Patient B-2

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Avalyn

 The man beside me stares in surprise, perhaps realizing for the first time that I am not just a bystander but someone determined to defy the cruelty of this place. I hold his gaze, my expression resolute.

 "Then allow me to show you to the makeshift operating room for the night," the man says, his smile saccharine and unsettling.

 He leads me down to the familiar basement, but this time, my senses are heightened. I take in the array of video footage mounted along the walls, as well as the cameras in each corner, their unblinking lenses capturing every detail. The presence of guards, stationed meticulously to monitor the screens displaying the feeds from those cameras, reinforces the oppressive atmosphere.

 They seem noticeably more vigilant than before, their alertness justified by the gravity of their operation. Little do they know, we've already infiltrated this facility— Wrath and Cierien are likely still blending in among the kitchen staff.

 My eyes dart over the array of screens mounted along the walls, scanning each in search of familiar faces. The images are too small and grainy to discern clearly, making it difficult to spot them amidst the surveillance feeds. Aware of the need to maintain a facade of nonchalance, I quickly avert my gaze, not wanting to arouse suspicion by appearing to search for someone.

 The headman opens the door to the hallway, and I take in the scene before me. To my left, there's a door with a scratched-out nameplate, only the letter V visible amidst the marks. To my right, another door stands wide open, revealing a bathroom that is disgustingly dirty— I catch sight of a couple of flies before we move on.

 I know the door at the end of the hallway leads to another bedroom, and to the left is the kitchen. To the right, the largest room awaits—the living room, which must be the makeshift operating room for the night.

 My stomach churns with unease as we approach. More guards line the walls, their presence enough to make me doubt if I'll make it out of here unscathed. But I push those thoughts aside firmly. I will make it back. Wrath and Cierien are handling the guards; my focus remains solely on the headman.

 My mother's words echo loudly in my mind, causing my breath to quicken with unease.

 "Don't let anyone find out unless you want to end up back in that basement. You wouldn't be as lucky to make it out a second time."

 Is she right? No, she can't be. Yet, a disquieting sensation courses through me, hinting at the truth in her warning. The headman has discovered my vampiric transformation, and now he's leading me deeper into this basement— different from the one I remember as a child, yet undoubtedly bearing similarities to the horrors I've endured before.

 As we approach the makeshift room deep within this basement, I can't shake the feeling that it will mirror the places of captivity I've known before— perhaps the one from my childhood home or the one I recently escaped from just weeks ago.

 The air grows heavier with each step, laden with the familiar scent of dampness and despair. The walls seem to close in, triggering memories I've fought hard to suppress. Images flash in my mind: cold white walls, dimly lit corridors, and the suffocating sense of confinement.

 Stepping into the makeshift room sends a shiver down my spine. The floor and walls are draped in plastic wrap, its purpose too unsettling to contemplate. In the center of the room stands a single medical table with restraints, flanked by an even larger wooden table adorned with an array of medical instruments. To its right, a cart brims with tools designed for prodding and poking. It's a scene straight out of a nightmare.

 I was wrong, it doesn't bear similarities to my childhood basement or the facility I recently escaped from— it's worse. So much worse.

 "Don't worry, Avalyn," the man says. "This is all just procedure."