[City of Atlas – Warehouses]
Inside GLaDOS's secret warehouses, the atmosphere is busy but controlled, with machines moving from one side to another performing different functions and projects. Among all that chaotic structure, in a secluded section, Rosella works calmly in her own room, which she claimed without asking for permission.
She wears protective goggles as sparks jump around her, fully concentrated, at least until one of her wolf ears twitches, catching a nearby presence.
"Hi, GLaDOS," she says without turning or stopping her work. "I hope you don't mind that I borrowed a few things," she adds with a light laugh, motioning toward a pile of machinery, cables, and several devices stacked to the side that she had 'borrowed'.
"I don't mind," answers GLaDOS's calm voice, completely neutral, showing neither joy nor irritation about what she took.
"I am more interested in what you are building," she adds, approaching slowly and stopping behind Rosella, observing over her shoulder.
Rosella does not bother to hide her work. Proudly, she shifts a little to give her space, naturally showing the tiny device she is assembling.
"Directional matrix, amplifiers, neural accelerator, quick storage," GLaDOS enumerates, immediately recognizing each of the parts.
"What are you building?" she asks, though Rosella is sure she already has an idea. Even so, she doesn't mind indulging her.
"A universal translator," she replies, receiving a slight nod in return.
"Why?"
The question makes her stop working. She turns the chair and stretches slightly, taking the chance for a short break.
"Because I am tired of not understanding what Aegis says," she replies with a serious expression.
That problem had followed her since she arrived in this world, making her feel excluded, everyone could talk with Aegis except her. Daniel seemed to have a natural ability to understand the crustacean, GLaDOS surely had decoded his language in little time, and Sadako… well, Sadako had just joined, so she didn't count.
"It is quite an ingenious device," GLaDOS admits without hesitation, though she makes it clear that her interest is more professional than personal.
"Did you invent it?" she asks, but Rosella quickly shakes her head.
"No, I didn't. I am just replicating a model from my world. They are not that uncommon where I come from."
That, of course, was not a lie. Universal translators were common in her world, though not so much in the lands of Ooo. In other dimensions, like the crystal one, their use was practically everyday.
"Do you have advanced electronic knowledge?" GLaDOS asks, now sounding more interested.
Rosella nods, seeing no reason to hide it. "That and a few other things, thanks to the Why-Wolfs."
"Why-Wolfs?" repeats GLaDOS, genuinely confused.
"Creatures possessed by the spirit of research and with a thirst for blood," Rosella replies, letting her voice take on a more predatory tone at the mention of blood. "Basically, my former pack."
"Didn't you say you were a Tasmania-Werewolf?"
Rosella nods again, calmly adjusting a piece of the device. "I am," she answers without taking her eyes off the project. GLaDOS wasn't wrong; she herself had told her that. And of course, it wasn't a lie either.
"To make it clear," she says, straightening up in her chair. "I'm a Tasmania-Werewolf. I was born and raised in a pack of Tasmania-Werewolves, but when I was a child, my entire pack died in a situation I don't want to explain right now. After that, I joined the Why-Wolfs."
GLaDOS nods silently, processing the information without showing any emotion. "And your second pack, are they not looking for you?"
"Nah." Rosella shakes her head quickly, one ear twitching with a small tic. "They probably think I'm dead. Why-Wolfs aren't sentimental; for them, stupidity and weakness are things they don't tolerate."
She stays quiet for a moment, turning a small screw between her fingers as she adjusts her chair. "Yeah, most likely they think I'm dead or something," she adds at last, shrugging without much concern.
"I think I like those Why-Wolfs," comments GLaDOS, and this time a faint smile appears on her face, barely perceptible but real.
"Now tell me, what other things can you do?"
The question makes Rosella return the smile, one just as conspiratorial. "I have no problem sharing knowledge," she admits, lowering her voice, certain that it would be very fun to see what things they could create working together.
-/-
Spending time with Rosella turned out to be less unpleasant than GLaDOS had expected. Maybe it was because of her intellect, or their shared disdain for humans. Perhaps because of her knowledge in cybernetics and mechatronics. Not superior to her own, of course, but the wolf kept interesting technology inside her head: laser weapons, robotics, holo-technology, and even something called a bubble generator that, in theory, could be useful for Daniel.
