Elevate | ONC 2021

7. Relaxed

"How are you feeling?" Vante asked as he and Sintra left the hospital.

"Good, actually. It's almost like I wasn't hurt at all," Sintra said, despite her walking with a slight limp.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that the hospital's medicine and technology was not of this world. Her stab wound had fully closed up and though the bite wounds were still a little sore, the ache was dulling by the minute.

Sintra had been surprised at the slew of events that had occurred for them to get here.

After she had collapsed, Jesse and Felix made their way over to them just in time as Vante pressed the button labeled "back" on the map, the two holding on to either shoulder as they were immediately transported back to their elevators.

Vante scanned the pass first then threw it back to Jesse before the door closed since their machine would not move with the 4 of them inside it.

The elevator then shot through its seemingly magical shaft to bring them to the rest stop upon which doctors and nurses all waited for them with stretchers on standby for injured participants to quickly wheel them to the nearby hospital for treatment.

"This place really is amazing," Sintra marveled as they followed the white, cobble stoned path towards what looked like a 5 star luxury resort.

Palm trees tickled the blue sky as it giggled rays of warm sunlight that lovingly kissed Sintra's skin with early morning affection.

The path led them towards a fawn colored skyscraper of a building as Sintra took in the bevy of people that dotted the large outdoor pool and green lawn, some of them enjoying the relaxing melody of a tune Sintra didn't know and some tanning their skins with cocktails sitting in their hands.

"Who are all these people?" Sintra asked as she passed the pool to enter the building's luxuriously carpeted lobby.

"Some are participants, some are workers like those that treated you in the hospital. Jesse and Felix tried questioning a few of them but their memories seemed to be wiped. They don't even know their own names. Only that they work here and their job is to attend to the needs of the game's participants," he answered, looking around warily.

The lobby was as grand as the outdoors, soft welcoming yellow lights setting the ambiance for an amicable stay, though clamorous due to the assortment of people parading about in swimsuits and formal wear alike.

"Where are we going?" Sintra asked as her feet sank into the orange carpet with every step.

She still wore her pink nike shoes, a gift from her friend Lee before she had been taken by the unknown. She had discarded her dirty pantsuit for the simple attire of the white t-shirt and blue jeans that Jesse had brought from the closets of her room.

Vante had changed as well as he no longer sported his white buttoned down shirt and dress pants, replacing them with a plain black t-shirt and skinny jeans to match. He also wore sneakers—luxury brand ofcourse as his black balenciagas completed his ethereal dark look to aid him in the ability to look like the owner of this damn place. Sintra had tried terribly not to stare at him.

"You said you wanted to go to the spa right?" Vante asked as they passed the elevators to head down a spaciously well lit hallway.

Sintra almost tripped due to her limp but he caught her, instructing her to put her arms around his waist as he placed his around hers to help her walk.