Immortal Paladin-Chapter 139 – Inside the mist [4]

(POV – Protagonist)

After Althea was escorted away by the guards to some unknown location, I stayed in my room. At the moment, I was standing close to the glass separating us from the scientists, observing them in silence. There was no specific reason for this – it was more of a habit, maybe a way to pass the time.

However, something curious always happened: every time I got closer to the glass, the scientists started staring at me, as if they were trying to figure out what was going on inside my mind. And, from time to time, small candies would appear in the compartment below the glass, almost like a reward for something... or an experiment.

I don’t need to say that most of these scientists are always getting into trouble. Apparently, I can’t be fed food that hasn’t been tested yet. It might upset my stomach – or at least that’s what they say.

Sound familiar? Like those signs at zoos telling you not to throw food at the monkeys. Do you ever feel it? That sensation of being on display, being watched all the time. But no, it’s probably just your imagination. Of course, I’m not being treated like a primate... right?.

As this thought crossed my mind, I waved at a scientist watching me from the other side of the screen. When she saw my gesture, she smiled broadly, almost with childlike enthusiasm, and immediately pointed at me, looking incredibly happy. Then, she started talking animatedly to her colleagues, as if sharing an exciting discovery.

Despite the fleeting warmth of that gesture, a persistent discomfort returned to my mind: Althea was taking a long time to return. Though I tried to push away negative thoughts, something inside me insisted — could she have made a mistake? Not that I knew the reason, but for some reason, that felt... strangely plausible.

(Should I go check?) I thought, keeping my face neutral as I calmly waved at the scientists on the other side of the glass.

***

(POV – Oliver Bennett)

Oliver stared at the guard in front of him with focus, his gaze lingering softly on the man for a few seconds. As he watched in silence, a question formed in his mind: did he really know what he was guarding? Did he have any idea what was hidden deep in that lake? Or better yet – how many people here actually knew what, at this very moment, was lying dormant beneath the water? For a brief moment, doubt enveloped him like an uneasy fog, but he quickly shook it off and redirected his attention back to the guard, as if nothing had happened.

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Oliver answered the guard’s earlier words with a slight sigh: “My team and I had some setbacks on the way to the meeting point. This place... isn’t exactly welcoming – if you know what I mean”

Oliver’s eyes scanned the surroundings as he spoke. The guard, alert, did the same. All that could be seen beyond the dead trees was a desolate scene, covered by a thick layer of snow that seemed to never stop. The gray sky only made the landscape feel even more oppressive.

In the next instant, the guard nodded silently, agreeing with Oliver, and let out an internal sigh of relief. Oliver watched him move away, the soft crunch of his steps on the fresh snow. However, suddenly, the sound stopped. The guard had halted.

Slowly turning, he stared at Oliver, Edward, and Sophie. Though the helmet hid his face, something in his posture – rigid, hesitant – betrayed a sudden distrust. Oliver noticed. Even without words, the tension in the air grew thicker. The man’s silent gaze seemed to be searching for something that didn’t make sense... or maybe made too much sense.

The guard’s gaze moved over Oliver, then Edward, and finally Sophie. After a few seconds of silence, he furrowed his brow slightly and asked, with a suspicious tone: “By the way, I’ve never seen you before... Which division are you from?”

Oliver remained silent for a moment at the guard’s question. It was a brief lapse, but enough for the man in front of him to grip the handle of the weapon strapped to his side more tightly. His eyes narrowed, watching for any sign of hesitation.

Oliver’s mind spun at full speed, sifting through countless possible answers — justifications that might fit the current situation. However, all of them had flaws, fragile details that could easily be disproven.

The air around them seemed to grow heavier with each second of silence, thick with tension. It was then that, momentarily breaking the suffocating atmosphere, an old phone attached to the guard’s chest crackled, emitting a garbled, static sound. A second later, a distorted, deep voice came through the line, as if traveling down a long metal corridor before reaching them.

“Zzzzzzzz... What’s the current situation? Why haven’t you returned yet? We really need more people here”

Eyes fixed on Oliver, Edward, and Sophie, the guard delicately lifted the old phone, bringing it closer to his mouth. His voice echoed, deep and rough, cutting through the night’s silence: “The team that was supposed to replace me hasn’t arrived yet, so I’ve been forced to stay in my designated position. By the way, I noticed I hadn’t seen your faces before... Did a new team form while I was watching the lake?”

As he asked the question, the guard maintained his rigid posture, constantly observing the trio in front of him. None of them showed the slightest sign of nervousness, no perceptible change in their faces or gestures.

Their calmness seemed almost defiant, as though they were entirely comfortable in the situation. The guard himself, still on high alert, began to question himself, feeling a slight sense of insecurity. Maybe he was, in fact, overthinking things.

***

(POV – Protagonist)

My gaze remained silently fixed on Emily. Her eyes, slightly widened, were fixed on something in front of her — something that, to me, was simply my adorable little sister, Althea. To be honest, I hadn’t been here for very long.

There had been a crowd of scientists in front of my room, and I only managed to escape when they finally dispersed. I don’t plan on revealing anytime soon the method I used to escape — it would be unwise to make things easier for them like that.

But anyway, when I got to the room where Emily and Althea were, I found an unusual scene: Althea was calmly drinking what looked like hot chocolate, gently blowing on the steam rising from the mug between her hands.