In theory… but of course, she had no intention of giving it to him anytime soon.
Thanks to the detailed information from Rosella, she knows she could replicate several of those technologies with time. Although, according to the wolf herself, her true specialty isn't mechanics, but genetic engineering and biotechnology.
A field GLaDOS considers more filthy than elegant, but still valuable. With all that knowledge, Rosella has proven herself useful. That's why she has climbed a few places on the list of beings worth keeping alive: first, of course, is herself; then Penny, followed by Rosella, Aegis, Sadako, a cute deer she saw once, and in last place—and therefore the least important of all—Daniel.
And speaking of her favorite monkey, it is almost time for the show.
With a mental command, she deploys a large screen in the middle of the room, projecting it into the air. The shift in light immediately catches Rosella's attention, making her stop what she's doing to look.
"What are you doing?" she asks curiously, leaning forward a little.
"Just watch," answers GLaDOS, her tone calm but with a playful hint.
The screen shows the interior of a bar. The camera adjusts and focuses on a young man sitting at the counter.
"Who is he?"
"Daniel," she replies without hesitation. "Only that he has switched again, into a third identity."
Before Rosella can ask the reason, the camera moves, showing a woman with short blue hair sitting beside him.
"That's May Marigold. Daniel can't use his original form because May's team leader already saw him during his speech in Atlas, and he can't use his second identity either because he needed it to obtain the semblance of May's other teammate, Fiona. So he went for a third one."
A grin spreads across Rosella's face. "Heheh, I see you've been paying very close attention to his movements."
GLaDOS lets out a short sigh, rolling her eyes. "I have to. I don't trust him to do his job properly."
"Then… why are we watching them?"
"For no particular reason," she replies in a tone that sounds almost amused. "Just curiosity."
It doesn't take long before there's movement on the screen. Daniel and May stand up, go up the stairs inside the bar, and disappear on the second floor, followed by the camera that shifts to the hallway, showing them entering a room and closing the door behind them.
"Heheh," Rosella chuckles, rubbing her hands together. "Now this is getting interesting." She settles into her seat, ready to watch whatever show she expects to happen next.
But to her surprise, the camera changes again, not to the inside of the room, but to the street. More specifically, to an alley beside the bar, making her frown.
"Why aren't we seeing what's happening inside?" she asks, clearly irritated, turning to GLaDOS.
"Because there are no cameras inside the room," GLaDOS answers casually, watching as Rosella slumps back in her seat, letting out a heavy sigh as her excitement fades.
"Then why are we watching the alley?" the wolf asks, crossing her arms.
"Just wait," says GLaDOS, not bothering to explain further.
That short reply, though brief, manages to calm Rosella a little. She still looks annoyed about missing what she expected to see, but eventually relaxes, keeping her eyes fixed on the screen, impatient to see something worth it.
And to her delight, it doesn't take long for something to happen.
CLASK!
Suddenly, the second-floor window shatters into hundreds of pieces, glass flying in every direction, along with a completely naked Daniel, who shoots out of the window and crashes into a dumpster in the alley.
The sound of the impact is sharp; his body bounces hard, but he quickly gets to his feet, clutching his clothes with both hands and sprinting away without looking back, vanishing into the darkness, while a furious May leans out of the broken window he just jumped from.
"Coward!" she yells, shaking her fist.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
GLaDOS's laughter fills the room: loud, genuine, impossible to contain. Even for her, the scene is glorious.
"What just happened…?" Rosella tries to ask, confused, but stops when GLaDOS lifts a finger in her direction, signaling her to be quiet.
And as if she had predicted it, a second later GLaDOS's scroll beeps with an incoming call. A smile spreads across her face as she answers it, projecting the transmission on the large screen.
"What seems to be the problem…?" she starts to say, but her voice is immediately cut off by a scream.
"You goddamn machine, son of a bitch!!" Daniel roars, appearing on screen as he runs through Mantle's alleys, half-dressed and visibly agitated.
"May I ask the reason for this verbal attack?" replies GLaDOS calmly, unfazed by the ridiculous sight of Daniel trying to pull his pants up while dodging trash cans.
"You know what you did!" he spits, panting heavily.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," says GLaDOS, shrugging with feigned innocence. "I only sent you to collect a few semblances."
