Chapter 15: Strict Enclosure

  The sheep is still keeping watch outside. It still waits for them silently.

  Edward, Kai, and Mira gathered around the monitor, scanning the security cameras for any signs of clues. Edward had his limitations—he could only access one camera at a time, making it difficult to thoroughly check the entire room's surroundings. Even with the restriction to access the lowest floor, the sheer number of cameras spread across this massive place made Edward struggle to analyze every detail. Recognizing his shortcomings, he asked Mira for assistance. She nodded and controlled one of the monitors, flipping through the different feeds.

  They spent hours inside the Observatory Room. Edward mentally counted the time, tracking each passing hour. Luckily, Mira still had enough supplies to last them a week, but they couldn't afford to stay in one place for too long. They need to escape from that sheep.

  As night fell, the room grew colder. Mira and Kai, exhausted from the day’s events, eventually succumbed to sleep, their bodies curled up against the metallic floor. Edward remained awake, silently watching over them. While they rested, he took the opportunity to download the facility's blueprints and map. Some areas were restricted, locked away behind encrypted data, but the general map of the facility was still accessible.

  Morning arrived, and they resumed scanning the cameras. The monotonous process soon bored Kai, who fidgeted restlessly. Just as he was about to complain, he suddenly froze, his eyes widening in shock.

  “Kwon!” Kai screamed, pointing at one of the monitors. His loud voice startled Mira awake.

  Edward instantly focused on the camera feed. Kwon was there, walking with a noticeable limp through an unfamiliar section of the facility. The area was vast, resembling a makeshift settlement, with multiple houses scattered around. However, overgrown plants covered much of the view, obstructing the cameras’ line of sight.

  Edward quickly ran a scan, pinpointing Kwon’s location. He memorized the layout and noted the safest route to reach him. It is time for them to leave.

  While the children slept, Edward spent the night formulating an escape plan. Reviewing the blueprints, he found that the ventilation system connected multiple rooms. At the far end, it led to a storeroom filled with various supplies. He had already checked—there were no threats inside. Given Mira and Kai’s small size, they could easily crawl through the vents and reach the storeroom safely.

  It was their best option.

  With hesitation, Edward detached himself from the room’s system. This time, the process was painless. However, the moment he disconnected, his access to the cameras was severed. He sighed, knowing he had lost another advantage.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  The lights flickered before plunging the room into darkness.

  Kai reached out and touched Edward, watching in fascination as he merged with his arm once again. Every time Edward performed this transformation, Kai’s eyes sparkled with amazement. It reminded him of a superhero’s cool transformation sequence.

  Edward, oblivious to Kai’s admiration, remained focused on the plan.

  Mira and Kai dragged a desk beneath the ventilation shaft and climbed on top. The vent was positioned high, just out of reach. Noticing the screws holding the panel in place, Edward instructed Kai to extend his mechanical arm. Small, delicate appendages unfolded from the medical box, carefully unscrewing the bolts one by one.

  As the final screw dropped to the floor, Edward couldn’t help but admire the medical box’s versatility. He gotta admit that the medical box was one of the best inventions that came out of the facility. It was originally designed for medical procedures, yet its nanomachine technology allowed him to manipulate it for other purposes. Unfortunately, mass production was impossible due to the exorbitant costs. The technology was as valuable as his arc reactor.

  Before they left, Edward reminded them to take the earpieces. Thankfully, they were still functional, allowing him to communicate with Mira and Kai without relying on loud audio.

  Kai climbed into the ventilation shaft first, followed closely by Mira. The space was cramped, but they managed to squeeze through. With Edward’s light guiding them, they began their slow and cautious journey.

  They crawled through several rooms, keeping their movements silent. Whenever they approached an unfamiliar area, Edward dimmed his light to avoid detection. Occasionally, they would pause at the sound of distant noises before continuing forward. If a vent cover blocked their path, Edward extended his mechanical arms to unscrew the bars.

  However, the journey took a toll on them. Hours of crawling strained Mira and Kai’s arms, their muscles aching from the prolonged effort. Their breaths grew heavier with each passing minute.

  Eventually, they reached a split path—a fork in the ventilation. One passage led downward, while the other sloped slightly upward.

  Edward already decided to avoid the downward path, sensing the danger it posed. They carefully began climbing the upward slope, their tired limbs trembling from exhaustion.

  Kai’s fingers slipped.

  A yelp escaped his lips as he lost his grip, his body sliding backward. Mira reacted swiftly, grabbing his wrist and covering his mouth to muffle his cry.

  They stayed still, holding their breath. Then, the entire ventilation shaft shook violently.

  Before they could react, the metal beneath them gave way.

  Both Mira and Kai plummeted downward.

  Edward panicked. He tried to latch onto the walls, attempting to stop their fall, but his body wasn’t designed to support their weight. The immense strain tore at his structure, sending sharp pain through his system.

  For a moment, he hesitated.

  And then he let go.

  Mira and Kai crashed through a lower vent, breaking through the weak metal covering. They landed hard on the floor below, groaning in pain.

  Edward quickly scanned the area, cross-referencing it with the map in his database.

  His sensors immediately flared with alarm.

  “Oh no…” he muttered.

  They had fallen into the East Containment Area.

  The room was eerily silent. Around them stood empty, reinforced enclosures—cells designed to hold something dangerous.

  Edward’s circuits surged with dread.

  Something used to be locked here.

  But now, the enclosures were empty.