Hope slowly pushed himself up, his muscles aching from the strain of inactivity. The moment he stood, a wave of lightheadedness crashed over him, forcing him to pause. His body was still adjusting, still waking up from whatever state it had been in.
His eyes scanned the room again, this time with a clearer mind.
It wasn't a normal medical bay. The air felt thicker, the space tighter—as if the walls themselves were pressing in. The ceiling was low, lined with dim fluorescent lights that flickered occasionally, casting brief shadows across the floor.
Then he saw it.
A staircase.
A metal staircase leading upward.
Hope's gaze followed its length, leading to a hatch-like opening where several figures moved in and out.
People.
They wore lab coats, their faces half-obscured by masks and transparent visors. Scientists, doctors—researchers.
Hope's gut twisted.
A basement.
A hidden lab.
His instincts screamed at him.
He had been brought here—but for what purpose?
Before his mind could spiral further, a hand extended toward him.
In it—
A cup.
The faint steam curled upward, carrying a scent so familiar, yet so distant, that it struck something deep within his memory.
Coffee.
Hope's fingers hesitated for a fraction of a second before he took the cup.
The ceramic was warm, radiating a comfortable heat against his skin. He hadn't held something like this in… a long time.
Cara watched him silently, her expression unreadable as she crossed her arms.
Hope lifted the cup to his lips, breathing in the rich, earthy aroma. He let the scent settle in his lungs before taking a sip—
Bitterness.
A sharp, scalding bite met his tongue, overwhelming any subtle flavors that might have been hidden within. The liquid burned as it slid down his throat, spreading warmth through his chest.
It wasn't sweet. It wasn't smooth.
But he didn't mind.
He swallowed, the heat lingering on his tongue, his fingers tightening slightly around the cup.
This might be the first and last time he ever had coffee again.
So he took another sip.
Ignoring the bitterness.
Ignoring the burn.
Because in this moment, in this unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers who had brought him back from the brink of death—
It was the only thing that felt real.