"Kid. Hey, kid — wake up."
A voice shook me out of the darkness.
My eyes opened slowly, blurred and heavy.
Had I fallen asleep?
I didn't even remember when.
Human limits must have finally caught up with me.
My body felt like a dead weight. Exhausted. Drained.
"We’re finally here," Evelyn said, pulling the car to a stop.
I sat up straighter, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I looked out the window.
Before me stood a massive structure, cold and imposing under the pale light of the moon.
High concrete walls, sharp edges, and metallic reinforcements — it looked less like a building and more like a fortress dropped straight into the city.
"This’ll be your home from now on," Evelyn said proudly, stepping out of the car.
"Ain't she a beauty? I came up with the design myself when they were constructing it."
I stepped out after her, the cool night air hitting my face.
It did look impressive. Brutal, but solid. A stronghold meant to endure storms, attacks... maybe even the end of the world itself.
"Oh," Evelyn added casually, "forgot to mention — we have three other members already. Including you and me, that makes five."
I nodded slightly, taking it all in.
"You'll meet them soon enough," she said with a grin. "For now, let’s get you settled."
We walked toward the massive metal doors.
"Our base is divided into two parts," Evelyn explained as we approached.
"The ground base — this area — is mainly for operations and emergencies.
The underground base is where we actually live. Safer. Better protected."
"And how do we get underground?" I asked.
"Good question," she smirked. "You see, access is restricted to members only. We have a full biometric security system — blood samples, fingerprints, retina scans, that kind of thing."
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I nodded again. I expected nothing less from a military-grade facility.
"But," she continued, pressing her palm against a scanner embedded next to the entrance, "to actually get underground... we just take the elevator."
The massive doors slid open with a heavy mechanical hum, revealing a sleek, metal-walled interior.
"Come on. Don’t just stand there."
I followed her in.
The elevator was huge — easily large enough to fit a vehicle inside.
As soon as we stepped in, the doors shut with a hiss.
"Now hang on tight," Evelyn said, grinning.
"We’re about to drop."
Before I could even brace myself, she hit a button.
The elevator shuddered once — then dropped fast.
The sudden weightlessness made my stomach lurch.
"54321!" she laughed. "That never gets old!"
I grabbed the nearest railing instinctively, gritting my teeth as the ground seemed to fall away beneath me.
"You good, kid?" Evelyn asked, chuckling.
"If you’re gonna puke, hold it in, yeah?
I don’t feel like cleaning up vomit again."
I forced my body to relax as the elevator slowed.
The descent only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like falling straight through the earth.
When the doors finally opened again, a completely different world greeted me.
Bright, clean hallways stretched out ahead, lined with doors and glass panels.
It looked almost like a luxury hotel mixed with a military bunker.
"These are the living quarters," Evelyn said, leading the way.
"Each room’s got everything you need — kitchen, bathroom, even a small living room.
Pretty spacious too."
She stopped in front of a row of rooms.
Each door had a small red fingerprint scanner on the handle.
"Pick whichever one you want," she said. "The scanner will register your biometrics and lock it to you."
I walked down the hallway slowly, stopping in front of a room that felt... right.
No real reason. It just did.
"This one," I said.
"Alright," Evelyn nodded. "Press your thumb against the door handle."
I did.
A small light blinked on the scanner, and a calm, mechanical voice spoke from hidden speakers:
"Permission needed for biometric scanning.
Scanning in progress…"
A brief prick of pain — a blood sample.
I barely reacted.
"Scan complete.
Voice recognition required.
Please state your name."
"Vaughn Silver," I said clearly.
"Voice match confirmed.
Biometric lock established.
Welcome, Vaughn Silver."
The door clicked open with a soft hiss.
"Cool, right?" Evelyn grinned.
"Can't you get excited just a little?"
I stared at her blankly.
She laughed again.
"Alright, kid," she said, stretching. "Go settle in. I'm heading to bed too.
Don’t sleep in too late tomorrow — we start early."
She gave me a casual wave and disappeared down the hallway.
I stepped into my new room.
It was quiet. Empty.
A small living space, a kitchen tucked into one side, a bedroom door slightly ajar.
It felt strange.
Not bad. Not good.
Just... strange.
I dropped my bag onto the floor, kicked off my shoes, and collapsed onto the bed without even bothering to change.
PTO, huh...
This feeling — it was too complicated to name.
For now...
I just needed to sleep.