Chapter 81 A New Facility

Chapter 81 A New Facility
Raven's POV

I stepped outside. Drew, Blade, and Rhea decided to remain behind to take care of my mother.

I wanted to ask Drew what exactly had happened between him and my mother, especially after seeing the way he'd looked at her earlier. There was clearly something between them.

But the scientist was already impatiently waiting outside.

“We're leaving.”

I glanced back at the house, letting out a sigh. There would be time for questions later. At least, I hoped there would be.

We climbed into the vehicles, and soon, the building disappeared behind us.

For several minutes, nobody spoke. I sat beside Adrian while Dael sat across from us, his eyes fixed on the window. I studied him for a while before finally speaking.

“Dael.”

He looked at me. “What?”

“I need to ask you something.”

His expression became cautious.

“Why were you stalking me?” I asked bluntly.

Adrian's head snapped toward me, then Dael.

Dael's eyebrows pulled together. “What are you talking about?”

“The messages. The calls. The threats you made. Why?”

He stared at me as though I'd asked the most ridiculous question in the world.

“I never stalked you,” he said, frowning.

I scoffed. “You expect me to believe that? Remember, you admitted it when I accused you in the car. The first time we met.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

I studied his face.

“You're lying,” I accused.

I knew he was lying. He had to be. He admitted it earlier, so why was he denying it now?

Dael rubbed a hand down his face. “Look, Raven, I'm telling you the truth. I have never sent any message to you. Ever.”

“Dael, you knew things about me that nobody else knew.”

I was getting desperate.

“I told you, I watched over you. I followed you sometimes because I wanted to make sure you were safe, but I never stalked you.”

My stomach tightened.

Could he be telling the truth? Had I imagined the conversation we had in the car where he admitted to stalking me?

I fell silent, not knowing what to think anymore. Dael had been obsessed with me, possessive, and reckless, but could it be possible that he had never sent those messages?

Adrian nudged me.

“What's going on?” He looked between me and Dael.

I slowly turned to Adrian.

Before I could explain, the vehicle suddenly slowed.

The scientist looked through the windshield.

“We're here,” he announced.

I turned toward the window.

A massive facility stood ahead of us, hidden behind layers of trees and high concrete walls.

My stomach twisted.

We were here.

And somewhere inside this place was the answer to most of my questions, especially the truth about the Origin.

“Everyone, buckle your seatbelts. We are about to proceed,” the scientist said excitedly.

But as the gigantic gates slowly opened, one thought refused to leave my mind.

If Dael wasn't my stalker...

Then whose voice had I been hearing all those months?

Why did he agree to it, only to deny it now?

And if it really wasn't him, then why had they wanted me to believe it was him?

\---

Adrian's POV

The gates opened slowly, revealing the facility beyond them.

I stared through the windshield, my eyes moving over the high concrete walls, armed guards, and cameras positioned at every corner. Everything about the place screamed security.

But there was something else.

Something I couldn't quite explain.

The building was extremely familiar, like I'd seen it before. Not in a photograph or a dream, but somewhere in the deepest parts of my memory. I could tell I'd been here before.

I glanced at Raven.

She was staring through the window too, her expression carefully blank. But I could see the tension in her shoulders and the way her fingers curled tightly around the edge of her seat.

She remembered it too.

Or at least, I thought she did.

The vehicle finally came to a stop.

The scientist turned around with a satisfied smile.

“Welcome back, children.”

My fist curled in my lap as thoughts of causing serious damage to the scientist's face crossed my mind.

Neither Raven nor I answered.

The doors opened, and several armed men immediately surrounded us.

“Out,” one of them commanded.

I stepped down first and extended a hand toward Raven. She took it, allowing me to help her out of the vehicle. Dael climbed out after us.

Unlike Raven and me, he didn't look surprised.

He looked defeated.

His eyes moved across the facility as if he'd seen it a thousand times before. I carefully studied him. There was something about his reaction that irked me.

Maybe it was the fact that he remembered things Raven and I had forgotten, or the fact that he had my face but was nothing like me.

I didn't know.

“Move,” one of the guards ordered, interrupting my thoughts.

We were led toward the entrance.

Before we stepped inside, the guard at the door stretched out his hand.

