Facility PT-009

Dorian didn't let what Benson said linger in his head for too long. He had a lot more other things to think about.

Like the lab, its location, how he would talk to the people there, the 'others', the tests, and how he had to make sure no one touched or tried to take Rose out of his sight.

They left the apartment soon after Rose returned, and Dorian changed into a black loose hoodie and oversized pants.

Rose wore a fitted skirt that hugged her figure; over it was an oversized shirt once again, and boots to help with her cold feet.

The sky was pale blue, with clouds beginning to glow golden at the edges. The city had already come alive, traffic noises in the distance, and delivery bikes zipped past the road in front of the apartment.

Dorian kept wondering if the people knew about the rifts or what was going on beyond the barrier protecting them.

They walked down the stairs instead of taking the elevator, following Benson's lead. He didn't talk much on the way, he just hummed as he spun his truck keys in his hands.

The parking garage was mostly empty, except for an old black truck at the far end. Benson unlocked it when they reached it and gestured for them to get in.

Dorian took the front passenger seat. Rose climbed into the back, pulling her bag to her lap and yawning into her sleeve.

Benson slid into the driver's side, buckled in, fired the engine, and then they were off.

They left the heart of the city behind, buildings thinning out the further they drove. Benson took the tunnel at the other side of the city, after clarifying his identity at the gate.

They were let through and drove out of the city entirely. The landscape opened up to flat land, dry grasses swaying under the morning sky and cool wind.

There were a few trees in sight, but besides that, the land was as empty as the last, except the sand was the regular brown color and not red.

The facility came into view shortly after, a massive, long gate just sitting in the middle of nowhere. It sat about thirty minutes to an hour's drive away from the city, surrounded by open fields, distant hills, and a road that looped and led up to the roof.

The translucent wall around the city shimmered faintly behind them when Dorian looked. It was almost as if it was just a glowing pole, given the structure of the wall.

Dorian stared ahead, his eyes narrowing when Benson pulled up to the heavily guarded gates. The truck came to a stop at the checkpoint.

Two fully armored men stepped out of the gatehouse, holding scanners and guns. They scanned the body of the truck, scanned their faces, before finally letting them in.

Dorian's eyes kept observing the area, the building's hidden corners, the cameras in spots that would be nearly impossible to find.

There weren't many people moving around in the name of security, just the guards outside and the cameras.

For some reason, it relieved him.

Benson drove up the looped road and into the garage at the top. He stepped out, stretching his arms.

"Welcome to paradise," he said sarcastically, slamming the door behind him.

Dorian got out next, eyeing the building. "I'm not even going to ask about the garage. The facility is different, though."

"It's privately owned, so it's necessary for it to feel different," Benson said, walking ahead and waving them forward.

He led them to a door on that floor, swiped his card along the handle, it unlocked with a soft click. The doors opened on their own, releasing cool air that immediately hit Dorian.

The inside was cooler than he had expected, even more than the previous one. Smooth floors, pale white walls, LED panels glowing along the ceiling.

They walked past a few people in formal wear, suits, black pencil skirts, ties, and so on. Some glanced their way, their gazes fixed on Dorian, and sometimes Rose. However, no one said anything. They just bowed respectfully and continued walking.

Benson didn't stop until they reached the elevator, and were whisked to a different part of the facility. Not up, not down, but the elevator moved sideways, with see-through walls.

Dorian made sure not to miss a single detail, from the spotless glass, to the lights, the security measures, the way the staff looked, how they dressed.

He hadn't spotted anyone wearing biosuits or armor within the facility, and that was very suspicious.

By the time the elevator moved to a higher ground and took another right, where he assumed was the other side of the lab, a wide field came into view.

Surrounded by green grasses—artificial green, because the weather was terrible for growing grasses that lush. Even if people managed to harvest crops, the land the facility was built on was not suitable for that.

Squinting to look closer, Dorian noticed the center was tiled, so was the path walk around the field. One led to another gate that led out of the facility, and another into a separate building.

The elevator finally moved downwards, and stopped just three floors up, before the doors beeped open.

Benson led them into a room just by the elevator door. He flipped on the lights in the room and made his way to a locker with his name carved into it.

"Let me change real quick," he said.

Dorian leaned against the wall while Rose wandered to the opposite side, eyeing a small plaque with safety instructions in tiny font.

When Benson came out again, he was dressed in a pristine white lab coat, dark glasses now perched on his face, and a sleek ID card clipped to his collar.

He looked like someone else entirely, less casual, more official. But the cocky smirk was still there, and Dorian secretly hated it.

"All right," he said, adjusting his glasses. "Let's get you checked in."

He led them through another corridor, then turned down a quieter hall. There were fewer people here, more silence, more doors with no labels.

Dorian's shoulders tightened instinctively, and he clenched his fists, prepared for anything.

They stopped in front of a wide steel door. Benson tapped a panel beside it, and a soft chime responded.

"She's in," he said.

"She?" Dorian asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The chief," Benson replied casually, as if that explained everything. "Don't worry, she's direct, but extremely nice. Just don't try to lie, she's got a way of knowing."

He looked at Dorian and tilted his head slightly. "And please don't try to attack her."

Dorian opened his mouth to ask something else, but before he could speak, the door clicked.

Then it opened slowly, cold air spilling into the hallway from within.

Benson stepped in with Rose following closely behind. Dorian waited a bit to ensure there were no traps. He glanced at both sides of the hall, still no one, but the cameras were active.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped in as well and shut the door behind him.

The office was larger than expected, sleek, dimly lit, with walls of tinted glass and bookshelves lined with reports and metal cases.

A monitor wall flickered in the corner, showing the security feeds of various wings, including the field, with muffled noise coming from each speaker.

At the far end, behind a large black desk, sat a woman with white hair tied into a tight braid. She wore a white lab coat, a pair of pink-framed glasses perched on her nose.

Her eyes immediately locked onto his, glossy pink pearls gazing into the partial red pool in his eyes with some kind of familiarity.

Once she was certain Dorian wasn't willing to look away, a smile appeared on her lips. She leaned forward slightly, folding her hands on the desk, while her chin rested on them.

"I'm quite surprised that you actually agreed, Mister Mordaine."

Dorian frowned, but a glare from Rose got him fixing his face. He forced a smile, put his hands behind his back, and bowed slightly.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Miss...?"

"Aurora. Benson's sister."

Dorian nodded, casting a side glance at Benson, who averted his gaze in embarrassment. Rose, who just watched, covered her mouth to stop herself from letting out a sound.

Aurora only smiled at the reactions. She reached into the open cupboard beneath her desk, took out a file, and placed it on the table.

"All right, let's get you registered before we start the tests."