Kain Locke
"I thought you'd be done packing by now, Sam," said an Omega as he stepped into the room I shared with my roommate.
So his name is Sam?
"I'm not packing anything." Sam sighed ineffectually, "It has all been destroyed anyway, so there's nothing left except for a few things." He explained, dragging a minibox from beside his bed and placing it on the bed after he opened it, "like my toothbrush which I've already packed. I'll be getting the rest in the city, we have seven days all to ourselves after all."
"Oh… my things are untouched though." the other Omega mumbled and Sam groaned, "All done," he said, zipping it back.
I was also gathering the essentials I'd need for the next seven days. According to the information provided, all things must be done quickly, including packing.
Sam and the other Omega were just stepping out of the room when another figure stepped inside, sighing as she came to my side, "Not done packing yet?"
"Almost." I answered, not bother glancing at her.
She seemed to be in a good mood today as she helped me with the last few things, stuffing them into my bag as quickly as possible.
And when we were done, she slung her own bag over her shoulder and stretched.
"Alright, let's get moving before we're late."
I grabbed my bag and followed her out, shutting the door behind me. She adjusted the strap of her bag and started walking in the opposite direction of where I remember we came yesterday.
I frowned. "Wait… this isn't the same path we took yesterday." I frowned a little.
She glanced over her shoulder and grinned. "Yeah, but the elevators are working now so no need to take the stairs."
I raised a brow. "Since when?"
"Since this morning. They boosted the power with some fancy new solar system or whatever." She waved her hand like it wasn't a big deal. "Point is, we don't have to climb a million steps anymore. And thinking about it, he must really hates people on his floor for solutions to be provided this easily, so if you love your precious life, you won't step your feet on Kael's floor."
Dramatic, "No one Wants to go there in the first place."
Bella snorted. "You think? That guy looks like he hasn't walked more than ten steps in his life,"
I nodded my head, "Yeah but that doesn't mean he won't climb thousands just to take a life."
She huffed out a quiet laugh but didn't comment on my remarks.
We reached the elevator in no time, and the doors slid open smoothly. A few others were already inside, chatting amongst themselves. Bella stepped in first, and I followed, standing near the back. The doors closed, and the elevator hummed as it carried us up.
When we stepped out, the halls were quiet, the morning air still carrying that early coldness.
I glanced at the digital clock on the wall. And like I guessed when the bell rang, It was still early, I mean probably too early for most people to be awake yet.
Bella stretched again, tilting her head from side to side. "Alright, we're up. Now, let's get to the docks before the sailor leaves the island."
I sighed. "Yeah, let's go."
And with that, we headed out to see the floor that was covered with green fluid and blood has been cleaned off, even if it wasn't for the fallen bricks and collapsed part of the building, you wouldn't have thought it was attacked by beasts just last night.
And so we followed the path into the woods. There were already routes made by people, so the tall trees weren't much of an obstruction or confusion, and I have someone who's more used to this base walking by my side.
It didn't take long before we reached the said shore after climbing down some slopes.
Thankfully, the white ship was still there, and a few people were already gathered near the docks, some talking while the others were checking their belongings.
Bella exhaled in relief. "Good. We're not late."
We walked closer. A man standing near the gangplank glanced up as we approached. His uniform was slightly wrinkled, and he had the look of someone who had been up all night.
"Names?" he asked, flipping through a list on his clipboard.
"Kain Locke," I said, adjusting my bag on my shoulder.
"Bella Mao," she added, resting a hand on her hip.
The man nodded and made a mark on the paper. "You're on the list. Get on board and find a seat. We leave in exactly five minutes."
Bella nudged my side. "Come on, let's grab a good spot before we get stuck near the engine."
I followed her up the railing.
The ship wasn't huge, but it was big enough to carry at least thirty to fifty people comfortably.
Some had already found places to sit, while others leaned against the railing, staring out at the open water.
We found a relatively quiet corner near the middle of the deck. Bella dropped her bag onto the bench and stretched out her legs with a satisfied sigh.
I sat down beside her, glancing at the horizon where the sun was starting to rise. It was the kind of peaceful sight that momentarily made you forget any turmoil in your mind.
"So, when does this annual holiday thingy start?" I couldn't help my curiosity.
"Five years ago." She muttered.
"But I thought there's nothing like that before… even when we're given a mission, we're to return without wasting a moment."
Bella leaned back and closed her eyes. "Like I said, a lot has changed, it was surprising for me when I heard there's actually something like that after serving my terms in Cell X."
I forgot for a moment there that she wasn't also spared of what happened that day at the warehouse.
I nodded, gripping the strap of my bag a little tighter. "Yeah… A lot." I couldn't only say.
Five minutes later, the horn blared and the workers on the ship got into action, setting the sail as the ship began to move.
Before I knew it, we were already out there in the middle of the sea, the smell of salt water, the water, all of it felt unreal.
****
We stepped out of the ship and saw several vans already waiting for us.
At that moment, it all made sense, why this so-called holiday was approved so easily.
He wasn't letting anyone slip away.
The moment we got inside, the van started moving, and when it finally stopped, we were in front of a massive, grand hotel.
Even though we had left the base, I knew one thing for sure, we were still being watched.
I stepped out of the van, with Bella right behind me. She let out a low whistle at the sight of the hotel.
"The one from last year wasn't this huge," she muttered, gaping around with awe.
I wasn't here last year, so I don't know what it looks like, so I hummed in response.
Not long after, someone came out to greet us and led us to our respective rooms. And fair enough, it was a room for an individual.
However, before leaving, he had also given a clear warning that whatever we did, we were to stay off the upper floor.
Bella had dramatically rolled her eyes and grumbled that who Wants to go to the upper floor anyway?
I couldn't help but think why would people be restricted from going to the upper floor, isn't this a hotel?
I shouldn't get curious, so I brushed it off my mind as quickly as the question came.
Bella headed to her room, and I walked into mine. It was surprisingly nice, way better than the base. So, it wasn't too bad.
But before I could fully settle in, someone came knocking,
I groaned, stepping aside as I opened the door for her to come in but she didn't enter just leaning against the door frame, "What is it this time around?"
She rolled her eyes, "Just thought to inform you that there's a party tonight," she said with a grin. "So make sure you show up, And of course without being late."
I don't want to attend a party, "I'll think about it." I said.
She rolled her eyes and pushed off the doorframe. "Suit yourself. And whatever your decision is, just make sure it doesn't involve an absence and don't be the last one to get there because you might end up hating the whole experience."
I sighed and shut the door after Bella left. A party? I wasn't in the mood for one. I just wanted some peace after everything.
Dropping my bag on the bed, I sat down and ran a hand through my hair. Maybe I should just skip it. No one would care if I didn't show up. But something about the way she said I should be there no matter what made my mind all twisted up.
But what if she's just saying that to scare me off like she normally does?
She's definitely being dramatic like she normally does. I thought as I stepped into the bathroom and opened the shower.