The Transcended: The Krai Facility (on hold)

Chapter 2

Zoey stared at her breakfast, appetite refusing to come. Despite Gwen having told her she'd be flying over first thing the next day, Zoey hadn't slept much. Every time she had closed her eyes, her mind made her see the mausoleum—and how the heavy lid moved aside to allow the not-alive creature to climb out, chains still attached and rattling. Suppressing a shiver, she looked up at Rory across from her.

He appeared well-rested and was eating his sandwich whilst scrolling through his phone. It took but a moment for him to notice Zoey was staring and he glanced up, brow raised. "Not hungry?"

"Slept like shit," Zoey stated. She reclined and sighed. "Kept thinking I heard chains rattling in the distance, and, well..." She gestured towards the windows and sighed again.

Rory gave her a sly smile. "You would distrust Lucius' capabilities when it comes to holding someone—something—captive?"

Zoey glared at him for a few seconds before placing her elbows on the table and, with a loud groan, rested her face in her hands. "My stupid brain did not think of that or else I'd have slept a lot better." She gave a dry chuckle. "Is that why you slept well?"

Rory swallowed the contents of his mouth before answering, "I just figured, if it hadn't escaped before, it wouldn't now. Not in such an emaciated state. Even if it somehow managed to get both chains loose from the wall, it would be unable to move that big slab of stone." He took a sip from his juice.

With a deep sigh, Zoey looked at her food again. Though still a bit reluctant, she picked her sandwich up. "Any word yet from Gwen?" She forced herself to take a bite.

Rory looked at his phone and, after some swiping, said, "Should be arriving around noon."

~*~

"Zoey!" Gwen called out, arms outstretched. "You're looking good. Wearing the prosthetics fulltime now?"

Zoey hugged the redhead and nodded. "I am, thanks."

With a big smile, Gwen released her and instead turned to hug Rory. "And how's the lion doing?"

Zoey failed to catch his response as her attention was grabbed by a broad, muscular man with a shaved head getting out of the rental car. She hadn't seen the man before and watched him walk over to them while straightening his suit. "Gwen, you brought some muscle along?" she asked, her gaze still on the newcomer.

"Ah, yes." Gwen chuckled as she stepped away from Rory. "I guess you can say I did." She gave a nod towards the man. "This is Aloys."

Zoey stuck out her hand and he shook it, yet his expression remained neutral.

"He's what you'd call the silent type," Gwen added with a wink.

Zoey gave him a smile which he only answered with a curt nod. With him standing in front of her, she noticed his eyes were grey. "You're transcended?"

He nodded again, expression unchanged.

The corner of Zoey's mouth twitched and she turned to Gwen, unsure of what to do or say.

"He's still a young addition—though he's still about twenty years your senior," Gwen said with a sly smile. "I didn't want to bring anyone here who wasn't transcended, considering the nature of your find."

"Yeah, wise." Zoey turned to look at Aloys again. "You familiar with Lucius?"

He made a so-so gesture.

Gwen elaborated, "He's been a great help with the experiments over at the Krai over the years, so he knows... some of the stuff on that end. About this place, though? I doubt it." She looked at Aloys but his gaze was fixed on the mausoleum in the distance. "Hmm, yeah. So..." She turned to Zoey and Rory. "How about we get down to business? Show us what you've found. Then afterwards, we can have a bite to eat?"