That night, the warm aroma of food filled the large mess hall. Dozens of young men and women sat on metal benches, eating quietly but with questions lingering on their faces. At the back, Lirael and Nyssa walked slowly, trailing behind the others.
Nyssa glanced to the side. Two dark-uniformed officers hurried down a side corridor. One swiped an ID card and opened a heavy metal door, disappearing inside.
Nyssa:
"Lirael. Come on. Quickly."
Lirael:
"Where?"
Without answering, Nyssa grabbed Lirael's hand and pulled her down the same corridor. They stopped before a large gray door, slightly ajar. Silently, Nyssa pushed it open a bit and peeked inside. Lirael peered over her shoulder.
Inside was a cold, vast laboratory. In the center, a young man was strapped to a metal chair, trembling with fear.
In front of him stood a scientist in a lab coat, holding a device that looked like a small rifle, emitting a faint blue glow.
Officer:
"Subject 47. Level-3 Resonance projection. Initiate."
A blue bolt shot from the device into the young man's body. Instantly, his whole body convulsed violently... and then slowly vanished, dissolving like dust swept away by wind.
Lirael covered her mouth, eyes wide with shock.
Nyssa gripped the door frame tightly.
Another Scientist:
"Efficiency 98%. Stable. Global distribution can begin within 3 days."
Lead Scientist:
"Families, friends—all targets. No exceptions. And the seven subjects... will be used for the final phase."
Lirael stepped back, breath caught in her throat.
Lirael (whispering):
"So... Resonance was created by them? They're the ones wiping everyone out... even our families?"
Nyssa:
"And we're just... tools?"
They exchanged a heavy look—no words, just silent anger and betrayal.
As night fell, the cafeteria's atmosphere grew quieter. Dim lights cast long shadows in the corners. Lirael and Nyssa returned to the table where their friends were gathered. They whispered urgently, sharing what they had just witnessed.
Lirael:
"The Resonance... it's artificial. They deliberately wiped out everyone, including our families."
Nyssa:
"And they want to use us, the seven of us, for the final stage of their plan."
Their friends exchanged worried and angry glances.
Suddenly, the cafeteria door swung open with heavy footsteps. A young man appeared, wearing a thick black jacket with a hood pulled over his head. He strode purposefully to the center of the room, then quickly pulled back the hood, revealing his cold, secretive face.
Peterson:
"Team 7, follow me. We need to go to the basement—now."
The mood instantly shifted to tension. Everyone stood up, staring at Peterson with questions and caution.
Kael:
"What's going on, Peterson? Why the sudden urgency?"
Peterson looked at each of them seriously.
"I've received crucial information. This isn't just about us. Something big is about to happen, and we need to be ready."
Without waiting for a response, he briskly walked toward the cafeteria exit, motioning for them to follow.
They followed Peterson down cold, dimly lit corridors they had never been through before. The flickering neon lights cast distorted shadows of their figures on the concrete walls.
Behind them, Riven spoke up with a skeptical tone:
"Why are we going to the basement? Is this some kind of trap or what?"
Elior, walking beside Riven, replied calmly but cautiously:
"Maybe Peterson knows something we don't. We don't have many options but to follow and find out."
Riven shot Elior a glance but said nothing. They continued walking in silence, their footsteps echoing through the hall.
Peterson glanced back occasionally to make sure everyone was still following.
Tension grew thicker as they reached a heavy steel door locked with a digital security system.
Peterson pulled out an access card and quickly unlocked the door.
"Come in. This might answer a lot of questions."
The heavy steel door creaked open slowly, echoing down the dark corridor. They descended a narrow staircase dimly lit by flickering orange lights. The basement felt cold and damp, the stale air wrapping around the large room they entered.
Serin gripped Lirael's hand tightly, trying to stay calm.
Nyssa led the way, alert and scanning every corner with sharp eyes.
Veyra walked casually behind, seemingly unfazed by the eerie atmosphere.
Kael stood close to the wall, ready for whatever might come.
In the center of the room lay a large metal table surrounded by strange devices. Suddenly, Peterson stopped and pulled a small pendant from his pocket.
In a calm voice, he handed the pendant back to Lirael.
"This is yours. You need to keep it safe."
Lirael took the pendant slowly, her eyes never leaving Peterson's from the side. There was something unreadable in her gaze — a mix of trust and doubt.
Peterson then shifted his gaze forward, staring down the endless dark hallway ahead.
"There are many secrets here you don't know yet. But now, it's time to start trusting each other."
A moment of silence followed, broken only by the faint hum of old machinery in the basement.
In the sudden silence, an eerie sound broke through—a faint, breathy whispering and rustling coming from the shadowed corner of the underground room. Everyone froze instantly.
Serin gripped Lirael's hand tighter, her breath quickening.
Nyssa straightened up, eyes scanning the shifting shadows around them.
Veyra smirked slightly, seemingly enjoying the tension.
Kael stepped forward cautiously, alert and ready for anything.
The sound grew clearer, turning into layered murmurs—voices speaking in an unfamiliar language, overlapping and repeating in strange rhythms.
Peterson frowned deeply.
"That… is the Resonance device still active down here."
Lirael glanced down at the pendant in her hand, which now trembled softly in sync with the haunting voices. A faint glow emanated from it, adding to the mystic atmosphere of the underground chamber.
The whispers sent chills down their spines, as if unseen eyes were watching them from the darkness.
Suddenly, the eerie whispering stopped all at once. The trembling of Lirael's pendant ceased immediately. The dim lights in the underground room flickered on fully, illuminating every dark corner.
Everyone was startled, their gazes immediately drawn to Riven, who calmly held a small device he had just switched off.
Riven frowned and said sarcastically,
"What nonsense is this? Ghost sounds? Just some device trying to scare us."
Elior quickly turned on the room's lighting system.
"At least now we can see clearly. There's nothing to fear—except those outside."
Kael nodded in agreement, his eyes still watchful but slightly relieved.
Nyssa exhaled deeply, trying to shake off the tension that had gripped them moments before.
Lirael stared at the pendant in her hand, now calm and still, but the curiosity and worry in her eyes remained.
Tension rose sharply as Kael swiftly grabbed a weapon lying on the table and aimed it at Peterson, his eyes sharp and full of suspicion.
Kael:
"You think we're fools? It's clear—you're the ones playing us behind our backs."
Peterson merely smiled calmly, seemingly unfazed.
"Calm down, Kael. I'm not here to fight you."
But the atmosphere changed quickly. Peterson suddenly moved, grabbing Kael's weapon and pushing Lirael, who instinctively aimed her pistol at his head.
Lirael was shocked as Peterson skillfully disarmed her and knocked the pistol away.
As the tension peaked, several armed soldiers appeared from a corner of the room, pointing their guns at everyone. A loud command echoed through the chamber.
Soldier:
"Stop! Everyone, hands behind your back!"
One by one, Kael, Lirael, Nyssa, Riven, Elior, Serin, and Veyra were quickly handcuffed.
They were forcefully escorted out of the underground room, stepping firmly toward their rooms, unable to resist.
After they were locked in their rooms, the atmosphere grew silent and tense. Soon, Peterson appeared and stood in front of Lirael's door.
With a calm but heavy voice, he said,
"You are not fully human. Your blood is a mixture from our planet."
Lirael stared sharply, full of confusion and anger. Peterson continued,
"It's better that we keep you alive than let you disappear along with the others. You have an important role here."
His words hung in the air, leaving deep questions swirling in their minds.