"Oh? You're awake, I see." Startled by the voice, I turned towards the source and found myself facing a beautiful blonde wavy hair woman with a warm smile. Cautiously, I regarded the woman, her friendly smile contrasting with the unfamiliar surroundings. I took a moment to collect my thoughts before responding.
"Hello," I replied, my voice laced with a hint of wariness. "Who are you? And where am I?"
The woman's smile remained unchanged as she introduced herself. "I'm Dr. Evelyn, and you're currently in a research facility. Unfortunately, I can't give you any further detail than that."
Suddenly, Dr. Evelyn leaned forward and touched my face. "It seems everything is fine. No stretched marks or abnormal appearance." Her action took me by surprise.
I felt annoyed and slapped her hand away. "Stop touching my face."
She nodded and then touched my hands.
I slapped her hands away again and said. "My body too! Go away, you pervert!"
Dr. Evelyn smiled, took the log book from someone beside her, and mumbled something. She gave the log book back and clasped her hands together. "Looks like you're all fine now. I was so worried when you weren't waking up. I nearly tried to dissect your brain to see what's going on in there." She chuckled.
I instinctively recoiled, creating some distance between us. The casual mention of dissecting my brain sent a shiver down my spine. "Thank goodness I woke up just in time."
"Yup. Now that you are awake, you can go greet your new Master. Follow me." Dr. Evelyn turned and walked out of the lab. I glanced to my left and saw the brute man glaring at me. I gulped nervously and got off the bed. I quietly followed Dr. Evelyn from behind.
As I quietly followed Dr. Evelyn, I surveyed my surroundings. The sight of the strange equipment and children tied to beds like I was left me with a growing sense of unease. Questions swirled in my mind, but for now, I focused on keeping up with the woman and understanding what awaited me.
As we walked through the facility, I couldn't help but notice the tense atmosphere and whispered conversations that echoed through the corridors. It felt like a place filled with secrets and hidden agendas.
Dr. Evelyn suddenly stopped and turned towards me. She pointed at one of the lab rooms. "They're the new batch. Look carefully."
I looked at where she pointed. There was a boy who looked around my age lying on the bed comfortably. I glanced at the meter stand near him and saw his blood pressure spiked and heartbeat dropping all of a sudden. I looked back at the boy's face, but I did not see any sign of struggling. I looked back at the meter and saw his heartbeat was 0. My heart sank as I witnessed the sudden and tragic demise of the boy lying on the bed. I couldn't comprehend the reality of what I had just witnessed. I gasped and turned back at Dr. Evelyn.
Dr. Evelyn and said. "That's right. He is dead. Unlike in the virtual world, we gave him a peaceful death in the real world." Dr. Evelyn fiddled around with her finger. "It's a pity, isn't it? How fragile humans are. Just one poke, and they splatter into a million pieces."
A mix of fear and anger welled up inside me. Her smile widened. "Carry on. We wouldn't want to make your new Master wait for too long."
As I looked back at the children trapped in the sterile confines of the laboratory, my heart sank with a heavy burden. The weight of their suffering and helplessness bore down on me, filling me with a sense of frustration and determination.
At that moment, I made a silent promise to myself. 'There's so many of them. I can't save any one of them. I don't have the strength to.' I bit my lips. 'Just you wait, when I get stronger, I'll save everyone.'
With a clenched fist and a renewed resolve, I turned away from the haunting sight and continued to follow the blonde woman. I knew that my path would be fraught with challenges, but I refused to be deterred. Every step I took was driven by the burning desire to acquire the strength and knowledge necessary to free those trapped within the clutches of this nefarious facility.
As we walked through the corridors, my mind raced with thoughts of escape, of gathering allies, and of finding the means to expose the truth. Each room we passed, each glance at the faces of the scientists and researchers, fueled my determination to unravel the secrets of this place and dismantle its oppressive regime.
As we approached the imposing metal door, guarded by two formidable brute men, my anxiety intensified. The blonde woman engaged in a brief conversation with one of the guards, their expressions inscrutable.
Without warning, the blonde woman abruptly pushed me through the door, causing me to stumble forward. I quickly regained my balance and turned back to face her, but the door slammed shut behind me, leaving me alone in an unfamiliar space.
"Huh? What? Hey! Shouldn't you tell me something before kicking me out?" I slammed on the huge metal door, but there was no response. Frustrated by the lack of response from the closed metal door, I sighed heavily, feeling a mix of confusion and exasperation. "What am I supposed to do?" I was left to navigate this unfamiliar situation on my own.
As I stood there, contemplating my next move, a voice from behind startled me. I turned around to find a woman wearing a kimono standing before me. Her presence caught me off guard, and I couldn't help but let out a startled yelp.
"Waaa! Y-you scared me," I exclaimed, my heart racing with the unexpected encounter. "I couldn't hear you."
With a sense of confusion and uncertainty, I watched as the kimono-clad lady bowed and said. "Master told me to pick you up. Please follow me." She promptly began walking away without waiting for a response. My mind raced to make sense of the situation as I contemplated whether to follow her or not.
"Oui... I'm so confused." I looked around and saw nothing around me. "I guess I don't have a choice but to follow her." Feeling increasingly confused, I resigned myself to follow the kimono-clad lady. I waved and called out to her, desperately hoping she would wait for me, but she continued walking as if she hadn't heard a word.
"Wait for me!" I shouted, my voice filled with a mix of frustration and determination. I stretched my body, lengthening my strides, and pushed myself to run faster, closing the distance between us.
As I ran, my mind raced with questions. Who was she? Why was I being led by someone who seemed so indifferent to my presence? And what awaited me at the end of this chase?
Despite my confusion and the feeling of being left behind, I couldn't help but admire the kimono lady's swift and graceful movements. It seemed as if she effortlessly glided through the air, her steps light and purposeful. 'Oui! How does she walk so fast?'
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't match her speed. It felt as if she was always one step ahead, her figure gradually receding into the distance.
Determined not to give up, I pushed my body to its limits, pouring every ounce of energy into the pursuit. The world around me became a blur as my focus narrowed solely on catching up with the kimono lady.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of running, I managed to close the gap between us. Gasping for breath, I called out once more, "Wait for me!"
The kimono lady came to a halt and turned to face me, her expression calm and composed. It was as if she had been expecting my arrival all along.
"You have done well to catch up," she said, her voice carrying a hint of approval.
I stood before her, panting heavily, desperately trying to regain my composure. "Why... didn't you wait... for me?" I managed to utter between breaths.
She regarded me with serene eyes and offered a small smile. "Time is of the essence. We should not keep the Master waiting."
"Who is this Master?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"You will come to know soon enough," She replied cryptically. "For now, let us focus on continuing our journey. Resting time is over."
Feeling a mixture of anticipation and confusion, I took a deep breath and nodded. There was no use dwelling on unanswered questions at the moment. It was clear that the kimono lady had a purpose and that I was meant to follow her.
We resumed our walk, the kimono lady leading the way with a calm and graceful stride. I fell into step beside her, my mind buzzing with thoughts and my senses attuned to the surroundings.
As we ventured deeper into the unknown, the atmosphere seemed to shift. The air grew heavier, and a subtle aura of mystique filled the space around us. The path ahead seemed to twist and turn, leading us into uncharted territory.
With each step, my anticipation grew. I wondered what awaited me and what kind of Master I would meet.