"That was NOT a woman!" Daniel yells, sounding both furious and horrified.
"I never said they would only be women."
"That was implied!" he snaps, gesturing wildly in frustration. "Imagine my surprise when I walk into the room with 'her,' and the first thing I see when the pants come down is a giant sausage!"
Out of nowhere, Daniel stops, leaning against a wall, visibly shaken, as if he's just realized something deeply troubling.
"Dear mother of God… it was a man. I went to second base with a damn Frenchman. It's the game of tears…" he mutters, dragging a hand down his face. "Now I'm Daniel the homosexual…"
GLaDOS brings a hand to her mouth, trying—and failing—to hide the small bursts of laughter escaping her.
"May's semblance is an invisibility field. It would be a valuable addition to your repertoire."
"No, no, no, and no," Daniel shoots back immediately, waving his hand sharply. "I want you to redo the list right now and remove every man from it. And I hope this is the last time we ever talk about this. Don't make me come up to Atlas and kick your cold metal ass."
BEEP!
With those final words, the call cuts off, leaving the room in silence. Rosella blinks a few times, still processing what she just saw.
"He looked angry," she comments, with a mix of curiosity and confusion.
GLaDOS just shrugs, her tone returning to its usual calm.
"He'll get over it… probably."
She waves her hand dismissively and shifts her focus back to the worktable, eyeing the unfinished translator.
"Let's continue building the translator."
-/-
Inside the warehouse, away from GLaDOS and Rosella, who remain absorbed in their experiments, an unsupervised Sadako wanders through the facility. She moves without a clear destination, guided only by an instinct difficult to explain, passing through room after room without stopping for long. She doesn't know exactly what she's looking for, only that something faint, almost imperceptible, compels her to keep going.
When she passes by a particular door, that feeling intensifies.
Sadako stops for a moment, tilting her head with curiosity before approaching. The door is sealed and has no handle, only an electronic panel. For most, it would be an obstacle, but not for her. Placing her hand on the panel, she lets her energy flow. The screen fills with static, flickering over and over until the door finally unlocks with a metallic click.
Without hesitation, Sadako steps through the threshold.
Inside, the lights switch on automatically, illuminating a room filled with stored objects. She moves slowly, walking through the aisles, examining each artifact, each forgotten piece of machinery. She recognizes some of them from the old warehouse they had moved from, but none hold her attention for long. She keeps moving, exploring without hurry, until her gaze stops on something specific: a chest placed right in the center of the room.
As she focuses on it, the feeling grows stronger. A soft sound accompanies the discovery: thump… thump… gentle pulses coming from inside the box.
Without showing fear, she approaches and opens the chest. Her expression barely changes, but a faint hint of surprise crosses her face at the sight within. Inside rests what appears to be a heart.
THUMP… THUMP…
The beating grows louder now, filling the air. What surprises her isn't that it's a heart, or that it's still beating, but the energy it emits, an energy invisible to most, but not to her.
Sadako can clearly see that the heart releases the same kind of energy that flows through her own body.
THUMP…! THUMP…! The rhythm quickens, becoming more violent, reacting to her presence.
Though they share a similar energetic nature, Sadako doesn't see it as an ally or a friend. She can feel the heart's fear of her, its energy trembling and flaring each time she draws nearer.
And with good reason.
When she extends her hands and holds it between her fingers, the heart lets out a sharp, piercing sound, and immediately the energy rushes toward her, being absorbed without resistance. As the heart contracts in visible pain, Sadako feels the opposite: the emptiness within her fades, replaced by warmth, by life.
With that surge of energy, her body responds, growing stronger, her thin figure gaining substance, as if every pulse restores a fragment of herself. Sadako relishes the sensation, closing her eyes for a few seconds and allowing the energy to flow freely through her.
She could keep going until it's completely drained, ending the heart's strength in a single moment, but she chooses, reluctantly, to hold back. Carefully, she places it back inside the chest, watching as its surface quivers weakly, struggling to regenerate. She observes it for a while longer, gauging its slow recovery, realizing that at this pace, it will take several days to regain its full strength.
She doesn't want to destroy what she now considers hers—her new toy. Calmly, she closes the chest and straightens up, a faint smile crossing her lips as she leaves the room feeling more alive than ever, already longing for their next encounter.
