Elevate

The Search

I took numerous thumps for them to recognize my presence from the utmost. I tapped my shoe and waited for anyone to open the door. In a couple of seconds, I heard the knob shook and quickly Carmilla had opened it for me. I flung inside and didn’t wait for her to give me a reaction. She instantly tightened the way. Everyone eyed in my path and was expecting a word from me. My body vibrated into like a live wire.

Carmilla, Mr. Butch and Guilbert were already done talking to each other. While Loshiana was busy reading some documents in the right corner, and Cody was on the sofa together with Trixie and Miguel. They were somehow sketching a map on a thin sheet of paper.

“I saw him.” I said directly, which made them bumped from their seats.

“What do you say by that?” Guilbert asked, his face was a bit somber.

“Jack went out to see me. I guessed he’s monitoring our movements.” I countered him. I eyed at Cody who seemed to be impatient so much. I gave him a swoon smile. “Yes. I don’t know if he was following us or it was just a coincidence that he’s roaming around the place. But first,” I moved to them. “Let’s find the kids. Second, let’s search for the person who helped him during the time that he was burning. That person is somehow a part of their group and he played a great role in making the dead, Jack Rush, rose again. It seemed that this individual knew where to find him that time. And third, let’s find out why Jack has a Transportation power now and how did he get it.”

“What? He got that strength now?” Carmilla said.

“Yes. I thought of that thing too, when I saw him disappeared with the kids in mid-air. But his eyes didn’t glow when he used the Transportation skill, instead, it remained glowing with the same color when he used his Clear Vision.”

“Do you think it’s a bluff or a side power he obtained again?” Loshiana said.

Thinking that Jack Rush has two strengths at the same time; Regeneration and Clear Vision, it’s a hanging idea that he will obtain another one to be his third. As far as we recollected, that only a few would be able to have more than one power. But, having three in this time would be the first.

“I think he’s into Project I.” Carmilla commented and sat on the couch. “I heard that thing before. It’s an experiment among the people. Most of them volunteered to be tested, especially those who don’t possess any strength. Because of such want to have one, they took themselves in such solitude and lived in a way to be called as the test subjects.” She explained it.

“I didn’t know that the thing exists. I thought it was all just written in books and the news.” Loshiana uttered and loaded her things inside her satchel.

Aunt Liech strutted beside me and recited, rubbing her polished cream shoal, “The experiments were true and we’re able to witness some of those who’re once the subjects.”

“What happened to them, Aunt?” I asked.

“Well, it was a starting point that time when a group mixed in different stages started the experiment. We only saw the outcome. It was dreadful. Those who failed were killed. Not because they were forced to be the subjects, but because it was their agreement. It may seemed to be a wonderful thing to have, but it’s also a life and death situation. Some were able to escape but later on, they’re also being chased and eradicated.”

“Oh…” It was the only thing I could say after hearing those things from them.

“Do you know where the experiment was held during that time?” Guilbert queried.

Aunt Liech shook her head. “No. No one knows, up until now where the place is, except for those who’re included in that endeavor. And if ever there’s someone who was able to survive and completed the test, then that person doesn’t need to reveal herself, just like what was stated in their agreement. Then the moment came when it suddenly vanished into nothing. Anything that has to be leading to the experiment had vanished into thin air until it was somehow forgotten.”

Unexpectedly, something came up in my mind that I directed to Carmilla. “Wait. You also got a second strength right, Carmilla?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Did you somehow take the experiment?” I inquisitively asked. She promptly shook her head to disagree. “Of course not. The thing is completely different to me. When father adopted me from the Care Orphanage, he told me that my second strength had come out after a couple of months.”

“Is there a situation like that?” Miguel asked.

Uncle Willliam wiped his chin. “Yes. There are some that really were gifted of more than one strength. And I guessed, Carmilla and Jack were one of them.”

“I see.”Guilbert glanced over the time. It was already a quarter to ten. “If that’s the case, then we should get things about it. The fact that Jack Rush is still alive, it could be fouler than before. Maybe he’s still working with his plan with somebody he could lean on this time. It would be hard for him to work things out inside the city if he’s alone. I’m quite sure there’s a soul giving him help.”

“For now, let’s search for the kids and let’s make sure that we will be able to locate them and take them back with us.” Carmilla said with her soft voice.

Everyone went to get their things on the couch. When we’re ready, just like the usual routine, Guilbert stood and offered his hands to us. Loshiana was the first one to hold his and the other one was being clasped by Cody himself. Slowly, each one of us clutched one another and formed into a ring. Guilbert closed his watche for a while and prayed to the heavens that we would be able to take the kids back.

