientists observed me. Although it looked like an ordinary wall, I bet it wasn't as sturdy as the rest of the room. When I got near the spot where I recalled seeing the scientists on the other side, I prepared myself and punched the wall with all the strength I could gather.
Right after my punch landed, the wall started to crack in random patterns. As I suspected, this side of the room was much thinner than the rest. When the wall finally gave in, it revealed an observation area made of glass, where the scientists had been monitoring me. Without wasting any time, I repeated the motion, punching the glass and shattering it into thousands of fragments.
With that, I was able to enter the room where the scientists had been watching me. I quickly glanced around, examining the environment. There were several screens scattered around, both at the upper and lower parts of the room. They were probably monitors showing what was happening on my side, even when the glass wasn't active.
I quickly scanned the room before leaving and heading toward a door that I imagined led outside. When I opened it, I found myself in a white hallway that stretched in two directions. I paused for a moment, wondering which way to go, when I felt a subtle breeze pass by me. There was nothing there, but I was sure something had just moved near me.
I looked around but found nothing. No matter where I looked or how hard I tried to observe, it seemed like I was the only person in that hallway—at least at first glance. Ignoring the strange previous event, I started walking in a random direction, hoping to find something or someone.