Vyral

Chapter 6: Part 2 - Paid Debts

The furthest wall from the front-door displays three well lit glass containers, neatly placed next to one another, or rather, that would normally be the case if the room wasn't overhauled by whatever unknown force rendered the heavy vault door, that once protected this facility from the outside world, completely useless.
There is a round table with blood sprinkled over a messy pile of books, right in front of them, surrounded by a few tarnished couches. The individuals sitting on them have been unnaturally ripped apart.

Orton approaches these containers and notices all of them house a different stage of the same species of flora, superficially unknown. He quickly scribbles their appearance on his sketchbook, as the rest of the team continues examining the room.

Bodies mutilated beyond belief were carelessly stacked on top of the front-desk. Crimson Lotus crew, infected, researchers, amongst others. The sheer amount of people that have died here is extremely unsettling.

Myra finds it difficult to stomach the thick, musky scent of blood that contaminates the air, old and fresh alike.

There are three paths they can pick through specific doors.

North Wing - Entrance to the facility
South wing - Observatory
East wing - Living Quarters/Cafeteria
West Wing - Elevators/Storage

They decide to explore every room in the South and East wings before getting to the elevators. Most of the rooms are trashed, cluttered with nothing but dead bodies, vandalized furniture and utensils, and decaying walls and ceilings that barely hold this facility together.
There are no live infected.

Moving to the West Wing, Kohen and Lily find a staircase that loops around the elevator shaft towards the bottom, allowing easy access to every other floor without the need of power.
Before descending, she ventures into it, out of curiosity. It was constructed using exceptionally sturdy metal beams that connect the overall structure of this facility, from top, all the way to the bottom.
The lift itself feels extremely stable. The cables must be made to withstand quite a considerable amount of weight, since she can comfortably jump inside of it.

She inspects the panel for how many floors await them.
Seven buttons, labeled 1 through 6. With the addition of another which is located far below the others.
Blank.

Lily: "Hey guys! There's seven floors to this place!"
Kohen: "Seven of them? Oooo this is getting exciting!"

While venturing into the West Wing after Kohen and Lily, Myra's steps grow shorter, as she whispers to Myrellie.
"How come he's been so... I don't knowww... calm lately?
....

Nah... that's not the word I'm looking for..."

Myrellie: "You mean collected? Focused even?" She questions, allowing the others to walk ahead.
Myra: "Yeah...
I mean..
He argued with that Jacob guy this morning..
Then he had to deal with Orton splicing...
And when we got here, we saw all of these dead people...
And then he watched that man's face melt into mush right in front of his eyes..

Shouldn't he be a little more... angry...? Affected..? ... Sad..?"

Myrellie wraps her arm around Myra's waist.
"I get what you're saying, maybe he should. But would you rather have this Kohen or the rambunctious one?" She lands her a smirk.
Myra: "If I have to be honest.. I'm not really sure.."

Myra's eyes concern when it comes to Kohen. He's always been someone she deeply cares for, like an unorthodox little brother.

Myrellie: "You know.. With time and experience, people we know might begin changing into someone we don't. And it becomes difficult to pinpoint why we still want to be with them. I don't believe that to be a bad thing, on the contrary. It helps us realize that person's progress, as we evolve to accept whoever they become next. Because we love them.

Change keeps people fresh, and capable of facing bigger challenges as they move through their lives. When necessary, the proper changes arrive. Sometimes it takes longer to occur, and other times... It's sudden. From one moment to another."