Beyond the Boundaries

Chapter 5: Beyond the Boundaries

I had never been this close before.

The air was different here—thick and heavy, as if it carried a strange tension that pressed against my skin. This part of the facility had always been just out of reach, something I had only glimpsed through cracks in the walls or overheard in the whispers of other children. But now, as I stood at the edge of a space I wasn't supposed to enter, it felt more real than ever.

The staff didn't know I was here. At least, I didn't think they did. They were always watching, always nearby, but this time, I had moved quietly enough, quickly enough, to slip past their gaze. I had waited for a gap in their routine, a fleeting moment of freedom.

The corridors in this section were narrower, more confining. The sterile walls seemed to close in on me, pressing from both sides, and the cold light overhead cast sharp, unnatural shadows. It wasn't just in my head—the air was genuinely colder here, and the chill ran down my spine.

I knew I wasn't supposed to be here. But I had to know. I had to find out what they were hiding.

The fragments. That word had echoed through so many conversations, always in hushed tones, always with a sense of importance. I didn't know what they were, but the way the older children spoke of them made it clear that they mattered.

I'd heard whispers that the fragments were tied to the powers that the others had unlocked. And I needed to understand why I was different. Why I couldn't access what they had. The only way to figure that out was to uncover the truth about the fragments.

My heart pounded as I moved deeper into the restricted area. Each step was a risk, every breath a chance to be caught. But I couldn't stop now. The further I ventured, the more desperate I became to know the truth.

At the end of the hallway, a heavy metal door stood before me—more solid and imposing than any other I'd seen in the facility. A keypad glowed faintly beside it, its beeping soft, blending with the hum of the lights overhead. I reached out and touched the cold metal of the door, my fingers trembling slightly. I wasn't sure how I'd get inside, but I had to try.

Just as I leaned closer to study the keypad, I heard it—the faintest sound of footsteps. Too close.

Panic spiked in my chest. They had found me. I wasn't alone anymore.

The footsteps grew louder, more deliberate. They knew I was here.

I pressed myself against the wall, trying to make myself as small as possible. But this hallway was too exposed, the walls too smooth. There was nowhere to hide.

Before I could decide whether to retreat or stay, the door beside me slid open with a soft hiss. I hadn't touched the keypad, but the door responded as if it had been waiting for me all along.

I hesitated only for a second before slipping inside, the heavy door shutting behind me with a firm, final thud.

The room was dimly lit, the walls lined with shelves holding strange, unfamiliar objects. Glass cases were scattered throughout the space, each containing something different—glowing stones, ancient artifacts, and metallic shards that pulsed faintly with energy.

My breath caught in my throat.

These were the fragments.

I stepped closer, drawn to one of the shards that pulsed softly in its case. The faint glow seemed to call to me, pulling at the edge of my consciousness. Deep inside, I felt a familiar pulse—the same one I had sensed before but had never been able to fully grasp.

This was it. This was what I had been searching for.

But just as I reached out, ready to touch the glass, a voice echoed through the room, cold and sharp.

"You shouldn't be here."

I turned, my heart skipping a beat as I saw one of the staff step into the room. It was the same tall man who had confronted me before, his eyes gleaming with something dark and unreadable.

"You've gone too far."

My mouth went dry. I wanted to explain, to say something—anything—but the words wouldn't come. I could only stand there, frozen, as he stepped closer, his presence filling the room with a suffocating weight.

"You don't understand what you're doing," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "The fragments aren't for you."

I glanced back at the glowing shard, its faint pulse still beckoning me. I had been so close. "I just wanted to know…" I muttered, the words barely audible.

The man's expression remained cold, unchanging. "Curiosity has its limits," he said, reaching out and grabbing my arm. His grip was firm, much stronger than I had expected.

Before I could react, he pulled me from the room. He didn't just lead me back into the corridors—he dragged me through the common area, where the other children were gathered.

The moment we entered, the air shifted. Every head turned toward us, their eyes wide with surprise. They watched in silence as I was hauled across the room, their whispers just below the edge of hearing. The man didn't care about their stares. He made no effort to hide what he was doing, his grip never loosening as he yanked me through the center of the room.

I was being made an example of.

The other children said nothing. They didn't need to. Their expressions—a mix of fear and something else—said it all. It was relief. Relief that it wasn't them being dragged through the halls.

By the time we reached the far side of the common area, my legs were burning from trying to keep up with his pace. He threw open a door and shoved me inside with enough force that I stumbled, my knees hitting the cold floor. The door slammed shut behind me, the silence that followed almost deafening.