"So you are saying his neck was split open..."
Yyan muttered, his hand muffling his words as his gaze, just like everyone else's, slid along my neck, looking for any sign of injury.
Of course, they didn't find anything. My greyish skin was unscathed, my body and head were still attached, and I was still alive. I definitely was...
Yet I couldn't help but gulp audibly, it had not been just me that remembered it, Kevin had seen it too himself. I had not imagined the anguish of having my body torn apart by that thing.
I did not know anymore.
"That doesn't seem to be the case though."
Carefully choosing his words, Yyan moved his hand in circles, indicating for me to turn around. As they explored for any signs of the so-called death injury, his eyes lingered for a few moments on the thin, smaller diamonds that had grown across the back of my neck.
Nothing but a slight expression of curiosity was drawn on his face.
"Not along his back either... There are definitely weird formations growing on his body, but he is otherwise fine."
A tired groan couldn't help but escape Kev's lips, almost as if the ridiculousness of the whole thing was inflicting physical damage on his body. He didn't reply.
Sigh.
Excusing himself, Yyan pointed at the frame, particularly at Tamm and Mack.
"You guys, get Martha out of here. I can see there is no more blood gushing out, but those injuries are still pretty ugly. Take care of her."
Right, I had almost forgotten about her...
My eyes were drawn towards the girl, she was still fully asleep, the potent chemicals inserted in her bloodstream would probably maintain her in that comatose state for a couple more hours. Her injuries, even if horrifying to look at, had already stopped bleeding. They were not lethal either, so she would probably be fine.
The clanking of boots resonated across the small compound.
Mack's eyes immediately drifted to Martha's body, his teeth gritted audibly as he witnessed the injuries on her otherwise pristine body. The dry blood along her face the remains of frozen flesh still lingering on her.
Her life was still at risk, so he didn't utter any words.
Only slightly bumping into my shoulder, he and Tamm picked up her body along with the portable bed she lay on with. The two left the room without saying a word.
"Val said there was something on her... Skull. But I don't sense anything strange neither in the girl nor on you Vaam..."
Only once the two of them were gone, did Yyan speak. Or rather state. He eyed Kevin with slight suspicion and maintained his guard against me.
He continued trying to clear out the situation.
"...though now there are moving, golden shards growing out of your neck..."
There were a few tenser seconds, breaths cut off both outside and inside the room. Even if my back was facing them, I could feel both men staring at each other silently, almost as if exchanging information without words.
"Let's just make sure..."
Yyan said as he turned around. This time, his speech turned a little colder, but not irrational.
"Who are you..?"
I remained silent for a few seconds.
'So this is the case...'
Yyan was a confident, excelling young lider in many ways, he was no fool. His intuition was indeed sharp, but nowhere as sharp as the old man's.
He might had crossed Kevin's hostility as madness, but Yyan's words and actions were two completely different realms.
'Let's follow...'
My hands slowly rose up in the air, I carefully opened my fists, showing both of my palms. My gaze aimed perfectly forwards, lost somewhere on the wall in an attempt not to make any eye contact.
"I'm Vaam... A miner."
I simply replied, not wanting to shake the already dangerously tense scene with any further comments.
"How old are you?"
Yyan asked, almost interrupting the end of my reply. The game was set, they were going to ask a couple of questions around...
'Perfectly fine with me...'
I'd have to agree. Asking some questions after a murderous alien entity had decided to grow on the edge of my nape was indeed a good principle to abide by.
Still, that didn't mean I was enjoying myself right now.
"I'm eighteen years old. My birthday is in exactly thirty-five days."
Even if I couldn't see him, I could feel Yyan nodding softly, his eyes narrowing a little bit more.
He was treating the interrogation like a good old chess game. Waiting for me to checkmate myself by saying something wickedly stupid, or maybe die of boredom in the midst of the game.
"What is your favorite canned flavor..?"
What... was that question?
"Meat. Fresh red meat..."
The 'interrogation' continued for what appeared to be a dozen or so minutes before Yyan got seemingly bored of my short, direct answers.
By that point, it was bloody obvious the questionnaire, had turned out to be nothing but a weird joke. Using comedy to let some pressure off... Something Yyan would no doubt do in that situation.
"This is the last question... One only the real Vaam would know the answer to."
With those few words, an unexpected spike in tension occurred. I waited through the buildup to the question.
"Who do you have a crush o-?"
Fuck.
Too dead-minded at that second to actually think if answering was worth the prize, I kind of muttered the words.
"Ta-"
The echoes of her name spread and reverberated through the underground floor for what seemed like hours on end. The color of my cheeks brightened, as I realized the guy had played me...
"He actually said it. How manly."
Yyan uttered, actual surprise seeping through his tone.
I on my own let out a deep breath, feeling the tension in my body slowly dissipating.
Yyan. Even if he had yet to fully understand what was happening, was now clearly convinced of the fact I was not a menace... Or I was a very well-skilled alien actor.
That turned the tides back against the old man.
After a couple of seconds, Yyan turned his back on me. He stepped towards Kev, locking him against the wall, then rapidly gripping the knife in the old man's hand.
The silence permeated deep for a few seconds before Yyan's lips moved. His eyes, even if now facing away from me, emanated cold radiance.
An inaudible whisper was heard.
Kevin let the blade of his knife fall to the ground.
"Sure."