Forbidden ~ after unlocked

Chapter 30 - Keefe

The sunlight woke Keefe up way earlier than he preferred.

Even though it was a small and thick window, bright beams shined directly on his eyes, forcing him to shift out of the way. And once Keefe was awake, he couldn't fall back asleep.

He rubbed his eyes, slowly sitting up. For a moment he panicked at the unfamiliar surroundings, but then his senses kicked in and he let out a little sigh. He had been given the living room couch to sleep on for now, and although it was uncomfortable, he was grateful for being able to actually rest inside for the first time in several weeks.

It had been a couple of days since he'd first arrived at Kalea's apartment with Evren. He'd been doing 'training' (what it was supposed to prepare him for, Keefe didn't know) which mostly consisted of following Evren through more strange pathways and courses through the city and practicing his Elvin skills. Keefe figured it was so he could start to get his bearings, but the whole thing felt pretty pointless.

Every time he went outside he had to keep his hood up so no one would recognize him, and when he was back at the apartment he felt like an outsider, which technically, he was. Keefe thought the more he was with these people the more comfortable he'd become, but all he felt was more anxious.

For some reason, the Ethan Wright dude creeped Keefe out. The old man's pale features and wrinkled face just didn't seem natural. Sure he was nice, but something seemed... off. Kalea reminded Keefe eerily of his mom sometimes, which he supposed made sense considering they were sisters, but still, the similarities were uncanny. Not just from how alike they looked, but the way they acted too.

And Evren, well, she was Evren. Stubborn, headstrong, irritating... the usual.

It's different this time, Keefe promised himself. These people want to help you not harm you.

But most of his questions were dismissed, especially when he brought up anything to do with his past. Even more worrying was the fact that his new ability seemed to be growing stronger every day. With each hour that passed it was harder and harder to detain the monster inside of him. He'd grown used to the feeling of Ethan, Kalea, and Evren's emotions, but stepping into a room with all three of them at the same time was like a blow to the gut.

Keefe tried to avoid large groups of humans and talking for long periods of time. It was just too difficult.

Frustration was boiling up inside of him, but he forced it down. These people were giving him food and shelter. He'd find out something eventually, he just needed to be subtle and clever about it.

He also needed to do a bit of snooping.

Keefe stood up from the couch, walking silently over to the doorway. He hadn't seen most of the apartment; just the living room, hallway, and well, the bathroom.

As Keefe stepped out into the hallway he glanced at a clock, noting that the time was 6:45 in the morning. He wasn't sure if anyone else was awake yet, but either way, he needed to stay quiet.

The lights in the hallway flickered and the floorboards creaked underneath his feet. Keefe winced every time a board squeaked, but the house remained still.

Keefe found the layout of the apartment a bit odd. All the rooms branched off the central hallway (a very creepy hallway, at that), and at the end was a door. He'd already tried to open it a previous day, but it had been locked.

If he was looking for answers, a mysterious door seemed like a good place to start.

Keefe squared his shoulders, walking briskly but silently to the end of the hallway. As he passed the other doorways he glanced at the other rooms: a kitchen, two bedrooms, washroom, and behind him was the living room he'd exited. That was about all there was to the house.