The world returned to Corbin Finch in a sickening rush, a dull throb behind his eyes and the taste of ozone on his tongue. He lay on a padded bed, its rough linen a scratching against his skin. The air was cool and smelled of antiseptic, a stark contrast to the stale, humid air of the Manor above.
He forced his eyes open to a clinical, bright white room, filled with rows of silver consoles and humming devices with brass gears that whirred behind glass domes.
He was the first to regain consciousness. His mind immediately registered the discomfort in his muscles and a strange sensation beneath his skin. It was the Calvanite. The serum had acted like an irritant, attacking his nervous system and sending him into a seizure. But now, it was a part of him. His thoughts felt sharper, his senses keener.
He looked around the room, realising that nobody was there, except for him and the other unconscious children. His mind raced. The logical thing to do was to remain on the cot, but logic was not what he needed now. Curiosity was a far more urgent demand. He needed answers.
With a quiet groan, he slid off the cot, his bare feet meeting the cold floor. He looked at the unconscious forms of the children: Felix and Briar's faces were pale and serene, Beatrice's was marked with the drying streaks of tears, and Rhys and Emmett lay in a tense, silent opposition even in sleep.
He walked past them, his movements silent, and slipped out of the infirmary door.
The laboratory was a maze of brightly lit hallways. Corbin walked around without purpose, though his mind was a storm of questions. The "monstrous twins" Charolette fears. He had to find the North Wing. He wanted answers to his questions.
As he rounded a corner, he froze, pressing himself against the cool, sterile wall. A woman in a black and red uniform was walking slowly down the hallway ahead. It was Charolette.
He held his breath, waiting for her to pass, noticing how she would look around to see if anyone was following her. Her furtive glances instantly raised his suspicion, and his calculating mind decided to follow.
He kept his distance, his feet making no sound on the floor. She passed a series of large, secure doors until she came to a door marked "OUT OF BOUNDS." She stopped, her back to him, and swiftly entered a code into the keypad. The clicking of the buttons was barely audible, but he heard the distinct sound of the bolt releasing. She slipped inside, and the door hissed shut behind her.
Corbin was at the door in seconds, his eyes sweeping over the keypad. He didn't know the code, but his analytical mind was already at work. He wasn't looking at the buttons; he was looking at the wear and tear. A fine film of grime had collected over the keypad's surface, but a few of the buttons were noticeably shinier and cleaner than the rest—the numbers 3, 7, 5, and 2. He realized that this meant those keys were part of the code.
He began to input combinations. He tried 3752, and a red light flashed. He tried 2573, but it was still wrong. He tried combination after combination until, on his sixteenth try, he keyed in 3725. A green light blinked, and a mechanical hum sounded from inside the door. He was in.
He stepped inside, and the door sealed shut behind him, revealing a sleek, dark passageway. A glowing sign above read: "NORTH WING." He had found it. The air here was warmer and carried the distinct, scent of cooking food. This was a living space, not a lab. He followed the passage until it opened into a huge, beautifully furnished living area.
Soon after he entered the living area, he started hearing voices. One, low and smooth in such a way that could only be the Baron. Another was Charolette's, and the other two… they were high-pitched, childlike, and feminine.
He crept to a closed door where the voices were coming from and put his ear against it. He could hear them now, clearer than before. He heard the Baron chuckle and the two feminine voices talking in hushed tones, almost like they were giggling. He cautiously pushed the door open, just a sliver, and peered inside.
The Baron was there, sitting on a leather sofa. Across from him sat Charolette. And beside her were two girls, with beautiful long brown hair. They looked to be no older than eleven or twelve. He hadn't gotten a good look at them when one of the girls, Eta, turned her head and saw him.
Corbin's eyes met with this girl's, and for a moment, he felt a fear he had never known. Her gaze wasn't curious or surprised; it was pure bloodlust. Her eyes, a vortex of deep violet, seemed to see deep into his soul.
Before he could even blink, she was already gone from her chair, a flash of motion that shattered the door into a burst of splintering wood and torn metal. He moved a split-second too late to fully dodge the attack, a piece of torn metal grazed his shoulder as he flew backward. He got to his feet instantly and ran.
As he sprinted through the living area, he heard her voice from behind him, surprisingly calm, cutting through the silence.
"Someone's here! A child. He was spying on us, Baron."
Corbin didn't look back. He just ran. He heard the sound of two pairs of footsteps, now, not one, moving at an incredible speed. They were catching up to him. He ducked into a side hallway, sending a stack of polished steel boxes clattering to the floor, buying him a precious few seconds. The girls, however, moved like a synchronized unit. They didn't even slow down to navigate the obstacle.
He entered the passage that led back to the lab, the girls already closing in, one of them reaching out to grab him. His adrenaline kicked in, but this time, it was different. It was infused with the single drop of Calvanite from earlier. His speed picked up. He was a blur of motion, flying down the corridor, the girls only a few feet behind him.
He knew he couldn't stop. A single misstep meant he was caught. He just kept on running, and when he reached the thick metal door that led out of the North Wing, he didn't stop. He slammed into it with the full force of his desperate sprint. The girls too, unable to reduce their speed, slammed into the door as well.
The thick metal door burst open on impact, the hinges screaming as it gave way. He stood there for a brief moment, breathing heavily, unharmed, not bothering about the door, or why he was unharmed. What was on his mind was escape.
He didn't even notice that the girls, caught off guard, were momentarily dazed from the impact. He used the opportunity to run back to the infirmary as fast as he could.
He burst into the room and launched himself onto his cot, his heart racing, his breathing ragged, his body trembling from the surge of adrenaline and Calvanite. Just then, the other children began to stir, one by one. Rhys groaned, Felix coughed, and Briar slowly came to. They were all coming back to consciousness. Moments later, a man in a white coat entered, checked on their vitals, and then left the room as quickly as he came.
Minutes later, he returned with the Baron. The Baron entered with Charolette and the two girls who had chased Corbin. The moment Corbin saw them, his face went white. The girl who had made eye contact with him earlier, Eta, saw him again and smiled. It was the type of smile you give when you know you have someone cornered.
The other children, who were confused as to who the girls were and why they were there, asked the Baron what was going on.
"I had some things to discuss with you,"
the Baron said,
"but first, I have a culprit to sniff out."
Charolette, with a look of concern, asked the Baron if he was sure the person who infiltrated the North Wing was one of the six children. The Baron nodded.
"The girls said they saw a male child,"
he stated, his gaze sweeping over the room.
"And as you can see, the only male children in the laboratory are here in this room."
He turned to the girls.
"Eta, Theta,"
he commanded,
"Identify the culprit for me."
Eta's triumphant smile grew as she turned and pointed a single finger at a terrified Corbin.