Chapter 151 First Attack
>>Azef
I wasn't expecting Seraphina to come and hug me out of nowhere.
It caught me by surprise. And by surprise I mean, my mind just went blank for a moment. I looked down at her. She had a weary expression on her face. I sighed internally.
Slowly I moved my arms to wrap them around her but she moved away, "Sorry," She didn't meet my gaze, "I don't know what got into me,"
I felt like an idiot. I should have moved faster. Seraphina looked tired. I should take her home at least.
"How about we let her sleep?" I glanced at Eris "I'll take you home for now,"
She shook her head, "I'll stay here with her, for the night." And sat back down on the stool, "I can't leave her on her own."
I watched her but she seemed determined. I guess I'm not going to win here. She was ready to jump into fire for Eris, I know she won't leave her side, "Alright," I turned to walk away, "I need to get back to work," There are many things I need to oversee.
I'll just come back later
As the night reached its darkest hour, I came back to check on the girls before I headed back home. The hospital was eerily quiet. Most of the people had left and the only people inside the hospital were a few nurses on night shift and the patients who were asleep.
I made my way to the general ward and removed the curtain to look at the girls. Unsurprisingly both of them were asleep. But while Eris was out on the bed, Seraphine was asleep on the stool. Her body contorted into an awkward position on the uncomfortable hospital stool. Despite her exhaustion, her sleep was troubled, punctuated by restless tosses and turns as she struggled to find a comfortable spot.
Her brow furrowed in discomfort, lips occasionally parting in silent murmurs of discontent, she seemed caught in the grip of a restless dream. She had her arms folded and her head kept bopping from one side to another.
I shook my head when I saw her. This is why I told her I'd take her home.
Without hesitation, I walked over to her and gently lifted her into my arms, her weight a comforting presence against my chest as I cradled her close.
I glanced at the drip attached to her, she still had a full pouch. She won't be waking up anytime soon. So, I began to walk away, I'm sure she'll be fine even if we both leave.
>>Eris
The man yanked the curtain away and stepped inside. Without wasting any time he drew the curtains to a close, not letting even a single gap remain so that no one can see what he was going to do.
He turned around and pointed his gun at the bed.
Stepping closer to the mattress, he kept his eyes on the blanket that covered the body on the bed. Then he frowned. There was something weird about the body.
He grabbed the blanket and threw it off, only to find a pillow under it. His eyes darted around, looking for me. I took to the ground, crawling beneath the white curtains like a shadow. My movements were swift and silent, fueled by the primal instinct to survive as I navigated my way under the beds and partitions that filled the general ward.
I hugged the ground, my body low to the floor as I crawled beneath the fabric barriers, I held my breath in, I was scared if I breathed too loud he would hear me.
My heart hammered in my chest, the adrenaline coursing through my veins like wildfire as I kept going. None of the other patients noticed me, and it must be because I was small.
But just as I reached the edge of the ward, a cold chill ran down my spine—a sensation that sent a shiver of dread coursing through my veins. I dared to steal a glance behind me, and there, in the dim light of the hospital ward, I saw him—the man in black, his gaze fixed upon me with an intensity that sent a surge of fear coursing through my veins.
He saw me!!!
With a gasp of terror, I broke into a desperate sprint, my heart pounding in my chest as I raced towards the safety of the exit. But the man in black followed after me immediately, his footsteps echoing in my ears as he gave chase. I was barefooted, so I barely made any sound even as I ran. He had boots on, so he couldn't sprint after me.
Running would alert the nurses or maybe wake the patients up, so he briskly walked. But the thing was, I couldn't find any nurses as I ran. I couldn't find any person I could ask for help. It might be because from my level, I couldn't see through the glass on the doors and my gaze didn't reach the desk counters.
So, I pushed myself harder, the only thing in my mind was brother Azef's words
'Whenever you feel something is wrong, no matter what it is, RUN,'
As I quietly made my way through the hallways, every nerve in my body was on high alert, my senses tingled but my body felt cold. My heart raced in my chest, I had no idea where I was going, but I simply kept running, looking for an exit. Looking for an adult, maybe a guard, maybe a doctor. Anyone. But every place I turned to was quiet with barely any light.
