"00351," a boy with a lazy voice responds. "Yea, what?" Instead of that lazy voice, a hushed voice answers. "Do you remember how life was before this?" he asks with obvious curiosity in his voice. The boy known as 00351 answers, "Nah, not really. For me, this has always been life. I like it better like this. 00359." The same boy with that quiet voice has an underlying tone of fear: "I hate it like this."
Just days after.
——————————————————————————————————————————
As loud alarms blared and flashing red lights went off, three kids ran through the white corridors. One of them tripped.
"Come on! You said you hate this place!" one of the kids called out, worry in his voice.
"I know I said that, but that doesn't mean anything now!" replied the boy who had tripped, scrambling 00351 looked back and saw armed guards rushing toward them. Just as one of the guards raised his weapon to shoot, a loud, booming voice echoed over the intercom: "Do not shoot the kids! We need all of them alive!"
A commanding officer barked an order: "Use the Glocks on your hips to injure them—but don't kill."
After running for what felt like forever, they came across three corridors—one going straight, and the other two branching off to the left and right. To stop the onslaught of guards, a boy with pure white hair and blue eyes raised his hand, summoning a sheet of light blue ice. The once warm atmosphere turned cold as a slight breeze swept through the hall.
"00009, you're a lifesaver!" the blue-eyed boy panted, trying to catch his breath. "I know, but we still need to get out of here. What do you say, 00359?"
"There's only one thing to say and it's we don't have time" a boy with jet-black hair and eyes the color of obsidian. While glancing down the corridors he mutters "We should split up,"
a voices burst out in protest.
"We can't do that! We have to stay together!" said 00359, his glasses nearly slipping off from the intensity of his words.
He continued, "It's just too risky. One of the corridors might not even have an exit." His voice cracked under the pressure as it rose.
00351's hands were clenched as he blurted out, "It's the only way!"
Number 9 still silent thought about and logical it was right to split up, now sure he voiced his opinions "If we stay together they will catch us faster also if we split up the guards will also" adding on he said
"And what's 3 or 4 guards" 000359 thought long and hard but just as he was going to make his decision he heard the sound of cracking ice.
Looking back, the previous sheet of ice that had cracked was falling down. Number 9, thinking quickly, shoved him, causing him to fall onto the white tiles just as the sheet of ice shattered. Number 9 stomped his foot, sending the ice shards hurtling toward the guards. A piercing screech echoed through the corridor as he summoned another wall of ice to block their path.
00359 getting up from the ground dusting himself off he finally spoke his decision "Okay let's do this"
Number 9, was the first to go as he turned to the left and glanced back, a small grin plastered across his face. Just before taking off, he called, "See y'all in hell if you get caught!"
'I'm not dying in here I have to remember him', was the only thoughts coursing through his mind
As he ran, Number 9 remembered something and shouted back, "The ice wall's going to break—I didn't freeze it all the way!" He kept running, the grin still on his face.
00359's hands trembled as he looked at the branching corridors. "We're not all going to make it, are we?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"Don't think like that," 00351 snapped back. "We'll make it. We have to."
But deep down, both of them didn't believe that.
00351, his face tense but determined, took a step toward the middle corridor. He glanced back at his friends one last time. "Guess this is it, huh?" he said, his voice trying to sound casual but cracking at the edges.
00359 opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"Don't make that face," 00351 added with a faint smile, though his eyes betrayed the weight of their situation. "We'll all meet up... outside. Just don't get caught, alright?"
Without waiting for a response, 00351 bolted down the straight corridor. His footsteps echoed against the cold, white tiles until they faded into the distance.
Now alone, 00359 stood frozen for a moment, staring after him. The silence pressed down heavier than the alarms and shouting guards. He clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms.
"I'll survive," he whispered to himself, his voice steadying as he spoke. "We'll meet again. We have to."
He turned toward the right corridor, his heart heavy but resolved.
As 00359 bolted down the right corridor, his lungs burned, and his pulse thundered in his ears. The pale fluorescent lights flickered above, casting distorted shadows along the pristine white walls. Then, in the distance, a faint green glow appeared.
An exit sign.
His chest tightened with a spark of hope. It flickered over a large metal door, a clear promise of freedom. "Finally," he whispered, his voice raw with desperation.
Reaching the door, he didn't hesitate. With a flick of his fingers, his telekinesis flung the console panel open, wires spilling out. He inhaled deeply, focusing on the tangled mass, and let his mind sharpen. Patterns. Numbers. Symbols.They came to him as if they'd been etched in his brain long ago.
But as he sifted through the mess, something on the interface caught his eye—data logs. His fingers hovered over the screen as curiosity got the better of him. The system offered no resistance to his mental commands, opening up the files with eerie ease.
The lines of text displayed in stark clarity.
