GATE: First Encounter

Chapter 14

"What was the real reason they were keeping me here? And what would happen when I got out?"
These questions gnawed at my mind, creating a vague sense of unease deep inside me. The silence of the room only made my thoughts heavier. Even the shadows in the corners of the room seemed to remind me of this unknown.

I took a slow, deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to calm myself. I kept repeating the same thing to myself: "I must survive. I have to find a way out." That thought was the only sliver of hope I clung to every second I spent in here.

But part of me was also thinking about Lynx. Her presence had been an unexpected source of comfort in this strange place. Still, I couldn't fully trust her. Yes, she seemed helpful and honest—but ultimately, we were different species, on different sides. She seemed like a good person, but trusting someone completely in a world like this... could be a fatal mistake. My safety depended solely on me.

My thoughts swirled into one another, tangled in unanswered questions. Why was I here? What did these aliens plan to do with me? None of them had answers I could grasp right now.

But my problems weren't limited to these questions. My survival instincts told me to set aside the uncertainty for now. I was physically drained, and mentally... shattered. If I kept letting my thoughts spiral, I'd burn out completely.

I needed sleep. Even in this uncertainty, I had to rebuild my body and mind. Sleep was perhaps my only chance at doing that. I slowly closed my eyes, breathing deeply as I tried to relax. The thing inside me... I knew it was still there. But strangely, I wasn't afraid to face it. Maybe I was finally ready to fight it in my own mind.

As my eyes closed, that familiar silhouette with red eyes appeared again. Cold, threatening—it was there, watching me, gauging my weaknesses. But it did nothing. The shadow just stood still, then slowly faded away. Suddenly, there was only darkness. A deep, silent darkness... unexpectedly soothing.

I fell into a deep sleep. No dreams. My thoughts vanished into the void. It was a kind of peace I hadn't felt in a long time. The chaos in my mind and exhaustion in my body melted away into silence.

When I opened my eyes again, I felt lighter. My mind was clearer. I'd slept well. Even the presence inside me had seemed to withdraw. Nothing had happened—and that surprised me. But oddly, I felt relieved. The feeling I woke up with carried a kind of calm I hadn't known in a long time.

"For now," I thought, "at least today, I feel stronger." I took a deep breath and tried to prepare myself for whatever this day might bring.

Time kept slipping by—but at the same time, I had too much of it. Way too much... It only fed the questions circling in my mind. It was like a mental battle with myself. I tried making a plan, but my thoughts always hit a wall. Overanalyzing slowed me down, while improvising seemed impossible. When the time came, I'd only get one shot—and I had to make it count.

Waiting had become a struggle in itself. Boredom and uncertainty combined into a heavy fog in my head. Before I realized it, I found myself simply waiting—for Lynx to return. My thoughts began to revolve around her. I started listing the questions I wanted to ask her. Her answers might determine my next move.

The first thing I'd ask was about the device on my arm. Why did they put it on me? Was it a tracking device? Or something else? It was one of the biggest unknowns holding back any kind of escape plan. If it really was tracking me, hiding or fleeing would be impossible.

As the questions piled up in my mind, the strangeness of my situation became more and more obvious. I still hadn't decided if I could trust Lynx. But I knew I couldn't take another step without her help. So until she came back, I restructured my questions, organized them in my head, and reminded myself to be patient.