Emily, on the other hand, was staring at her with a stunned expression — or rather, it was the kind of look someone would have when they suddenly realize that their entire life was nothing more than a carefully constructed lie.

Anyway, my gaze stayed fixed on Althea. I squinted, trying to figure out what the hell she had said to Emily to make her look like that. Althea seemed to notice my stare, as a few seconds later, her body shuddered slightly and she turned her head slowly, directing her gaze toward me — or rather, toward a corner of the ceiling, where the light barely reached, drowned in shadows.

In the end, Emily stayed frozen for a few seconds, motionless, as if she were still trapped in her own thoughts. Then, the phone on the table beside her started ringing, the abrupt sound breaking the silence and causing her to flinch slightly. It seemed like she was finally coming back to reality. With a hesitant gesture, she turned her gaze toward the phone and answered it.

As she lifted the phone to her ear, her expression began to change — slowly, the rigidity gave way to silent confusion, as if each word she heard took her further away from certainty. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, nor was I close enough to hear. In the end, only a single word escaped her lips.

“Fog?” Emily murmured, furrowing her brow, confusion evident in her gaze.

Just like Emily, I was equally confused. I mean, why the hell did the Mist suddenly come up in the conversation? And more importantly, why did it seem like she was implying it was something bad? After all, mist is just mist, right? Should this really be a cause for concern? Of course, unless the mist starts releasing anomalies from within it... then, yeah, we might be in trouble. But, well, that’s only if it does that, right?.

***

(POV – Oliver Bennett)

Oliver watched intently as the guard reacted after hearing the words from the old phone. The man ran a hand over the back of his neck, a visibly embarrassed gesture for the actions he had taken moments before. Seizing the opportunity, Oliver calmly approached, without rushing, and extended his hand toward him in a conciliatory gesture.

“Don’t worry about what happened earlier” he said with a half-smile: “Anyone in your position would have reacted the same way... But anyway, thanks for not pulling the trigger. I think getting shot would be a pretty traumatic experience” He glanced briefly over his shoulder, indicating his companions: “By the way, I’m Oliver. Those two back there are Sophie and Edward”

Initially, Oliver considered giving the guard a false name. However, after a few seconds of reflection, he decided that revealing his real name wouldn’t cause any problems. After all, no matter how much the man investigated, he would never find anything about “Oliver” In fact, neither he, nor Edward, nor Sophie had a real name in the conventional sense. Their names were just masks, empty labels used to navigate the world.

Upon seeing Oliver’s extended hand, the guard took it firmly. Although his face was hidden behind the visor of his helmet, his body conveyed clear discomfort — the hesitant way he moved made it obvious that he felt bad about what he had done.

“Alright... sorry for almost shooting you guys too” he said, his voice muffled by the helmet but filled with regret: “This place has pushed me to my limit. Sometimes, I swear I hear voices... coming from deep down in that damn dark lake”

Oliver noticed a slight tremor in the man’s body after his words. After they parted ways, the man walked toward Base 17, leaving Oliver, Edward, and Sophie behind. The next moment, Oliver’s gaze shifted and fixed on the lake ahead. His eyes focused on the thick, murky water, whose depths seemed impenetrable, as if hiding secrets that would never be revealed.

“That was close. Good thing we grabbed this before we went into the lake” Edward said, gently shaking an old phone in his hand. His appearance was almost identical to the previous guard.

“They probably have no idea that thing does a lot more than just communicate in anomalous locations. Though... I was pretty surprised myself when I found out it can perfectly mimic the voice of anyone who’s ever used it — carrying on a totally natural conversation, like it’s the actual person on the other end” Sophie remarked, her usually indifferent expression softened by a rare half-smile.

Edward, who was standing next to her, noticed it and jumped back, eyes wide as sweat ran down his forehead: “Could you please not smile like that?” he said, his voice shaky: “You really freak me out when you do that”

Oliver noticed the exchange of glances and, with a light clap of his hands, cut the conversation short. The sound, though subtle, had an almost magical effect — both of them fell silent instantly, turning their eyes to him as if under some kind of spell.

With a steady gaze and an unreadable expression, Oliver lifted his head toward them and said in a flat tone, “Let’s just finish what we came here to do. I doubt it’ll take long before they find out the truth”

In the next moment, Oliver stepped closer to the lake, his eyes briefly locking onto the surface of the dark, nearly still water, its muddy texture only faintly reflecting the surrounding light. Without saying a word, he reached into the pocket of his worn-out military jacket and pulled out a long, metallic object — a collapsible cane, plain in appearance but clearly functional.

With a steady motion, he extended it to its full length. Then, kneeling slightly, he began scraping the damp ground with the tip of the cane. The lines he drew weren’t random. Soon, the soil in front of him transformed into an intricate pattern of shapes. These weren’t just drawings — what was taking form were symbols, complex and mysterious.

Oliver had no idea what they meant, but according to what he had read, it should work. With that thought in mind, he continued, drawing the five symbols in the snow. When observed, these signs didn’t seem to have any obvious meaning.

However, as soon as Oliver finished drawing the symbols on the ground, something unexpected happened: the symbols began to glow intensely. The glow was fleeting, lasting only a few seconds, but the true effect came soon after.

From the lake, dark and muddy, a dense fog began to rise, as if coming from the unfathomable depths. It slowly spread, enveloping the surroundings with its cold presence. A disturbing smile formed on Oliver’s lips, as if he had finally summoned what he had longed to see.