SUBJECT: 00359
Ability: Telekinesis with heightened cognitive capacity.Experiment Result: "Marked for Further Development."
He swallowed hard and scrolled to his friends' profiles, dread coiling in his gut.
SUBJECT: 00351
Ability: Spatial manipulation (teleportation) and ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛Experiment Result: "Instability Detected—Marked for Disposal."
SUBJECT: 00009
Ability: Cryokinesis.Experiment Result: "Potential Weapon—Further Testing Required."
His breath hitched. Disposal. 00351 was marked for disposal. They weren't just being hunted—they were being sorted like broken equipment.
00359 sprinted through the corridor, his heart hammering in his chest as the sounds of boots grew louder behind him. He couldn't shake the image of 00351's file flashing across the screen. Marked for Disposal. The words were etched into his mind, fueling his resolve.
He reached a junction where the hall split into three paths, his earlier choice now haunting him. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath. "They'd better be okay."
Suddenly, a crackling sound echoed from the corridor to his left. It was faint but familiar—like the static hum of air warping. Teleportation.
"00351," he whispered, pivoting sharply and running toward the sound.
As he turned the corner, he nearly collided with 00351, who was leaning against the wall, panting heavily. The boy's usually confident demeanor was replaced by exhaustion, his hands trembling as faint wisps of distorted air shimmered around him.
"00359," 00351 said, his voice weak but steady. "I thought you took the other way."
"I did," 00359 replied quickly, grabbing his friend's shoulder to steady him. "But we've got bigger problems. I found files—your files. They're planning to—" He stopped himself, unsure how to break the news.
"Planning to what?" 00351's tone sharpened, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
00359 hesitated but knew there was no time to soften the blow. "They marked you for disposal."
The air around 00351 seemed to warp more violently, his powers reacting to his emotions. "Disposal?" His voice cracked. "So what? They think I'm just trash to throw away?"
"That's what they think," 00359 said firmly, "but they're wrong. We're getting out of here—together."
Before 00351 could respond, the sound of shouting guards and thundering boots echoed from the corridor behind them.
"Move!" 00359 barked, dragging 00351 along as the two ran back toward the nearest junction.
"Where's 00009?" 00351 asked between gasps.
"I don't know," 00359 admitted, his voice tight. "I went back because of you. He could be anywhere by now."
As they reached another intersection, 00359's telekinesis flared. He raised a hand, pulling down loose ceiling tiles and pipes to block the pursuing guards. The debris crashed to the ground, forming a makeshift barrier.
"We'll find him," 00359 said, turning to 00351. "But you need to hold it together. Can you still use your powers?"
00351 nodded, though his face was pale. "I can try."
"Good." 00359 scanned the area, his mind racing. "Teleport us closer to the center. If there's any chance 00009 is still here, that's where he'll be."
00351 clenched his fists, the shimmering distortion growing stronger. "Hold on," he muttered, and in an instant, the air around them folded.
The sensation was disorienting—like being squeezed through a collapsing tunnel. When they reappeared, they were in another corridor, this one darker and eerily silent.
00359 steadied himself, his mind already mapping out their next move. But as they turned the corner, their hope wavered.
Lying on the ground, surrounded by shards of ice and unconscious guards, was 00009. His white hair was damp with sweat, and his hands were trembling as faint frost still clung to his fingertips.
"00009!" 00351 shouted, rushing to his friend's side.
00359 knelt down, placing a hand on 00009's shoulder. "He's breathing," he said with relief. "But he's burned out."
The sound of distant footsteps shattered the moment. The guards weren't far behind, and their options were running out.
As 00359 knelt by 00009, he glanced back at 00351. "Can you teleport us? We don't have much time."
00351 hesitated, sweat beading on his brow. "Three people... It's going to stretch my range. I've never tried this before."
"We don't have a choice!" 00359 snapped. "They'll be on us any second."
00351 closed his eyes, focusing as he grabbed 00009's arm and reached out for 00359. The air shimmered and twisted around them, folding reality into itself.
But something felt off. The pressure was heavier than usual, and a jarring pulse ripped through the corridor just before they vanished.
When 00359 opened his eyes, the air was thick with dust, and the silence was suffocating. He was alone. The teleport had gone wrong.
"00351! 00009!" he called out, his voice echoing in the empty hallway. No response. His heart sank, but he forced himself to think.
He glanced around and saw the faint green glow of emergency lights marking another corridor ahead. He could hear distant voices—guards, undoubtedly. He had to move.
Use your head. Use what you have.
00359 crouched low, scanning his surroundings. Spotting a broken surveillance camera dangling from the ceiling, he reached out with his telekinesis, yanking it down. With a little focus, he pieced together a crude map of the facility from fragments of its data feed.