-/-
[City of Atlas – Schnee Manor]
"Uff... puff... uff... puff..." Jacques Schnee pants uncontrollably as he sprints down the endless hallways of his mansion.
Sweat drips down his forehead and soaks the collar of his pajamas, his legs heavy and numb, as if they might collapse at any moment, yet he doesn't dare stop. He knows that the presence is behind him.
He tries not to look back, because if he does, if he stops for even an instant, he'll be caught.
He turns sharply at a corner, then another, and another, but no matter how far he runs, the hallways never end. Every turn brings him back to the same place.
There is never an exit.
There are never other people.
There is never salvation.
"HELP!" he screams with all his strength, but his voice bounces uselessly against the marble walls. The echo throws his own desperation back at him. No one answers. No one comes.
And then a new problem arises.
Chap, chap, chap!
Looking down, he discovers in horror that the floor is filling with water.
"No, no, no, no," he repeats frantically, stepping back a few paces, but the water keeps rising. The dark liquid reaches his knees, then his waist. His instinct forces him to keep moving, but the water makes every step harder.
His lungs burn, his muscles weaken. Soon he stops running and is forced to swim. The level rises until it nearly touches the ceiling. Struggling to stay afloat, he desperately takes one last breath before being completely submerged.
The corridor is swallowed in liquid darkness. Jacques swims blindly, his arms thrashing through the thick, icy water, his chest bursting from lack of air.
And then he sees it. A pale, slender, feminine hand reaching toward him from the depths.
He kicks in desperation, trying to escape, but it's useless. The hand closes tightly around his ankle, pulling him down, straight into the blackness. The pressure crushes him; the air escapes from his throat.
But just before drowning—
"AHHHHH!"
His scream echoes through the corridor, shattering into a cry that spreads far beyond his nightmares.
Jacques's eyes snap open as he falls out of bed with a crash. His scream still echoes through the mansion. The door bursts open, and Klein, his butler, rushes in with a look of alarm.
"Are you all right, sir?" he asks, but Jacques can barely process the words. His heart is pounding violently, his chest heaving, and he's drenched in cold sweat. It takes him several minutes to recover, to pull himself up with difficulty, and to wave his hand dismissively.
"Leave me..." he orders hoarsely.
Klein, long accustomed to these scenes, nods silently and withdraws, leaving Jacques alone in the dim light.
A quick glance at his scroll confirms what he already suspected: he's only slept three hours.
"Argh..."
Annoyed, he stands abruptly and walks toward the bathroom. Since that cursed day he received the video, nothing has been the same. Strange occurrences haunt him: shadows, false reflections, and most of all, those nightmares, growing ever more vivid and frequent.
In the bathroom, he turns on the faucet and splashes cold water on his face. He closes his eyes for a moment, trying to calm himself.
But when he looks back into the mirror, his blood runs cold.
It isn't his reflection staring back at him. It's her: the pale woman, faceless, the same one from his dreams. Jacques covers his face instinctively with his hands, bracing for the worst… but nothing happens.
Slowly, he lowers his arms, looks again, and finds his normal reflection... though now his nose is bleeding. His skin looks gaunt, sweat clings to him, and his eyes are sunken. The sight disgusts him. More than fear, it fills him with anger. His brow furrows, his jaw trembles with rage.
He storms out of the bathroom, hastily dressing himself, and violently opens the door, coming face to face with Klein, who had been waiting patiently in the hallway.
"Increase security," he growls without stopping, walking forward with firm, determined steps. "Double the guards and get me in contact with Ironwood."
Klein, surprised but composed, asks, "What should I tell him, sir?"
"Tell him I don't care how much money it costs or what his terms are," Jacques answers coldly, his bloodshot eyes fixed ahead. "Tell him I need him to find me a Nightmare Hunter."
-//-
Author's note:
A chapter to remind you that I'm not dead, just very sick... I hope I get better soon so I can upload more stuff. The AI I used to proofread my writing went crazy and doesn't work anymore, so if you could give me your opinion on how this chapter reads in terms of flow, I'd really appreciate it, because I feel like it doesn't flow well (if you can even call it that).
Anyway, another chapter of the side stories. I think I'll make one more with a light +18 scene and then go straight to the end of Day 7.
Hope you liked it! And if not, oh well...
Kisses and hugs, rats ❤️