The moment they stepped through the exit, a rush of cool air greeted them. The space beyond was a stark contrast to the hell they had just endured—bright, sterile, humming with fluorescent lights, and lined with others who had made it through. The sound of helmets being unlatched echoed like some strange ritual. One by one, they removed their masks, gasping in the fresh air like survivors breaking the surface after drowning.
Nico exhaled sharply, his heartbeat finally settling. His fingers fumbled with the straps of his helmet until he yanked it off completely. He turned to the others—Kai, Jonah, Aiden. They were all there. Relief was short-lived when he noticed something—Elena hadn't taken hers off yet.
His stomach twisted.
"Elena?" he called. The others turned as well, their gazes landing on her unmoving figure.
For a tense moment, no one spoke.
Then, at last, she reached up and slowly removed the helmet.
They all let out a collective breath, but before anyone could say anything, Nico moved instinctively. His body reacted before his mind could catch up, closing the distance between them in two strides. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Elena.
She went rigid.
A sharp inhale. A barely restrained flinch.
Then she shoved him away. Hard.
"Don't touch me!"
The words cut through the space like a blade. Silence followed, heavy and suffocating. Jonah, Kai, and Aiden stood frozen, exchanging awkward glances. Kai scratched the back of his head. Jonah sighed. Aiden crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.
Elena's face was a mix of anger and something else—something Nico couldn't place. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed off, disappearing into the crowd.
Kai was the first to break the silence.
"Did we miss something?" His tone was light, but there was curiosity behind it.
"What?" Nico muttered, still reeling.
Aiden narrowed his eyes. "When the hell were you guys ever that close?"
Nico blinked. The reality of what just happened finally sank in. His fists clenched. He had acted on impulse, driven by what he had seen in her memories. But she didn't know that. To her, he was just some guy she barely tolerated.
Jonah stepped forward, placing a hand on Nico's shoulder. "Something happened earlier with her and Leo," he said quietly. "She's probably still shaken up about it. Don't take it personal."
Nico's head snapped up, his expression darkening. "What the hell do you mean? That creep tried something with her?"
Jonah didn't answer right away, but his silence said enough.
Nico's gaze shot toward the far end of the room, where Leo stood in a group with his usual lackeys. The smug bastard was watching Elena leave, a twisted sort of satisfaction in his eyes.
Nico's jaw tightened. His fists clenched at his sides.
"I swear to God—" He took a step forward, murder in his veins.
Jonah's grip tightened. "I know you like a good fight, but this isn't the right time."
Nico let out a sharp breath through his nose, but he didn't move. Not yet. His blood boiled, but he forced himself to stay still. Not here. Not now.
Kai, ever the instigator, finally spoke up, smirking slightly. "Someone's more emotional lately…"
Nico shot him a glare, but it lacked real heat. He turned back toward the exit Elena had vanished through, his mind still racing.
As soon as Elena disappeared down the hallway, the intercom cracked to life.
An overhead speaker crackled to life. "All patients, prepare for lunch. You have fifteen minutes."
Kai patted him on the back. "C'mon, man. Chill. Breathe."
"I need to shower or something," Jonah muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I smell like helmet hair and trauma."
Later, in the cafeteria, they gravitated back to one another—Nico, Jonah, Aiden, Kai… and eventually Elena. She arrived late, tray in hand, shoulders hunched. Kai waved her over. She hesitated. Then sat beside Jonah without saying a word.
Nico cleared his throat. "Elena, I just wanted to—"
"It's whatever."
She didn't look at him.
Silence.
Nico swallowed the rest of his sentence.
A hush settled over the group until Jonah broke it. He leaned forward, elbows on the table.
"Well, I guess this is a great time to talk about something I've been thinking about," he said. "Didn't say anything before because Aiden thought I was a conspiracy theorist." He shot Aiden a mock glare. Aiden just smirked.
"And honestly… this is my least favorite part of this whole thing, so I had no complaints when I noticed it wasn't a part of our day anymore…" He hesitated. "But we haven't been getting our prescribed medications. Yet, I've been feeling unusually… normal. And for a place where a bunch of psychos are gathered up, it's been pretty calm… don't you think?"
Silence.
Aiden blinked, then slowly nodded. "Wait… shit. You're right."
Nico frowned. "It's been… what, a week? Two?"
Jonah shrugged. "No idea. That helmet room screwed with my sense of time."
Elena suddenly looked up and pointed to a corner of the ceiling. "Look. Up there."
They all followed her gaze. A faint wisp of smoke drifted in from an air vent, barely noticeable.
