Naseria

Chapter 6

"Calm down," Osborne's steady voice broke through the rising tension, cutting through the thick atmosphere. Everyone turned to look at him, their panic momentarily paused. He walked toward Shen, calmly taking off his tie as he approached.

Without hesitation, Osborne grabbed Shen's bloodied fist, his grip firm but gentle. "We need to treat this first," he said, his voice quiet but resolute, as if grounding the situation in something practical.

Osborne knelt beside him, wrapping his tie tightly around Shen's fist to slow the bleeding. His movements were methodical, precise, and for a brief moment, the grim reality of their situation faded into the background. The others watched silently, the tension still lingering in the air but softened by Osborne's simple act of care.

Shen didn't say anything. He allowed Osborne to wrap his hand, his gaze fixed on the distant sign. "It's not over," Shen finally muttered, almost as if to himself.

"I know," Osborne replied quietly, tightening the makeshift bandage. "But you can't help anyone if you're bleeding out."

The others stood by, watching the exchange, a sense of uneasy calm settling over them. Henric sighed, rubbing his temples. "Osborne's right. We can't panic right now. We need to focus on what we know."

Beatrice nodded slowly, her eyes still scanning their surroundings. "Okay... then let's figure out what we do next. We have until 2250. Whatever happens then, we need to be ready."

The faint mechanical sounds in the distance echoed again, reminding them that time was running short.

Suddenly, Isaac, who had been quiet until now, approached the group with a strange object in hand. In the dim light, they could see it—a dusty, old luggage case clutched tightly in his grip. His eyes held a mixture of confusion and unease as he held it out for them to see.

"Guys," he said, his voice low but breaking the silence, "I found this, but it's locked. And... this card." He held up a small, yellowed card with faded writing scrawled across it. The words, though simple, sent a fresh wave of dread through the group:

"The day our waiting ends."

The phrase hung in the air, cold and foreboding. No one spoke at first, their eyes shifting between the card and the mysterious luggage. The silence grew heavy, as if the very room was holding its breath along with them.

Henric furrowed his brow, stepping closer to get a better look at the card. "What... what the hell does that mean? The day our waiting ends? What waiting?"

Beatrice shook her head, biting her lip nervously. "It feels like a message... or a warning. But waiting for what?"

Isaac placed the suitcase on the ground, crouching beside it. "There's something inside. I can hear it rattling when I shake it, but the lock won't budge. It's like... it's waiting to be opened."

Osborne, his expression grim but steady, glanced at the card again. "Maybe this is connected to the boarding time. 2250. Whatever's in there... might tell us what happens when we reach that time."

Sherry stepped back, her arms crossed tightly as a shiver ran down her spine. "I don't like this. Not one bit. This whole place feels like a trap."

Shen, still nursing his bandaged hand, narrowed his eyes at the suitcase. "We need to open it," he said flatly, the cold determination returning to his voice. "Whatever's inside could be the key to understanding what we're dealing with."

Isaac nodded, but his fingers hesitated over the lock. "But how? I've tried everything, and it won't open."

Osborne knelt beside him, studying the lock carefully. "Let's not rush it. If this place is as strange as it seems, there's probably a specific way to unlock it. The card could be a clue."

"What the hell does that even mean?" Izek's voice rang out, filled with frustration and barely contained anger. "How are we supposed to know what we're waiting for? We don't even remember anything other than our names!"

He paced back and forth, his movements tense, hands running through his brown-dyed hair in agitation. The rest of the group watched him in silence, their own unease simmering just beneath the surface, but Izek's outburst had captured what they were all feeling—lost, confused, and on the edge of panic.

Henric took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Izek, I get it. We're all trying to figure this out. But we have to stay focused—freaking out isn't going to help."

"How can I not freak out?" Izek snapped, stopping mid-step and glaring at Henric. "We've been dropped into some nightmare, we don't know why, and now we're being told we're waiting for something—something we don't even understand!"

Isaac, still crouched near the luggage, looked up with a frown. "He's right. There's more going on here than we realize. This suitcase, the card, the terminal—it's all connected somehow. But... what if we're part of it? What if this is a game we've been dragged into without our memories?"

Beatrice shook her head, eyes wide with disbelief. "A game? Who would do this to us? And why?"

Shen, still watching the suitcase with an intense gaze, spoke quietly, his words cutting through the tension. "It doesn't matter what it is. We're in it now, and we need to survive."

Osborne stood up, wiping his hands after examining the lock. "Shen's right. We can speculate all we want, but until we open this and figure out what we're dealing with, we won't get any answers."

Izek, still agitated but seemingly running out of steam, sighed heavily, his hands falling to his sides. "So, what? We wait until 2250 for something to happen?"

Osborne looked at the card, then back at the luggage. "Or... we find a way to force it open before then."

"Wait, Osborne," Daniel interrupted, placing a firm hand on Osborne's shoulder. His voice was calm but steady, cutting through the mounting tension. "The luggage has a lock, and the card is clearly a clue. That means the password for the lock is on the card itself. If what Isaac says is true, then we should play this game properly."

Osborne paused, considering Daniel's words, his hand hovering above the lock. "You really think the answer's in the card?" he asked, glancing at the yellowed paper with the ominous phrase: 'The day our waiting ends.'

Daniel nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. "Look at the words. 'The day our waiting ends.' It's cryptic, but it's got to be the key. We've been brought here for a reason, and if we try to force things, we might mess up something important."

Isaac looked at the card again, his face thoughtful. "The day... our waiting ends..." he repeated slowly, almost as if tasting the words, hoping they would reveal more meaning. "Maybe it's a date or time? Could it relate to this '2250' boarding time?"

Henric frowned, running his hand through his hair. "So we're supposed to figure out a code, based on that phrase? And we've got less than an hour to do it?"

Beatrice stepped forward, her eyes narrowing in thought as she glanced between the card and the luggage. "It's a puzzle, for sure. But if it's part of this... whatever this is, then we should take it seriously. There has to be something in that phrase."

Daniel, still calm, pulled the card closer and studied it with a critical eye. "We need to break this down. 'The day our waiting ends.' It could mean a specific moment, an event, something important. Maybe it's tied to our memories, or what we're here for."

Sherry, who had been quiet for a while, spoke up softly. "Do you think it could be a date? Or something we all know but can't remember?"

Osborne slowly pulled his hand back from the lock, nodding in agreement with Daniel. "Alright. Let's think this through. If the card is our clue, we need to figure out what it's pointing to before 2250." He looked at the group, determination flickering in his eyes. "This is our only shot. Let's crack this code."