“Hand your phones over,” he ordered.

I stared at him for a moment, reluctant to comply, before handing over my phone. It was the best way to avoid trouble.

He took it and passed it to one of the other men.

The same was done with Raven and Dael.

Raven gave me a surprised look at how quickly I'd handed my phone over without any reluctance.

Unknown to them, I wasn't worried because I'd already done what I needed to do.

A few minutes earlier, while everyone was distracted, I'd sent Styles a message.

Keep tracking my location. Don't come here. Not yet.

I needed him far away from this place. If we were going to expose Noctrix, I needed evidence first. More importantly, I needed to find out who was behind it.

Whoever owned Noctrix had spent years hiding in the shadows.

I intended to drag them into the light.

We were ushered inside.

The moment I crossed the threshold, something inside me shifted.

The smell hit me first.

Disinfectant. Chemicals. Cold air.

My steps slowed for half a second. I felt repulsed. Knowing that they had actually kept people in here made me want to hurl everything in my stomach.

Raven's fingers suddenly found mine.

I looked at her.

Her expression mirrored my own.

She didn't say anything.

She didn't have to.

I squeezed her hand gently before letting go. We couldn't draw attention to ourselves.

Not yet.

The guards led us down a long corridor before stopping at a large set of doors.

The doors slowly opened, revealing an enormous room.

Everything was painted white.

The marble walls reflected the bright overhead lights, making the entire room look almost unnaturally clean. White marble floors stretched from one end to the other, while the ceiling was lined with recessed lights that gave the room a cold, sterile glow.

There were no decorations.

No windows.

Nothing that made the room feel human.

Only guards.

They stood at every corner, weapons visible beneath their jackets.

Raven stepped inside beside me. Her breathing changed, and I pulled her toward me, running a hand down her arm.

Dael's eyes followed the movement, but he quickly looked away when he noticed me watching him.

Raven was staring at the walls, her eyes wide.

“You remember this place,” I whispered.

She swallowed.

“I don't know.”

“You do.”

She looked at me.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then she slowly shook her head.

“I remember being afraid.”

My chest tightened.

I wanted to tell her she was safe.

But I couldn't.

Not here.

Not yet.

The scientist walked toward the center of the room.

“You will all be staying here for the meantime, until a private room can be arranged for the three of you.”

“Wait, so we're living with people?” I asked.

“For now, yes,” the scientist replied.

Raven scoffed but said nothing as she sat on one of the chairs.

“Now, if you'll excuse me, enjoy your stay.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving the three of us alone.

I turned to face my companions.

Dael simply plopped down on one of the chairs near the wall without saying anything. He looked like he'd been here before.

I watched him.

He looked exhausted. Almost like he'd already accepted whatever was coming.

That wasn't the Dael I'd known.

The man I'd seen before was arrogant, possessive, and always ready for a fight. This version of him looked like someone who had finally run out of places to hide.

Raven stood from her seat and moved closer to me.

“Adrian.”

I looked down at her. She made sure Dael couldn't hear us.

“I'm scared,” she breathed. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

I glanced around the room before turning back to her. I ran a hand down her cheek, gently caressing it.

“I know.”

“What if we don't get out?” she asked.

“You will.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I'll make sure you do,” I assured her.

Her eyes filled with emotion.

“You can't promise that, Adrian.”

“I just did.”

She stared at me for a moment before stepping closer. I wrapped my arm around her waist, and she rested her head against my chest.

For a few seconds, the facility disappeared. There were no guards. No scientists. No Aster. No Noctrix.

There was only Raven and me.

“I thought I'd lost you,” she whispered.

My throat tightened.

“So did I.”

She pulled away slightly and looked into my eyes.

“When I disappeared, I kept thinking about you.”

I brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

“I never stopped looking for you, baby.”

“I know.”

Her lips trembled into a small smile.

“I knew you would come.”

I leaned closer until my forehead rested against hers.

“I'll always come for you, Raven.”

She closed her eyes.

For one brief moment, I allowed myself to forget everything else.

Then a loud metallic sound echoed through the room.

Raven immediately pulled away.

The doors behind us slammed shut.

Every guard in the room raised their weapons.