The faint sound of breathing filtered through a mask, a soft hiss, hiss, accompanied by—
Thud, thud, thud.
The synchronized footsteps of the officers echoed through the dark corridor, steady and rhythmic, reverberating off the walls in a hollow cadence. A guard stood waiting in front of a iron door as the officers approached.
The guard reached out and pressed a button. The iron door slid open with a faint, grinding creak of metal. Personnel clad in gray uniforms marched inside alongside several guards, their movements perfectly synchronized as they stood in orderly formation. The guard outside pressed the button again, and the iron door slowly slid shut.
It was an elevator, pulling them downward into the depths. The guard stationed at the elevator turned back to face the shadowed corridor.
He slowly reached up to adjust his mask, then slipped a hand into his coat pocket, pulling out something small—so small it was barely noticeable. His hand brushed over the button again before he walked away, silent as a ghost.
He glided through the desolate, pitch-black darkness, clutching his weapon close to his body. His steps were silent, not even a whisper of sound, like a cat leaving no trace. Suddenly, he caught the sound of someone nearby and froze mid-step. He stood still, straining his ears. A faint, scraping noise—something brushing against the wall—echoed not far off.
He moved again, deciding to follow the sound to investigate its source. He turned corner after corner until he spotted a boy walking along the wall. He halted, slipping into a shadowed nook to conceal himself from view.
***
Gaia trudged forward, head lowered, staring at the floor, his body heavy with exhaustion that threatened to pull him under. He paused, leaning against the wall for support. Then, a faint rustle of fabric caught his attention. He spun around, but no one was there. He squinted, scanning the darkness, but his vision blurred, making it hard to see. His mind felt clogged, too drained to think anymore.
...
Gaia continued along the wall for a while, then stopped in front of the door to his room. It was slightly ajar. He stepped inside cautiously, as silently as he could, and the door slowly creaked shut behind him.
***
The guard in black turned and walked away silently, as if nothing had happened. His movements were minimal, just the steady tread of his feet, but his eyes beneath the mask glinted with an emotion too elusive to decipher.
Two or three other guards in black loomed at the far end of the corridor, barely visible in the dim light. They approached steadily, their steps eerily silent—no sound of boots striking the floor. They drew closer and stopped beside him. He was about to continue walking, ignoring them, But—
Grab.
One of them seized his shoulder without turning to look. The voice that followed was flat, cold, and devoid of life.
"This isn't your patrol time."
He froze for a moment.
The grabbed guard didn't respond immediately. He stood still for a beat before answering, "I just saw a kid heading to the bathroom, so I came to check."
The grip on his shoulder tightened, uncomfortably firm.
"Is that so?"
The guard released his hold and stood motionless for a moment before walking on without another word.
The guard who'd been grabbed continued on his way, showing no further reaction.
_____________________________________________
Yawn.
"Hey, buddy, time to wake up."
Zheairn poked Rain's arm as he lay fast asleep on his bed, seemingly at ease. Zheairn's movements were slightly sluggish, as if weighed down by something. Zyn and Eliza were making their beds after waking, but everyone in the room seemed more drained than usual, as if some of their energy had been siphoned off before the day even began. Gaia, lying in his own bed, stared blankly at the bare wall, his eyes fixed on nothing. Perhaps he was the only one who knew what had happened last night, but he felt no urge to speak of it. Everyone else appeared normal, just slower, and he was no different. He'd barely slept, his mind racing all night, replaying the events—what was that figure that slipped into the room? And the injection they'd been given without warning?
He yawned.
Gaia tried to close his eyes and rest, but sleep wouldn't come.
Giving up, he sat up on his bed, stretching his stiff limbs.
He glanced around the room, watching the other students beginning their morning routines.
"Hey, class starts in thirty minutes. Get up already," Zheairn called, nudging Rain again.
Rain's eyes fluttered open slowly, and the first thing he saw was Zheairn's face hovering above him, a grin plastered across it. Seeing Rain awake, Zheairn pulled himself back.
Rain sat up lazily, yawning two or three times.
"Oh… morning," he mumbled.