In a shot, we left the place and went back inside the base.

Everyone looked to the same room. Loshiana conserved the door and we also sealed the windows, tugging those curtains properly. We decided to turn off all the lights and brought with us several lamps. When everything was set, Guilbert dragged to the wooden entrance and loosened it for all to enter the basement.

The indecent smell coming from the sewers was slowly embracing us in. Thick cobwebs were freely hanging on the ceiling wall as well as the corners of those wooden, hoary droarers filled with filth. The floor was heavily layered with dust as well as those old files, that we needed to get rid of, being piled on top of the table. He stood by the other door, which’s the entrance to the sewers. Taking a sigh of agitation, Guilbert slowly opened it, revealing the thick, vague path that we’re going to take.

I heard a gulp from Miguel. Even Cody had let him burrow Quinten’s notes, he doesn’t bother to be in such solitude just like here if Cody isn’t around to give him at least a company. He can’t take the immensity of silence wailing around those mossy, bricked walls and the unscrupulous ground.

“As always, this place gives me the shiver.” He said, shrugging the cold sensation he’s feeling right now.

I eyed to the darkness. I couldn’t see the end of it. I heard the slow, continuous tapping sound coming from the droplets at the top. Guilbert cleared his eyes and said, “Let’s hurry up.” He peeked over to Cody and added, “Is it okay if you lead the way? You seemed to be more erudite in this setting.”

Taking a wailing breath, Cody moved in front of us slowly and took the piece of paper from the pendant and gently unwrapped it. He looked at Mr. Butch and requested him to help him out since he's the eldest among us and totally got some information about Embreal City.

“Well, let me see. This thing is surely the Long Range Fountain and this…” He pointed some lines that were on the corner of the sheet. “I’m not familiar with this.”

Carmilla walked to their side and darted over the writings. “Hmm.” She hoisted the lamp slowly to light the distant ground and saw those curves and points where we could start our course. “I think it’s a direction…”

“Why do you think that’s the starting point for this path stated in here?” Miguel asked her.

She slowly pointed to something on the paper and saw a symbol of a lotus flower with a heart in the middle as the starting step. She shiftedd her lamp to the right side, facing the brick wall and there we vouched the exact symbol.

“When I was a child, the time that I started to live with Dad, there was a single moment when I saw a symbol like this.” She uttered and carefully brushed her fingers on the wall. “I was able to see it when I accidentally fell in a manhole. I decided to roam around, then I discerned it. I didn’t expect that your base has a guide to this place.”

“Well, we should anticipate the unusual then.” I chuckled.

“Y-Yeah.” Cody stuttered. “So, let’s go?”

“I think we should.” Uncle William said.

Also, Trixie decided to succeed with us and have her friends secured their own hideout rather. Well, the truth is, Carmilla wanted to have Trixie by her side. Even so that Mr. Butch is against it somehow, he wanted to be near with his own daughter too. Trixie is more responsible than the others and she served as the big sister to them.

I looked at her as she was reserved beside me. Laying my hand on top of her head, I said to her, “You look amazing right now.”

She scoffed as her cheeks reddened in compliment. “T-Thank you.”

“Come on, let’s get going.” Guilbert called us and we launched to move.

We've seen those toads croaking and splashing over the side. There was junk floating over the fusty, black water. Rats scuttled down as if they were chased by cats or might as well consider us as the ones.

Cody and Carmilla suddenly stopped and we faced two paths. They looked intently on the paper and she declared, “We’re going right.”

We turned ourselves and as we went deeper into this opaque place, the path is getting smaller. We have swiveled once again, then came to another, up until we don’t recognize which way we’re taking already. We're just following the two. Mr. Butch was the one who took the light to blaze the path for us.

“Is this even the right place?” Aunt Liech seemed to be bothered than the rest of us. She was keeping her glances on her old, slightly cracked watch, monitoring the time.

“Yes. I think we’re in the right track, Aunt.” Cody replied to her.

Carmilla pointed the last turn and we went through it. But the least that we could anticipate, it was a dead-end. Ravage slowly mutilated in us as we stared over the plain, abrasive wall. We looked around many times. Qualms filled our minds. Carmilla and Cody tried to track our route again, trying to find if we went wrong.

I saw Aunt Liech started to scratch herself in aggravation. She kept moving back and forth, trying to find a way.

“Are we not going to make it?” Trixie asked almost in a whisper.

I stayed calm the way I can. I slowly looked at the wall, hoping that it was like the one from Mr. Elikai’s house. I rubbed my bare palms to it, and when Guilbert realized what I was doing, he started to cup the other side too. Loshiana came into the thought that we were thinking about the same thing and went beside me to touch it.

