"The Yeager Tower, it's beneath the storm sea".
Zyran stepped away from the wall and looked at Thea the same way he would look at a clown. "Joke... I'm not a big fan of jokes. There's no way anyone can build anything beneath the storm sea, it's impossible".
Thea looked at Zyran with an amused expression, it was clear that she had already predicted that he'd have this sort of reaction. "And what if it's true? What if this tower is beneath the storm sea?".
"I don't do what if's either, let's just stick with reality. With the storm sea's harsh climatic conditions and it's 'kind' inhabitants, there would be no possible way to build anything beneath there. Did you really think you could trick me into believing that a tower was built beneath 'the' storm sea". Zyran was not about to allow himself to be easily fooled just because he's new here.
"It's true" Ailani, who has her eyes half closed, spoke.
"Your in on this too?". Zyran turned to Ailani, he didn't think she'd support Thea's bold claim.
Ailani turned her head to the side and looked at Zyran with her eyes fully open, her expression was calm but bored. "Maybe you should take a few seconds and ask yourself why we would even bother to lie to you, what do we even gain? other than wasted time. And besides, I was hoping you'd realise by now that the Yeager Corps, can do anything". After speaking, Ailani went back to being quiet again, dozing off from time to time.
After hearing what Ailani said, Zyran took his time to ponder her words. 'I hate to say this but... She's right. What could prevent an organisation of superhumans that are capable of building portals and a portable command center, from building a tower beneath the most dangerous place in the world. As they say... The most dangerous place, is the safest place ".
[No one says that]
Seeing Zyran taking a step back from their disagreement made Thea slightly disappointed, she wanted to mess with him some more, as crazy as that sounds.
The elevator kept moving straight until it suddenly stopped for a few seconds before beginning to go up.
This made Zyran realise that the elevator must've reached the tower before beginning to rise up. He watched as the number's on the blue screen flashed green, going from L5 to L4, followed by L3. 'The L's must represent levels and that would mean that the head captain resides at the first level'. Zyran thought to himself.
It was at that moment that Thea side eyed Zyran, her tone became serious once more, though her expression was that of absolute calmness. "When we reach the first level, please be wary of your tone when conversing with the head captain. He's not a strict leader but that doesn't mean he tolerates disrespect. You show him respect and prove your worth and he'll give you an equal amount of respect. I won't be able to protect you if you do something stupid". Thea then looked forward again, as the 'L1' button flashed golden unlike the other buttons, before the elevator made a 'ting' noise, followed by the doors opening.
What came into view was a lush forest of beautiful wisteria trees, that went as far as the eye could see, with a paved path in the middle that went deep into the forest. Without stepping out, Zyran caught sight of the clear blue sky and the fluffy white clouds, as the whole area was bathed under the bright yellow sun.
A gentle gust of wind blew into the elevator, allowing Zyran to catch a whiff of the sweet scent in the air. Suddenly, he felt relaxed and at peace, it was as if his worries didn't exist anymore.
[This place is abnormal], Telos shared his thoughts.
Zyran didn't respond back, instead, he silently enjoyed the feeling of feeling refreshed, it was the same feeling one would have after a well rested night. Every fibre of his being felt relaxed but, just before he could continue to immerse himself in the feeling, his mind clicked.
Suddenly the tranquil feeling got washed away as his mind cleared and he remembered an important detail, "Aren't we under water?", he mumbled to himself with his head down. Raising his head, he noticed how both Thea and Ailani had their gaze on him, while Sofia seemed to be still lost in the feeling, as she stared at the forest with a dreamy expression.
The corner of Thea's lips stretched back, as she gave Zyran an appraising look. "Well done, I thought you'd never get over the feeling of peace. Those..." She pointed at the wisteria trees, "Are a unique species of wisteria trees capable of putting both the mind and body at peace but, there's more. An awakened's body is able to partially negate the effect of these trees, as prolonged or high exposure will lead to retardedness. As for humans...", she turned to the dazed to Sofia, "Their bodies cannot ignore the effects of the wisteria trees, which is why", Thea placed her arm on Sofia's shoulder.
Zyran observed through his awakened eyes, how some of Thea's [Psychi essence], moved through her arm before it began to be poured inside Sofia's body. He could see how Sofia's body, that had no [Psychi essence] began to be covered by a red aura.
Suddenly, Sofia started softly shaking her head with a pained and tired expression. She then began looking around, as if she was lost. Her gaze then met with Thea's as she asked the first question that came to mind, "What just happened?".
Thea softly smiled and removed her palm from Sofia's shoulder, "Nothing happened, your just tired". Thea spoke in a convincing tone as her gaze briefly moved to Zyran before returning to Sofia.
Zyran understood the message, 'If I understand this correctly, then in order for a human to survive in this place, they need an awakened to be with them. I didn't even know that you can share [Psychi essence] with normal people'.
[It's possible, it's just not a recommended method. If you are to pour your essence into the body of another, then all you'd be doing is poisoning their soul. It can only be done in small amounts, and only by those who have mastered control over their essence. The essence will fade out on it's own over time]
Zyran carefully thought over Telos's words before nodding to himself. ' Though that only answers one of my questions'.
It was just at that moment when Ailani spoke, with only Zyran able to hear, since Thea was still busy with Sofia. "It's artificial".
"What's artificial?" Zyran asked as Ailani wasn't being specific.
Ailani suppressed the desire to sigh and continued. "The blue sky, clouds and even the sun are all artificially made. Only the wisteria trees are real. We're still underwater".
'So that's why', Zyran turned to look outside again, 'But it looks so real, it's hard to differentiate between real and fake'.
Just then, Thea finished calming Sofia down and turned to Zyran and Ailani, "We should move". She then grabbed the still drowsy Sofia and stepped out of the elevator, right on the path that led deep into the forest.
Ailani followed next, as she slowly walked behind the girls.
As for Zyran, he slowly walked towards the exit of the elevator but, just as his foot touched outside...
'Ba-thumb'
Zyran's pupils dilated, followed by every muscle in his body freezing up. Suddenly, everything from his point of view began to slow down. He could feel it, the moment he stepped out of the elevator he attracted the attention of a powerful being, as it's gaze immediately locked on him. The weight of the gaze was extremely heavy and sharp, as if a single wrong move is all it would take to snuff him out. 'Telos'.
[I know, I noticed it too. You don't have to worry, I sense no ill intentions from that gaze, it's merely observing you. Act normal, the person looking at you doesn't know that you've noticed their gaze]
Zyran followed along with Telos's words, as the brief exchange only took a split second. He first circulated small amounts of essence in his body to relax his muscles, before taking his second step outside, followed by the elevator closing behind him. Looking towards the girls, he noticed that they were all acting normal, 'Its either I'm the sole target or their just good at hiding it'.
Now that he is outside, Zyran can now perfectly see the whole area. He pretended as if he didn't feel the gaze that stubbornly refused to leave him alone and looked around the forest. He didn't see any signs of animals. After a brief look around, he followed behind the girls that are walking ahead of him.
'If things don't go as planned, which I hope they won't, we're gonna have to fight our way out of this place Telos'.
[In that case... I suggest you don't hesitate to let me out]