"Maybe they're drugging us through the vents," she said.
"Keep it down…" Aiden muttered, glancing at the security cameras. "We don't know who might be listening."
Everyone sank back into their chairs, unease slipping through the cracks.
From the corner of his eye, Nico spotted Leo in the lunch line. Laughing with two of his usual cronies.
Nico stood abruptly, picking up his half-full tray.
"Where are you going?" Kai asked.
"Just grabbing something."
He strode toward the lunch line. Each step louder in his head than on the floor. The distance between him and Leo narrowed, heat rising in his chest.
He didn't plan what he was going to say.
He just knew he was going to say something.
Nico placed his tray next to Leo's and stood beside him, their shoulders nearly touching.
Leo barely acknowledged him.
"You think I don't know what happened earlier?" Nico said quietly, teeth clenched.
Leo slowly turned, eyes narrowing. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Elena," Nico hissed. "You touched her."
Leo gave a half-laugh, sharp and smug. "You've got the wrong idea, man. She's messed up. Everyone knows it. Maybe she just regretted whatever happened—"
Nico's grip tightened on the tray.
Leo kept going, voice low and venomous. "I mean, don't let her quiet demeanor fool you. She's an easy pass around."
Nico's vision tunneled.
CRACK.
The tray slammed into Leo's head with a sickening sound, sending mashed potatoes flying and Leo stumbling into the counter. Gasps rang out around them. One of Leo's lackeys cursed and backed away.
Leo clutched the side of his head, stunned. "What the hell—!"
Nico dropped the tray, chest heaving. "You touch her again, I won't use a tray next time."
Staff started yelling from across the room. Someone grabbed a radio. Leo just stared at him, dazed and furious.
His adrenaline was crashing over him like a wave. His fists still shook.
Back at the table, the others froze.
Aiden had a fry halfway to his mouth. Jonah sat rigid, blinking like he misheard the crack. Kai's eyes lit up, like someone just told him it was his birthday.
"Oh my god," Kai whispered, grinning. "He actually did it."
Elena didn't move. Her tray sat untouched in front of her, but her knuckles were white around the edges.
A second later, a voice boomed over the intercom. "Step away. Step away now."
Two orderlies rushed across the cafeteria, cutting through the silence like blades. Leo, still cradling the side of his face, pointed a shaky finger at Nico, trying to look tough while clearly dazed. "He just assaulted me! That guy's a psycho—"
"Yo, he slipped!" Kai shouted from the table. "Those potatoes are lethal."
Laughter echoed across the cafeteria.
Nico raised his hands slowly as the orderlies approached, his face unreadable.
"I'm good," he muttered. "I'm not resisting."
They grabbed him anyway. Rough. One wrenched his arm behind his back, too tight.
"Hey, easy!" Jonah stood now, hands lifted in defense. "He didn't even—"
"Sit. Down." The larger orderly barked without turning.
Jonah hesitated, then sat.
Nico didn't resist. But as they hauled him away, his eyes locked onto Leo's one last time. "This won't be the end of it."
Leo didn't respond. Didn't smirk. Didn't move.
As Nico is rushed out the rest of the group at the table sat in silence.
As he was dragged away, his eyes stayed locked on Leo.
"This isn't over," he spat.
Back at the table, silence settled again. Then—
Kai: "Okay, but like… that was badass."
Jonah: "Seriously?"
Aiden: "They're gonna isolate him. Or sedate him. This place doesn't care about justice."
Elena stood, wordless. Dumped her full tray in the trash.
"I'm not hungry."
As she turns to walk away the lights flickered.
Then again.
And then, without warning, the room buzzed. A high-frequency sound—barely perceptible at first—but enough to make them wince and look around in confusion.
The intercom crackled again, this time in a voice no one recognized:
"Next Phase initiated."
A siren began to rise in the distance—low, steady, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Jonah's eyes darted to the others. "What the hell is that?"
Aiden's face had gone pale. "We're about to find out."
The high-pitched frequency intensified. It drilled into their skulls, sharp and merciless. People around the cafeteria started groaning, clutching their heads. Some stumbled from their seats.
Nico had barely made it to the door with the orderlies when he felt it—like knives in his ears. He shouted something, but his voice was drowned out.
The noise kept rising.
Jonah and Kai pressed their hands to their ears. Aiden dropped to his knees.
Elena crashed to the floor.
The sound became unbearable—like reality itself was shrieking.
And one by one…They collapsed.Falling like dominoes.Unconscious.