The White Room

-Chase Meredith:

I've never been this excited in my entire life.

Climbing down the ladder, I felt my hands gripping the metal rungs a little tighter than necessary, the guide's steadying hand lightly brushing my shoulder as I descended.

Just like the other doctors, I made my way down, watching as the circular floor above us slowly closed, sealing us in.

For a brief moment, the world was swallowed in pitch-black darkness, the silence almost suffocating. Then, like something out of a sci-fi film, blue UV lights began to glow every ten feet along the walls, illuminating our descent.

At first, we moved slowly, the hum of the mechanism faintly vibrating beneath my feet. But then the platform sped up, making it impossible to keep track of how far we were going. I lost count after a while, but I was certain we'd gone at least 200 feet underground. That thought alone was mind-blowing.

Finally, after what felt like less than a minute, the motion stopped, and we stepped off into a gleaming white hallway. It was pristine and impossibly futuristic, with a shine so bright it almost hurt my eyes.

I glanced around and spotted a few doctors walking briskly through the corridor, each of them accompanied by virtual screens that floated in front of them, displaying information I couldn't even begin to process.

No tablets? My chest tightened with excitement. This was even better than I'd imagined.

One of the guides stepped forward and addressed us in that same monotone voice they all seemed to share. "You must be tired. We'll guide each group to their assigned rooms. You'll have five hours to rest before your orientation."

He began calling out names, grouping the doctors into smaller teams.

"First group, Lee Joon-Dae, Mariah Griffin, Daniel Miller, Scott Davis, Fatiha Aamer, Andrew McCoy."

Six doctors stepped forward and followed the guide without hesitation.

"Second group, Sarah Jones, Alexander Hernandez, Henry Jackson, Charlotte Ramirez, Chloé Halle, Stella Davis."

Another six peeled off, leaving my group as the last to be called.

"The rest, please follow me."

I reached over and grabbed Noah's forearm, pulling him along as Mia, Oliver, Jack, and Ethan followed closely behind.

The guide led us down the hall to a massive white door. He scanned a keycard, and with a soft beep, the door slid open, revealing a long hallway lined with identical doors. Each one had its keycard scanner beside it.

"This is A-400, where new doctors reside for their first five years," the guide explained as we walked. "After that, the superiors will evaluate your performance and trustworthiness. If deemed suitable, you may be transferred to higher-level accommodations or even an independent home on the surface, in Shadow City."

Shadow City? I couldn't help but smile at the name. It suited that eerie, hidden town aboveground perfectly.

I was too busy marveling at the details of the hallway to care much about where I'd be living. All I could think about was exploring the lab—seeing the devices, the experiments, and discovering why this place was so secretive.

Oliver, on the other hand, seemed less enthusiastic. He walked quietly, his brows furrowed as if he couldn't shake a nagging discomfort.

The guide stopped at a small panel on the wall. It slid open, revealing a drawer filled with keycards. He handed one to each of us. "These cards grant access to your rooms and various spaces within the lab."

With that, he led us to room number 125, scanned his card, and stepped aside to let us in.

The moment we entered, the room's size took my breath away.

"Wow."

"This is huge."

"So beautiful."

"I already like this place."

My friends' voices filled the air, but I barely heard them. I was too busy taking it all in.

The room was massive, with four queen-sized beds, each in its corner. Each bed had its nightstand, desk, dresser, bookshelf, and wardrobe—all in the same pristine white as the rest of the lab. Everything was spotless, almost unnaturally clean. The air even smelled fresh, like it had just been filtered.

Wandering further in, I found another room. It was smaller, with only two beds, but otherwise identical to the first. There was also a fully equipped kitchen and two bathrooms.

The guide spoke again, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Your suitcases will be delivered in fifteen minutes. Any questions?"

Mia raised her hand, looking a little unsure. "Am I… staying here with the guys?"

The guide stared at her blankly, his expression unreadable. "Yes, Dr. Watson. This is your group."

She hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "I was wondering if it's possible to transfer me to an all-girls room?"

The guide didn't miss a beat. "Every doctor stays with their assigned group. However, I'll see what can be done if this is a significant issue for you."

Mia nodded, her discomfort evident. The rest of us exchanged glances, silently agreeing that her concerns were valid.

"Any other questions?" the guide asked.

When no one spoke up, he gave a small nod and left.

I turned to the group, grinning. "So… are we going to pick beds or what?"

Ethan glanced at Mia and smirked. "You want to room with me?"

Mia laughed. "Obviously."

The two of them headed off to claim the smaller room, leaving the rest of us to choose from the remaining beds in the bigger room.

Jack pouted dramatically, and Noah couldn't help but tease him. "If you were gay like Ethan, maybe Mia would've roomed with you."

Jack shot him a glare before shrugging and picking a random bed, the rest of us quickly doing the same.

As everyone settled in, Noah was pulling off his shoes when Oliver hesitantly approached him.

"Noah?"

Noah looked up. "Yeah?"

Oliver glanced around nervously. "Did your dad ever mention the lab being underground?"

Noah shook his head. "No, I don't think he knew. But honestly, it's so cool. I can't wait to see more of it."

Oliver gave him a tight-lipped smile and patted his shoulder. "Yeah… it's cool," he mumbled, turning back to his bed. "And strange."

His quiet concern lingered in the air, but I pushed it aside. We had five hours to rest before everything truly began.

Just five hours.

And none of us knew yet that those five hours would be the calm before the most shocking events of our lives.