One day later, Isaac's eyes snapped open.
For a brief moment, panic gripped him. His breath hitched, muscles tensed - his instincts screamed at him to be ready for anything. Then, as his gaze flickered across the dimly lit room, he exhaled sharply. The familiar sterile walls, the faint hum of medical equipment, the unmistakable scent of antiseptic - he was safe.
'Guess we made it back in one piece.'
He went to push himself upright, only to falter - his left arm wasn't there.
A cold, sinking feeling settled in his chest as he glanced at the space where his limb should have been. His jaw tightened, but his expression remained unreadable. A deep mix of helplessness and bitter disappointment swirled within him, but he forced the emotions down.
'Well… not entirely in one piece.'
He let out a slow breath. Despite everything, his body felt far better than it should have. Even with a mutant's accelerated recovery, this level of healing was absurd.
'Amina must have helped with my recovery… I'll remember to thank her.'
Shaking the thoughts away, he turned his head slightly.
Beside his bed, Nadya lay sprawled out, snoring softly. Her hair was a tangled mess, and at some point, she had kicked off her blanket. Across from them, in another bed, Kai remained unconscious.
Isaac's sharp gaze swept over him. He had suffered more than any of them - his injuries severe, and his blood loss catastrophic. Yet, he was already making a steady recovery, which he assumed was thanks to Amina.
Still… what the hell were they supposed to do with him?
As if in response to his thoughts, the air beside his bed twisted unnaturally. A deep murky aura seeped into the room, distorting space itself. The temperature seemed to drop, and the edges of Isaac's vision blurred as a figure emerged from the rift.
A tall, indistinct silhouette stood before him, shrouded in shadow. The surrounding darkness writhed and flickered, making it impossible to see any defining features. A distorted voice, low and hoarse, broke the silence.
"I've been waiting for you to regain consciousness, Isaac."
Despite the intimidating presence, Isaac didn't flinch. He knew this figure well - how could he not? This man was the coordinator of their group, the unofficial vice-leader, and the architect behind most of their operations.
"Shadow…" Isaac murmured, his voice carrying a weight of exhaustion and frustration. He didn't even know what to say.
"I've already spoken to Nadya. Takeshi had little to add," Shadow continued, his voice eerily devoid of emotion. "But I still lack a complete understanding of what transpired. I need a full report before I bring this to the leader and the others."
Isaac nodded grimly. "Right."
He didn't hold back.
He told Shadow everything. Every detail. How they had barely made it out. How Nyx had anticipated their arrival - had prepared for them. How he had the means to nullify his ability.
Most disturbingly, Isaac was convinced Nyx had perfected the mutant suppressants - and even worse, he had succeeded with Kai. If Nyx had truly cracked the process of creating artificial mutants, it meant the worst-case scenario was already unfolding.
As he spoke, his voice grew unsteady. The frustration, the helplessness, the self-loathing - it all poured out.
"I should've been better… I should've seen it coming-"
He gritted his teeth, fist clenched. He tore into himself with every word, as if punishing himself would make the failure easier to bear.
Then his mind flickered back to Kai's berserker state.
A chill crawled up his spine as he recalled the sheer carnage - the raging blood that moved on its own - the madness in Kai's crimson eyes.
"And then… there was him," Isaac muttered, glancing toward Kai's unconscious form. His throat felt dry as he forced himself to describe what he had seen - the monstrous transformation, the overwhelming bloodlust, the terrifying potential.
Shadow remained silent, listening intently. But even through the distortion of his form, Isaac could feel the weight of his presence.
"You did well, and you are not at fault."
Shadow's voice, distorted and hollow, barely sounded like a consolation. "We rushed this mission and threw the three of you into the deep end. For that, I can only apologise on behalf of myself and the others."
Isaac wanted to scoff, but he held it in. Hearing an apology from Shadow was rare, even if it didn't ease the weight pressing on his chest. He appreciated it nonetheless.
"I'll get Vance to craft you a prosthetic," Shadow continued. "Knowing him, it'll have all kinds of functions that might be useful."
That earned a huff from Isaac. "That guy always overdoes it..."
"In the meantime, take care of Kai. Keep him here for now and don't speak a word about what you told me regarding him. Not yet."
Isaac's brows furrowed. "Not even Nadya and Takeshi?"
"Especially not them." Shadow's voice carried a rare edge. "Those two can be... unpredictable. Keep them reeled in for now. You'll have your hands full as it is."
A loud groan filled the room.
"Hey! I'm no handful, and neither is sword boy," Nadya grumbled, finally sitting up.
Isaac sighed. Of course, she had been awake this entire time.
Isaac let out an awkward chuckle. "Cat's out of the bag now."
He turned back to Shadow. "How long is this arrangement supposed to last?"
Shadow was already stepping toward another rift, his blurry silhouette flickering. "We'll decide what to do with him at our next gathering."
Isaac frowned. "That's three months from now."
"Haha, have fun."
And with that, Shadow vanished into the darkness. The rift closed behind him, leaving the room colder than before.
Isaac groaned, rubbing his temples. "Damn, I hate it when he does that."
Nadya only laughed. She reached into her shirt between her breasts, pulling out a small flask.
"Always gotta have something to drink," she said with a grin, tipping it back. But even as she joked, her gaze lingered on Kai. There was something in her expression - not her usual amusement, but something closer to contemplation.
"Just how hard did Takeshi hit him?" she asked, eyeing Kai's unmoving form.
Kai hadn't even stirred. His breathing was somewhat steady, but there was an unsettling stillness to him, as if he was recovering from something deeper than just physical wounds.
"Guess we'll just have to wait till he wakes up to see what he's like," Nadya muttered, capping her flask.
She stretched and flopped back onto her bed. "I'm getting more sleep."
Meanwhile, Isaac leaned back, exhaling slowly. His missing arm throbbed dully as he sat there, deep in thought.