I glanced back and though I was far from the man, the fact that I could see him take the turns I did, told me he knew where I was.
I felt like my breathing was getting ragged. I tried to pick up more speed but my feet hurt as I ran. My eyes caught a green sign that showed an arrow and a door.
That must be an exit right?
I took the turn and reached the door. It was big and through the large tinted glass I could see trees. It was the exit! I ran to it, jumping to grab the handle and turn it but my hopes were dashed—the handle refused to turn.
!!!
My heart dropped, the door was locked tight against my frantic attempts to open it. Panic threatened to overwhelm me as I realized that my escape route had been cut off, leaving me stranded with nowhere left to go.
What am I supposed to do now? Where do I even go?
'Whenever you feel something is wrong, no matter what it is, RUN,'
I turned on my heel and fled down the hallway, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I sought out an alternate route to safety.
I ducked into alcoves and side corridors, my movements were getting weird, but my brain started getting foggy and I felt the temperature of my body rise. And then, just when it seemed that all hope was lost, I spotted a glimmer of light ahead—
I had no idea where it was going to take me but it was the only place in the hospital that was brightly lit.
I made a split-second decision and darted inside. The doors weren't locked and they didn't have to be opened with the knob since they swung. I made a smooth entry inside and the door closed behind me with a soft click.
The room was dimly lit, the air heavy with the scent of disinfectant and another weird smell. There were closed iron shelves lined the walls, each one housing a row of body bags, their contents hidden from view.
My heart raced in my chest as I scanned the room for a place to hide, my eyes falling upon a storage unit in the far corner. Without hesitation, I rushed towards it and yanked open the door. There was a shelf, or a bed inside it, I wasn't sure what it was but a person was sleeping on it.
Do I go in? Why is this person sleeping in a closed oven type thing?
!!!
The sound of footsteps got closer and I forgot about everything else, I slipped inside just as the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, closing the door behind me.
I held my breath as I crouched in the darkness, the smell of formaldehyde stinging my nostrils as I pressed myself against the cold metal shelves. Outside, the sound of footsteps drew closer, their rhythm steady and relentless as they approached the place.
I was sweating and my eyes were watering.
With bated breath, I waited, my heart pounding in my chest as I prayed that my hiding place would go unnoticed. But the door swung open and someone came into the place.
My breath caught in my throat as I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps, slow and deliberate, drawing closer with each passing moment. My heart hammered in my chest as I realized that he was searching for me and he was going to find me too!
I held my breath, praying that he would pass by without noticing me, but my hopes were dashed as I heard his footsteps close in toward the storage unit where I cowered. Panic surged through me as I realized that I had been discovered, and that there was nowhere left to hide.
With a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I moved closer to the lady who was sleeping on the iron bed. She didn't move even when I put my weight on her.
I felt like I couldn't breathe properly as my heart rate got higher.
The silence was shattered by the metallic clang of the storage unit's handle being gripped,
I gulped
Beads of sweat flowed down the back of my neck and my forehead.
But before I could even process the implications of this ominous noise, it was drowned out by the sudden eruption of a fierce struggle.
???
The air crackled with the sound of bodies colliding, fists flying, and grunts of exertion. I had no idea what was happening. But it looked like there was a fight going on in the room.
I strained to make out any discernible details, but all I could perceive were the chaotic sounds of combat echoing through the room.
The metallic clang of weapons clashing, the grunt of exertion, the sharp intake of breath—each sound sent a shiver of fear down my spine, heightening the sense of dread that hung heavy in the air. My pulse pounded in my ears, the rhythm of my heartbeat matching the frantic tempo of the fight unfolding before me.
And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the sounds of struggle ceased, replaced by an eerie silence.
For a moment, all was still.
Then someone grabbed the storage unit handle and the door opened.
!!!