The air was neither calm nor restless.....
instead, it carried a strange silence,
as if even the walls were holding their breath.
Kai and Teanguan exchanged a brief glance,
their eyes sharp yet wordless,
and without drawing any attention,
they slipped on their masks and gloves.
Step by step,
they began their quiet search for the main laboratory of the Aurea Flora Complex.
The hall they were in was merely an entry chamber.
The real core.....the true lab.....had to be higher.
So they climbed.
Floor by floor, unseen by watchful eyes and hidden cameras,
their every movement precise, practiced,
as though they had been working here for years.
Their keen eyes traced every corner,
every wall, every door.
At last, they reached the very top floor.
And there...
the entire floor opened into a single massive space.
The Main Laboratory.
Every step of it buzzed with activity.
Chemical fragrances mixed with the sweetness of flowers,
and the faint bite of medicine lingered in the air.
Dozens of researchers moved about.....
examining plants,
testing compounds,
drafting formulas for drugs
that would later be refined in the secondary labs below.
Kai and Teanguan stopped at the threshold.
Their instincts were sharp.
It required a pass card to enter.
One they did not yet have.
But instead of disappointment,
a cool satisfaction flickered between them.
Now they knew where the heart of the complex lay.
Now they knew how one might slip inside.
That was enough for today.
By the time they returned,
Suda had already come back,
apologizing for the delay.
With his usual warmth,
he led them to a Care Hall outside.....
an open garden beneath the sky,
where rows of trees and plants stretched endlessly.
"This is where you'll begin," Suda explained,
gesturing to the sea of greenery.
"You must learn how to care for every plant here.
You must memorize each name,
each detail. Only then can you move forward."
His words fell like weights.
Most students...
upon hearing such a demand.....
would either protest or collapse in shock.
There were, after all, nearly ten thousand species in this place.
But Kai and Teanguan?
They merely nodded.
Their expressions calm, unshaken,
as though this task was no more than brushing dust from their sleeves.
Suda froze.
His face paled,
as though the ground had slipped beneath his feet.
Why…? Why weren't they surprised? Why weren't they angry?
Every other student he had seen balked at this task.
Yet these two…
they accepted it without hesitation.
Even as he walked away,
the thought gnawed at him.
How could they…?
But then he shook his head,
muttering to himself,
"Forget it. Why should I care?"
Changing out of his lab clothes,
Suda turned toward the Photography Division...
to search for Wee and Lamai.