Zen stood in front of the wooden door, which looked nothing like the doors he had seen in the sector. Grabbing the handle, he pulled, but, it was locked from the inside.
Walking around the house, he found a glass window covered by thick curtains. No matter how hard he squinted, he couldn't make out anything inside.Frustrated, Zen started searching for something nearby. Soon, his gaze fell on a rock. He picked it up.
"What are you going to do with that stone?" the driver asked, sounding calmer now compared to before.
"Just knocking like a good guest," Zen replied with a smirk before smashing the window open with the rock. He looked around to see if anyone or anything had heard the noise, when nothing stirred, he pushed the sharp edges aside and climbed in.
The air inside the room was warm, carrying a metallic tang and the faint glow of moonlight coming in through the window making the room dimly lit. His eyes scanned the room. There was a wooden bed, a table, and several clothes hanging on a wall-mounted hanger. At the far end of the room, he noticed a door.
Walking slowly to the table, Zen inspected the items scattered across it. There were pens, papers covered in writing he couldn't understand due to the dim light, a strange wooden ball that seemed to rotate when touched, and some old tools.
Zen's eyes lit up when he spotted something. "No way," he whispered, picking it up. "Is this what I think it is? Did I just find a Torch so easily in a city full of darkness?"
"Not like it's going to work," he muttered, pressing the button.
Click-click
Flash
The room filled with light. "It's really working!" Zen's surprised voice echoed in the room.
With the torch in hand, he looked around the room more clearly. The bedsheets were clean and white, the curtains were spotless, and the clothes hanging on the wall were luxurious coats and pants.
"This room... it's way more fancy than I expected," Zen muttered to himself. "Doesn't look abandoned at all."
He turned toward the window and called out, "Hey, Driver! What are you waiting for? Come in already!"
There was no response.
"Huh?" Zen frowned, leaning over the broken window to look outside. The driver was gone. The street below was empty, eerily silent.
"Did he run away because he was scared?" Zen wondered aloud. "Or... did one of those hooded guys grab him? But I didn't hear a sound?."
"Driver! Hey, driver! Where are you? Driverrrr!" Zen shouted, his voice breaking the heavy silence. He didn't care if anything lurking out there heard him. If something—or someone—was really nearby, it already knew he was inside. There was no point in hiding anymore.
The silence stretched on, there was was no sound.
"Hmmm… uhhh… hhhh…" soon a muffled sound echoed through the house, sending chills crawling down Zen's spine. His body tensed, his eyes widening as he strained to pinpoint where it was coming from. The sound wasn't from outside.
It was coming from inside the house.
"What the fuck ?" Zen's heart raced. 'How could the driver be inside? The door was locked, and the only other way in was through the window, which i'd been standing next to. I didn't hear anything'…
"Hummm… mmm… hhhh…" the noise grew louder, Zen's breathing quickened. His eyes darted around the room, searching for anything he could use as a weapon. His gaze fell on the rock that he'd used to break the window.
Picking it up, Zen ran- but not toward the sound instead he jumped out of the window. The sharped glass tearing his clothes, but he didn't stop.
As soon as his feet hit the ground, he ran like his life depended on it.
His breath came in short grasp as he ran down the dark, empty street, heading straight for The Cathedral.
'Isn't it just a painting? Who says I even have to look at it? I'll just… keep my eyes shut '
After some twists and turns, the Cathedral came into view. Slowing down, Zen took heavy breaths.
Looking up, hooded figures were still going in and coming out of the Cathedral.
"Heyyy, bastards!" he called out, but none of them responded.
'Still can't hear me huh.'
'How'll they react if I touch or push them?' As fast as this thought came to his mind, he shoved it to the back of his mind just as quickly. 'Not doing it alone, it's way too dangerous'.
He looked around for the girls, but they were nowhere in sight. 'Do I really need to go to the Cathedral? Nah, can't do that.' Thinking that, he opened his mouth again and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Zaraaaaaaa! Nyraaaaaaa!"
"Zaraaaaaaa...."
"Nyraaaaaaaaaaa...."
He looked around, but no one reacted. He screamed three more times, but there was no response.
'Did they die? Or simply turned their back on us? Thinking about it, it made sense. Why would they want to help some weak-ass strangers when it'll only bring more danger to them?'
Let's try one last time taking a deep breath He screamed , "We found a way to get out of hereeeeeee!" His voice echoed loud and clear.
"What did you find?" a voice came from his right side. he jumped in shock his heart jumping into his mouth, Looking there, two hooded figures were standing, slowly lowering the hoods of their robes, showing their beautiful faces.
'These assholes'
"Took you long enough. And where did you even find those robes?" Zen asked, frustration clear in his voice.
Not minding his tone, the silver-haired girl, Zara, replied calmly, "We found some clues in the Cathedral."
'They came out of the Cathedral unscathed... and even found clues?'
"What did you fin—"
"Where is the second guy?" the black-haired girl, Nyra, cut him off, her voice cold as usual. She took a small step closer to zen.
Zen hesitated for a moment before answering. "Ahh, the way out I was talking about... he knows it. But he got stuck in the house we were searching,"
"Is he alive?" Nyra asked, tilting her head slightly. her piercing gaze fixed on him as if trying to evaluate him, searching for any hint of deception.
"Huh?" Zen frowned, confusion plain on his face. 'Does she think I killed him?'
"He's alive—I mean, when I left the house, he was alive," Zen replied firmly.
"Tell us everything that happened," Zara said, her tone even.
Zen shifted his gaze from Nyra to Zara and began explaining everything. As he spoke, Zara's brow furrowed, deep in thought, while Nyra stood still, her expression unreadable.
After a moment, Nyra broke the silence. "Let's go."
"To where?" Zen asked, though the answer was already clear.
"To that house," Zara replied without hesitation.
'Didn't they just abandon us a minute ago? Now they want to save the driver? Is it just to find the way out?'
"There is no way out," Zara said, her words cutting through his thoughts as if she'd read them.
"Huh?" Zen blinked, stunned.