Chapter 14 The Fourth Dimension Revealed

Chapter 14 The Fourth Dimension Revealed
Inside the elevator heading to the lobby, the atmosphere was thick and silent, save for the low hum of the descending lift. Nolan couldn’t move because Nadine was still clinging to him, her face beaming with joy and looking completely at ease. Meanwhile, Nina stood beside Nolan with her arms crossed over her chest, casting sharp glares at him and then at Nadine, who seemed totally oblivious to everyone else. Nina stood pressed slightly against Nolan, with only Nadine’s embrace separating them, even though there was plenty of room on her other side.

Taking it all in, Rico reached out from behind the three of them and gripped Nolan’s shoulder.

"Dude, you haven't forgotten our code, right? Bros before hoes?" Rico whispered.

"Who are you calling a hoe?" Nina asked, glancing back at Rico with a scowl and fire in her eyes.

"Nobody, don't worry about it," Rico replied, quickly backing away.

"Sigh," Nolan let out a breath. He reached for the folder in his back pocket and handed it to Nina.

"Read this," Nolan said.

With a sharp, aggressive movement, Nina snatched the folder from Nolan’s hand and flipped it open. She scanned the documents before looking back at Nolan.

"Otis? So we have to track him down next?" Nina asked.

"Yeah... or I’ll find a way to get Harold’s address at the Colosseum, since he’s one of the owners," Nolan answered.

"That’s going to be tough, bro. As gladiators, we aren't supposed to know anything about management business," Rico chimed in.

"Yeah... I know. If I’d known Heidi was bought by Harold six months ago, I would have started looking back then," Nolan replied.

"Who’s Heidi?" Nadine piped up.

Nolan looked down at Nadine, who was staring up at him. Her black eyes looked hollow and deep, her face blank, but a dark aura began to seep into the whites of her eyes. The atmosphere turned instantly cold. Rico shuddered and Nina swallowed hard, bracing herself. Even Nolan, who feared nothing, felt the weight of Nadine’s unnatural and clearly threatening gaze, despite her expressionless face. Finally,

"My foster sister," Nolan answered.

"Hmm... okay," Nadine replied with a smile, happily hugging him again.

Rico let out a massive sigh of relief and clutched his chest, thinking to himself, "if this keeps up, I’m definitely going to die young." Nina, who looked like she had more to say, decided to keep her mouth shut. Nolan simply rubbed the back of his head, looking visibly uncomfortable.

"Ting."

The elevator reached the lobby, and they stepped out together, only to be hit with a shock. Not a single person they had defeated earlier was anywhere to be seen. Nolan glanced to the right—even the man whose head had been buried in the pillar was gone. The only things left scattered across the lobby floor were their rifles.

"Huh... where did everyone go?" Rico asked.

"No idea," Nolan answered.

"Hmm... do you think they ran for it?" Nina asked, lost in thought.

"I swallowed them," Nadine chimed in.

Everyone instantly turned to look at Nadine, who was still clinging to his arm and staring out at the vast, empty lobby.

"What do you mean, swallowed them?" Rico asked, his voice shaking.

"It’s nothing. Let’s go home... I’m coming with Grey Monarch to Grey Monarch’s house because I don't have one," Nadine answered casually.

"Wait... what do you mean by that?" Nina snapped, spinning toward her.

"Be quiet, Red Monarch," Nadine replied.

"My name is Nina and his is Nolan... don't call us by those titles!" Nina shouted, her voice echoing through the lobby.

"Hmm... okay. He’s Nolan and you aren't important," Nadine said, hugging Nolan tighter.

"Ha... what?" Nina yelled, more annoyed than ever.

The tension spiked as Nina and Nadine locked eyes. Sparks began to dance from Nina’s fingertips while Nadine’s black hair started to drift upward. Seeing things heat up, Nolan pulled away from Nadine and "chop"—he delivered a quick strike to both of their heads at the same time. Both girls clutched their heads with both hands, looking like they were about to cry as they turned to him. "That hurts!" they both cried out in unison.

