~ Kaelos POV~
As the sun began to set, Eric told me he would take me out to see the city once it is dark. I asked him what he thinks Vark Slade's next project might be.
"All I know is that they will be recruiting more staff soon at the company, and when that happens, I might get really busy because I'm the head of the system analysis," Eric replied.
Good, I thought the main thing we need to do tonight is save the people trapped on the sixth floor. I know it's risky since I haven't gained all my power, but I can't leave those people in Vark Slade's hands.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Gabriel placed a hand on my shoulder, concern obvious in his voice.
"Yes, Gabriel, I will do it!" I responded, my face serious. I wasn't angry at Gabriel, but the thought of Vark Slade made my blood boil.
After sunset, I changed into a black sweater with a hoodie. Eric's car was parked downstairs, and he handed Gabriel a body spray to mask his scent so no one could detect him.
We locked the doors and stepped outside. The streets were quiet since it was late. I have expected to run into that troublemaker girl who had insulted me earlier, but thankfully, I didn't. She ruined my mood before.
Eric got into the driver's seat, with me sitting next to him in the front. Gabriel took the back seat. The wind blew softly, and I could see how beautiful Manila was at night.
Driving at night felt scarier than during the day, but also more peaceful. The lack of traffic allowed Eric to drive faster, giving me time to think.
After about thirty minutes, Eric pulled over to the side of the road and pointed to the right. A tall, beautiful building stood there, illuminated even in the darkness. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen.
"Wow," I murmured, awestruck, until Eric told me it was the VS Incorporation—the company owned by Vark Slade.
The smile on my face vanished. No matter how beautiful the building was, the fact that it belonged to Vark Slade made it ugly in my eyes.
"Are you saying this is where they brought those humans?" I asked, looking into Eric's eyes.
He nodded. "Yes, this company is Vark Slade most prized possession. It hides all his secrets from everyone, including the government."
"If this is where the humans are, we need to save them now!" I tried to open the car door, ready to rush out, but both Eric and Gabriel stopped me.
"Where are you going?" Eric held my hand, preventing me from opening the door.
"We have to save those people immediately, Eric," I insisted.
"No! You can't do that. There's CCTV footage everywhere, and the guards won't let you in at this hour," Eric explained.
"But we can't just sit here and do nothing! People need our help inside that building," I argued.
"Wait, Eric," Gabriel chimed in. "Since you have footage of that room, let's see what's going on inside. Kaelos is right; we need to rescue those people."
Gabriel backed me up, while Eric exaggerated his gestures, as if we were planning something incredibly dangerous.
"Alright, fine," Eric relented, "but I'm going inside that building with you. Trust me, it's not easy to get into that room and make it out alive."
"How about you explain how the inside of the building is laid out?" I asked Eric.
Eric detailed his plan: he would take care of the guards outside by pretending he lost his wallet after work. While he distracted them, Gabriel and I would sneak in unnoticed. Once inside, Eric would ask the guards to let him check his desk for his wallet.
"I'm sorry, boss, but we can't let you in. It's not office hours, and we might get in trouble tomorrow," one of the guards said to Eric.
"Come on, guys, I promise I won't stay long. I really need my wallet—my keys are inside it, and I need them tonight." Eric pleaded with them, eyebrows raised in desperation. Gabriel and I used that distraction to sneak in as planned.
"Okay, fine, boss. You can go in, but please don't stay too long," the guard finally relented.
"Sure, I won't," Eric assured him.
Once inside, Eric guided us through the empty building. He led us to a small room and told us it would take us to the sixth floor.
"What? How is that possible? This room doesn't seem to have any powers. I'm sorry, but I can't go in there. It looks too small; we might choke," I protested, standing outside the small room.
"Stop being dramatic, Kaelos! Just get in—we don't have time for this," Gabriel insisted, pulling me into the room.
I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling my heart race. My eyes were wide with fear, and my mouth was tense. I had never been in anything like this before.
Gabriel noticed my fear and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Relax, Kaelos. This is called an elevator. It's used to travel up and down in tall buildings like this instead of using stairs."
No one should blame me for being scared. There's nothing like this in the forest. I started feeling short of breath, I'm sure that the elevator was the cause.
Suddenly, the elevator stopped. I asked if we had reached the sixth floor, but Eric shook his head.
"The elevator won't go any further," Eric said, worry creeping into his voice.
"We can't be stuck here. What should we do?" I asked, feeling unprepared and terrified that our plan might fail.
"I'm sure Vark Slade did this to ensure no one gets too close to his secrets," Gabriel said, his face serious.
"Maybe we should go back," I suggested, my confidence wavering.
Eric pressed a button to take us back down, but instead, we heard a strange buzzing sound. The three of us exchanged worried glances as the sound grew louder. My heart was beating fast, thinking it might be Vark Slade coming, and I don't have my full power yet.