MTLNOVEL Chapter 30: A Mysterious Child
The hospital stood eerily quiet, the echoes of past chaos replaced with an almost oppressive silence. The group—Riley, Ethan, Dr. Vance, Matthew, and Jake—ventured cautiously through the dimly lit halls, their every step measured and deliberate. Tension clung to the air like a tangible force, each creak of the floorboards beneath their feet setting their nerves on edge. They knew they were prepared to run at the first sign of danger. And if running wasn't enough, Riley stood ready to teleport them to safety.
Ethan's voice broke the uneasy silence. "It's strange," he murmured, eyes scanning the abandoned corridors. "It doesn't feel like a place overrun by zombies. It just feels… closed. Like someone locked up shop and left."
Dr. Vance nodded, but her brow furrowed with concern. "That doesn't mean we can let our guard down. Whatever destroyed the machine and cleared out the zombies could still be here."
The group exchanged uneasy glances but pressed forward, their weapons ready. They methodically checked every room and corner, looking for any signs of lingering danger or clues as to what had happened. The pristine condition of the hospital, save for its age and disuse, only added to their unease. There were no scattered supplies, no overturned furniture, and, most unnervingly, no remains of the zombies they had left behind during their previous visit.
At an intersection, Ethan suddenly froze, his hand shooting up to clutch his right eye. A sharp groan escaped his lips as he staggered slightly, leaning against the wall for support.
"Ethan!" Riley exclaimed, rushing to his side. "What's wrong?"
He winced, his voice strained. "My eye… it hurts. This pain—it's the same as when I gained the ability to see a few seconds into the future with my left eye. But… why now?"
The group waited, their concern palpable, as Ethan squeezed his eyes shut, his breathing shallow and uneven. Slowly, the pain subsided, and he hesitantly opened his right eye, blinking to adjust to his surroundings.
As his vision cleared, he gasped. Directly ahead of him, where the corridor stretched into shadow, a figure began to materialize—not physically, but in his mind's eye. She was barely eleven years old, moving with deliberate calm, her petite frame radiating an aura so potent it seemed to warp the atmosphere around her. Her hair, an untamed halo of dark waves, caught the dim light, and her eyes gleamed like molten gold.
Ethan's breath hitched as he realized the figure wasn't actually present. Yet, as if compelled by some unseen force, he focused on her movements, particularly her mouth. She was speaking, and though no sound reached him, he instinctively began to read her lips—a skill honed from years of straining to hear his soft-spoken mother.
"Now Zoe can be saved," the girl said, her expression serene but resolute.
Ethan watched, transfixed, as the image began to fade. He blinked rapidly, trying to hold onto the vision, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. For a moment, he stood frozen, his mind racing to process what he had just experienced.
"Ethan?" Dr. Vance prompted gently. "What did you see?"
He stuttered, the words coming out in halting fragments. "I… I think my right eye just showed me the past. I saw a girl, a child. She wasn't here now, but… she must've been. She said, 'Now Zoe can be saved.'"
The others exchanged puzzled looks as Ethan continued, his voice gaining strength. "She didn't seem hostile. At least not toward Zoe."
Riley let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "That's… good, I guess? But who is she? And why was she here?"
Matthew shook his head, his expression grim. "We don't have enough puzzle pieces to answer that yet. But if she's strong enough to do what we've seen here…"
"She's on a completely different level," Jake finished, his tone uneasy. "And that's both terrifying and… kind of a relief if she's not against us."
Dr. Vance crossed her arms, her gaze thoughtful. "This raises more questions than answers, but at least we know the hospital is safe—for now."
The group continued their exploration, finding no further traces of danger. Every room was empty, every corridor silent. Eventually, they returned to the hospital's entrance, their search complete.
"This place is clear," Dr. Vance said finally, her voice tinged with lingering wariness. "If anyone needs to access the hospital, it should be safe now."
Matthew nodded, though his expression remained cautious. "Let's head back to the café. Darren needs to know about this—especially about the girl."
With a unanimous agreement, the group left the hospital and began their journey back to the café. The night air was cool against their skin, starkly contrasting the tension they'd endured inside. As they walked, their minds were heavy with thoughts of the mysterious child, the destroyed machine, and the strange power that had seemingly cleansed the hospital.
When they finally stepped into the café, Darren looked up from his place at the counter, his face etched with worry. "You're back," he said, his voice steady but laced with concern. "What did you find?"
Dr. Vance took the lead, her tone brisk but measured. "The hospital is clear. Completely. No zombies, no threats. The machine is destroyed—rusted to the point of being unrecognizable. And all the remains of the zombies we fought last time are gone."
Darren's brow furrowed. "Gone? The machine… rusted?"
Ethan stepped forward, his expression serious. "We think someone—or something—came through and wiped out everything. I… I saw something."
The group collectively glanced at him, and he hesitated before continuing. "I think I saw the past. A girl, about eleven. She said, 'Now Zoe can be saved.' She didn't seem hostile, but she was definitely the one who destroyed the machine. She's… incredibly powerful."
Darren's expression darkened, and he leaned heavily against the counter. "A girl? And she left without a trace?"
Matthew nodded. "That's the best we can piece together. Whatever she is, she's operating on a level far beyond anything we've encountered."
The café fell into contemplative silence, the weight of their discovery settling over them. Darren finally broke the stillness. "We'll need to figure out who—or what—she is. But it's a relief to know the hospital is safe now. Good work, all of you."
Despite the lingering questions, the group felt a small measure of accomplishment. They had survived another trial, but they all knew the girl's mystery, and her connection to Zoe was far from over.