“What are you doing?” Miguel asked.

“Maybe there’s a hidden passage here just like when we went to the Informant’s house.” I said.

Cody glanced over the map again and surveyed if there’s something we had skipped, but he spoke that we’re on the right path. So maybe the thing that we’re thinking right now is right.

“Is there something that was written in the tip, Cody?” Guilbert asked.

Mr. Butch had already looked over the map and suddenly he was able to point something. “There’s the same symbol like what we have seen when we entered the sewers.”

“Let’s look for it.” Guilbert added.

We started to seek on the wall, trying to find the sign. The others have helped us too. I looked above, but I couldn’t see anything. Loshiana checked the lower part as well as Guilbert. We heard someone scratched something from the left side, and there we recognized Uncle William brushing a certain part of it.

“Did you find something?” Aunt Liech sought him.

“I think I found it.” He scraped his nails and slowly small, hard particles fell from the wall, exposing something.

Now, we started to help him out and gradually we were able to see a part of the symbol. Our hands moved faster as Aunt Liech extended her light to finish it apparently and when we're done, we’re able to perceive the whole sign. It was the same as the first. Uncle William promptly pushed it slightly then the symbol pulled back, making the wall wholly wobbled to the other perspective. Slowly, it left a path to another place and it was more dreadful from where we are right now; outside.

I glanced over Miguel who’s eyeing zealously to it. “Are we going?” I called him.

“It’s not like we have a choice. Of course, it’s a yes. We needed to continue no matter what-”

He was suddenly ceased when a whimpering sound came from a distance, then a thing had fallen on the bottom, staggering to the side. We hurriedly went to see it and there we found the two kids, clasping for air. Their mouths were covered with cloth. They were heavily blindfolded. Their bodies were harshly swaddled with ropes as they settled over the grey, dusty ground. The clothes covering their eyes were now damped with their own whines.

They couldn’t move properly.

The couple propitiously went to their children and we followed them in their direction, but as we rushed in the forbidding area, something had caught our attention. We realized that we’re currently beneath the Long Range Fountain when we saw the source of the water and those rusted, large pipes around us. The place was thickly covered with nets. There were torches being placed on every side, lighting the whole place. We could see how the water comes out from the fountain from the transparent circular top.

Aunt Liech fell on the base and fondled her children. She sobbed her eyes out; her arms were tightly wrapped around them. Uncle William was rubbing their hair to ooze the surging pain.

“M-Mom?” Hannah uttered in a whisper. She was pallid.

“Oh, H-Hannah. This is Mom. Mom is here now.” She carefully pulled the cloth that was covering their eyes. Somehow, only Macky isn’t reacting at all. He suddenly became voiceless when he concluded our arrival. Something is off.

“Oh, dear. T-Thank God we have found you. We’ve been worried about you.” Her cries became more visible as her voice crashed.

“Let’s go home, Mom.” Macky coldly stated and didn’t bother to look at his parents.

“Y-Yes. We’re going home now. We’re here now.” Uncle William answered and shed his tears.

“Vix.” Cody poked me by my right arm.

I glanced at him and said, “What?”

He slowly pointed something from the right corner of the place. There were old, scruffy clothes which're hanging freely from the ceiling wall. The air was somehow getting inside from those small ventilation from the sides, slapping those garments. And just behind them was a timeworn rectangular box. We slowly moved there. Loshiana and Guilbert have noticed it too and they went with us. Standing still in front of it, we saw her name engraved on top of the container and the date of her birth and death. It was her resting place.

“Am I seeing things clearly right now?” Loshiana smoothed her eyes and blinked twice.

“Definitely you are.” Guilbert murmured.

He glanced over the others. Miguel together with the Butcher and Trixie stood near the kids and the couple, and they were guarding them fully. Cody scanned the place. There were no other ways to take, but the secret passage that’s freely opened. I wonder how it would close. Guilbert bent to his knees and intently looked over the box.

It was locked with something. He decided to open it deliberately and just when those roaches and large mice hastily dashed outside, making us flinched and rapidly made our steps away. The others were able to hear us and now we have caught their attention.

“What’s happening?” Mr. Butch inquired us and progressed to us.

When everything was apparent, Guilbert opened it wholly and there we detected her remains lying. Our eyes went big as we felt our sweat getting rough as a negative sensation held us on our napes. Miguel and Trixie have gone and they were also covered with ample curiosity. As soon as they positioned themselves beside, Miguel had currently only one thing to say,

“Unbelievable.”