"Enough... we need to get out of here," Nolan said firmly.

"Phew... turns out he’s still sticking to the bros before hoes code. I can relax," Rico muttered with relief.

Finally, they began walking through the silent, deserted lobby again, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing through the room. But just as Nolan was about to pull the door open to head outside, the blare of loud sirens erupted, and dozens of drones were already swarming behind the glass.

"Oh shit... police," Rico said.

Seeing himself pinned in, Nolan’s mind raced. He looked at Nadine in his arms, Nina by his side, and Rico behind him. His face immediately showed how much he hated what he was about to do, but on the other hand, he didn’t want to pick a fight with an AI that would clearly get in the way of him saving Heidi. He rubbed the back of his head and finally gave in.

"Ugh... this is an emergency. We have no choice... everyone, grab onto me, fast!" Nolan shouted.

Nolan immediately grabbed Nina’s hand and pulled Nadine into his arm, while Rico gripped Nolan’s shoulder from behind. Nolan closed his eyes, then he snapped them open. His eyes had turned a bright, glowing grey. Everything around them began to shift, distorting and splitting apart. A corridor formed, looking like the sea being parted in two, with walls of reality visible on either side. Nina, Rico, and even Nadine gasped in shock, fear, and sheer awe; they had never experienced anything like this before.

"So... this is the power of the Grey Tower... the one they say is just a myth," Nina whispered.

"Nolan is amazing. I’m falling even more," Nadine added.

"Bro... is this... your power?" Rico asked.

"Look behind you," Nolan said casually.

Everyone turned back and froze in shock; in the distance, a massive grey tower stood magnificent and seemingly endless as it reached toward the sky, and it was clear the path they were currently on originated from that very tower. Beside it, a black tower appeared as if it were being embraced by the grey one, while a red tower looked like it was being led by the hand—mirroring the exact positions of Nolan, Nina, and Nadine at that moment. The grey tower looked like a lighthouse or beacon, casting a path to guide survivors through the infinite and vast expanse of the fourth dimension.

"Wow," Nina, Nadine, and Rico all murmured without realizing it.

"Let’s move. We’re going home," Nolan replied calmly.

They continued walking, keeping their grip on Nolan as they passed right through the closed doors. They could see the drones outside circling in confusion, visible through the dimensional walls that acted like "live" screens on their left and right.

"So, back in the alley when you said you’d been there the whole time but in a different dimension... is this what you meant?" Nina asked.

"Yeah," Nolan said shortly.

"And if I let go of your shoulder, what happens?" Rico asked.

"You’ll be lost in here forever. Try it if you don't believe me," Nolan answered.

"Okay... I believe you. I really believe you," Rico shot back.

"I love you, Nolan," Nadine said suddenly.

"Hey... what the hell... once we’re out of here, we are having a very loud conversation," Nina snapped, looking back at Nadine..

"Fine by me," Nadine replied, staring Nina down.

"Will you two shut up? If I let go, you both vanish," Nolan countered.

"Okay... sorry," Nina and Nadine replied in unison.

They continued walking, passing right through the police robots that had begun to surround the building. Some appeared to be analyzing the wreckage of the security bots at the gate, investigating the perpetrators and retrieving their body cams—though their movements were so slow they looked like frozen images, completely silent.

Once they reached a three-way intersection, Nolan closed his eyes again, and they stepped out of the fourth dimension. "Huaaah," Nina and Rico immediately exhaled in relief, while Nadine looked completely unphased.

"That was genuinely intense," Rico muttered, sitting down on the curb.

"True," Nina replied shortly, but her eyes remained fixed on Nolan as he tried to peel away Nadine, who refused to let go of him. Nina clutched her chest, suddenly realizing why she was so annoyed seeing Nadine so close, practically glued to Nolan, and why she felt so bitter that Nolan wouldn't open up to her. "This is bad, my heart is racing and a feeling is starting to surface... I think I'm starting to fall for Nolan," Nina muttered in her mind.