4

The vehicle moved fast—faster than Chrysan thought was legal—and before she could even piece together where they were going, the van turned off the main road and slipped through a camouflaged gate hidden within a dense patch of trees. The estate it opened onto wasn’t a house—it was a fortress.

A massive, stone-and-metal structure loomed ahead, sleek and fortified with walls too tall to see over. The architecture was sharp, angular—too perfect to be man-made. Lights pulsed faintly along the outer rim, and strange symbols she couldn’t understand glowed briefly as the vehicle approached the main entrance.

They carried Dahl inside swiftly, the girls close behind. No one stopped them.

The interior was nothing like Chrysan had imagined—if anything, it was more. The corridors were wide and seamless, the floors smooth with no visible cracks or joins. Soft light illuminated the halls from strips embedded within the walls, adjusting automatically as they walked. The deeper they went, the more Chrysan realized this place wasn’t built for comfort—it was built for function.

They entered a room that could only be described as a medical bay, though it looked more like something from a science fiction film. Holographic panels hovered in midair, responding instantly to the men’s voice commands. Robotic arms extended from the ceiling and walls with gentle precision, aiding in Dahl’s treatment. A screen beside the bed displayed a rotating 3D model of his body, organs glowing, shifting, adjusting.

And slowly… miraculously… he began to improve.

The sunken hollows beneath his eyes filled out. The color returned to his skin. His ras, once dull and lifeless, seemed to shimmer with renewed energy, rising softly from his scalp in response to the IV still feeding the strange green fluid into his veins.

Kelly was at his side, never letting go of his hand. Her thumb brushed across his knuckles, her other hand resting gently on his chest. “Dahl… you’re okay. You’re okay now,” she whispered.

His eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened. A faint smile ghosted across his lips.

Chrysan hovered awkwardly in the background. No one had asked her to leave, but she felt out of place all the same. Still, her eyes were wide with wonder.

The technology. The precision. The effortless way they commanded the space. Voice-triggered panels changed what was displayed on the screens. Scans of Dahl’s organs responded in real time. Drones floated overhead, adjusting positioning, dispensing medication, or disappearing back into ports in the walls. She caught herself staring open-mouthed more than once.

These men were not human.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a room through a glass doorway. From where she stood, she could see rows of people standing—each in their own small square of rich soil, perfectly arranged in grid-like patterns. Behind them, the wall was a living sheet of water, constantly flowing, shimmering like liquid glass. It ran over the transparent surface in a steady cascade. The people didn’t move. They stood upright, calm, eyes closed, as though they were… resting… charging… or growing.

Chrysan stepped closer to the doorway without thinking, drawn in by the surreal beauty of it.

A soft, almost metallic voice whispered behind her. “Hydro-rejuvenation chambers. Only used in extreme cases.”

She turned slightly and saw Pyne standing nearby, watching her.

Chrysan swallowed hard. “You’re really not from here, are you?”

He smiled faintly. “No,” he said. “We’re not.”

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