"There," he muttered, pinpointing a maintenance duct he could use to avoid the guards. He climbed inside, his mind racing. "I just need to find them. I promised we'd get out together." 00359 crouched low in the maintenance duct, the tight space making his every movement deliberate. His breathing was steady, though his heart raced as distant footsteps echoed behind him. Keep moving. No mistakes.
As he reached a junction, he peered through the slats of a grated vent. Below, a group of guards stood huddled around a terminal, their voices blending into the hum of the facility. His sharp, calculating gaze scanned the room. The guards were positioned near the only exit—getting through undetected seemed impossible.
He gritted his teeth, extending his hand slightly. His telekinesis wrapped around a distant motion sensor in the next corridor, triggering it with a faint click.
"Movement in Sector C," a guard barked.
"Check it out!"
Like dominos, the guards scrambled, leaving the terminal unguarded. 00359 smirked, pushing the vent aside and slipping down.
The terminal's interface flickered in front of him as he quickly pulled up a facility map. His sharp mind absorbed the layout in seconds, but his attention snagged on a particular section: Sector E. Restricted.
"Why would they restrict this part?" he muttered, suspicion creeping into his thoughts. He heard footsteps returning and ducked into the shadows. As the guards re-entered, he was already on the move, navigating toward Sector E with a growing sense of unease.
Elsewhere, 00351 materialized in a wide, dark hallway. His legs buckled, and he nearly collapsed. His head was pounding, and his energy felt drained.
"Damn it," he muttered, clutching his knees. "That shouldn't have happened."
The flickering lights illuminated several exits branching off ahead of him. His breathing was ragged as he tried to focus. "Where are they? Where's 00359? 00009?"
A loud clang from one of the branching corridors snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned sharply to see shadows moving closer. Guards.
00351 stumbled forward, forcing himself to think fast. He couldn't teleport again—not yet. His power was unstable, and he needed time to recover. But he wasn't helpless.
Spotting a stack of crates, he teleported a short distance behind them, hiding just as the guards entered the hallway.
"Where did he go?" one guard muttered, scanning the area.
00351 smirked despite his exhaustion. They'll never keep up with me. 00351 stumbled into a wide hallway, his legs barely holding him upright. The teleportation had drained him more than expected, and his head pounded with the effort of splitting his focus.
"Damn it," he muttered, leaning against the wall. His breaths came in shallow gasps as he tried to gather himself. One jump at a time. Just keep moving.
A loud clang reverberated from the corridor behind him, and his pulse spiked. He turned sharply, spotting the glow of flashlights bouncing off the walls. Guards.
"No rest for me, huh?" he whispered, forcing himself forward.
The hallway ahead split into two paths. Without hesitation, he darted left, teleporting a few meters ahead to gain ground. But as he appeared, a sharp cramp seized his chest, and he stumbled, nearly falling.
He ducked behind a stack of crates just as the guards appeared at the corner.
"Spread out! He's close!"
His body screamed for rest, but his mind was already calculating his next move. He closed his eyes, focusing on a distant point down the hall. With a flash, he teleported again—this time landing directly behind the guards.
"Too slow," he muttered with a smirk, though his exhaustion was catching up to him. He needed to find 00359 and 00009 before his energy completely gave out.
Meanwhile, 00009 groaned as he regained consciousness. His body felt like it had been wrung out, and his frost-covered hands stung with overuse.
"Where…?" He blinked, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He was in what looked like a storage room, the air stale and suffocating.
Pushing himself up, he stumbled to the door. His breath caught as he heard voices outside—guards stationed nearby.
Stay calm. Use your powers wisely.
00009 groaned as he pushed himself up, his body sore from the failed teleport. His hands were stiff, frost forming along his fingertips from overuse.
"Damn… Where are they?" he muttered, his voice echoing in the empty room.
The storage area was cramped and suffocating, filled with shelves of equipment and crates. He limped to the door, pressing his palm against the cold metal. His frost spread across the surface, creeping toward the hinges. With a sharp pop, they froze and snapped, and he pushed the door open just enough to peek through.
The hallway outside was dim, illuminated by the faint glow of emergency lights. He could hear voices—guards stationed nearby. I can't take them head-on, not like this.
His eyes scanned the corridor, spotting a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall. A plan formed in his mind.
Sliding out of the room, he crouched low and reached for the extinguisher. With a sharp exhale, he froze it, the metal cracking under the pressure of the expanding ice. He hurled it toward the guards, and the device shattered in an explosion of icy mist.
"Go! Go!" one of the guards shouted, disoriented by the freezing fog.
Taking advantage of the chaos, 00009 sprinted down the hallway, his breath visible in the cold air. His legs felt like lead, and his powers were nearly tapped, but he forced himself to keep going. I have to find them. I have to make it out.