Red.

I blinked a couple of times but it was still red. Taking down my feet from the refectory table, I steadied myself on the couch while looking around.

For a brief moment, I didn't recognize the place. Gone the white and clear lighting was replaced by red and dark, lowering the visibility in the room and all the while giving a riling sense of urgency.

A frown marred my face. This doesn't sound good, red was never good.

Where is Zane?

The one that gives an educated guess on what is happening isn't here. He probably went out while I sleeping. He could've at least woken me up.

I swore at him as I stood up while ignoring my body's cries. I stagger at the door and then open it. The same terrible lighting was in the corridor. I didn't halt, with each step my stagger stabilized and turned into a hurried walk. The urgency lighting making fine work on me.

Soon I arrived at a junction, where the corridor split into two more directions. I didn't slow down and took the right path. While I don't map the place nor did I remember much of the intersection, I'm not amnesic either. Though, I might be worst off, with the miners striking at my brain as if they found a gold deposit hidden behind it.

I nearly started running once I spotted the hatch. Luckily I didn't or else I would have run into it since the damn thing didn't slide open.

I moved left and right, then took some distance from it before closing in once more. Yet nothing happened. The hatch door is one that opens with a sensor. Detecting a presence before its opens.

Yet it's not opening.

The seed of panic the red lighting buried in my mind grew. I raised my left arm and shook it to where I presumed the sensors are planted, I even jumped, to reach the top of the door frame top. Yet nothing happened, no sound or movement from the door's side.

The lights turn red, could have been a coincidence. A flick of a switch is all it takes to change lighting colors. Alec, Eric, and Bart found the control room, one of them may have changed the lighting, accidentally or intentionally. It's possible, it's the control room.

However, the hatch not opening is another matter entirely. A door that does not open is the difference between a room and a prison.

What did they do in that damn control room? Did they fuck up something?

I took a deep breath calming my growing uneasiness. I was mildly surprised to find myself doing great. There is still a voice screaming I'm fucked. But that voice was there before, probably caused by my gift not working.

Unfortunately, it's still not activating even now. I tried to activate it more than three times while I walked but still nothing other than the clicking sound at the start. Yet, it's that clicking sound that gave some kind of positive thoughts. Granted the gift isn't activating but it's nonetheless there, otherwise, there shouldn't be any clicking sound.

Thus, my guess was the ability is activating yet not launching, or is launched but crashed. I have no idea why it's not launching or what is making it crash, however, I'm fairly certain my ability is still here, and I'm still capable of activating it. I just need something, I don't know what it is but it's felt like when the old car isn't starting and you had to push it a bit before it took over.

I shook my head. I need to focus on the task at hand; find the others.

Since this door isn't opening I should try the other direction. And so I traced my steps back to the junction and went on the one unexplored path. The others probably did explore this section while I was fucking sleeping.

All thanks to my amazing superpowers.

Getting angry at objects is foolish, I know that. And I am much to blame than my ability. Besides wouldn't I be dead by now? Yet, still, this isn't how I imagined things possessing superpowers. I'm honestly starting to I won't say dislike but it's not far from that.

The painfully small duration of the activation, the toll that split my crane with each use, and now even crashing. And let's not talk about the ability itself which turn me into an emotionless machine. The balance is oddly tilted to the negative side. Are all blessings the same?

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

I stirred my thoughts back on track as another hatch door comes into view. Though, even after I got close enough, It didn't open. When the unpleasant thought that I'm jailed here sprouted in my head, I noticed something.

A panel with a large button on the corridor's wall.

I wasted no time as soon as my eyes landed on it, I swiftly moved and hammered the bug red button and...

It's opened.

I exhaled in relief but didn't wait for the moving walls to fully slide open and just glided through.

Great, another intersection.

The now accessible corridor divides further into three others; left, ahead, and right. I didn't mull much over it and took right once more, hoping it circumvent the closed hatch and lead to the canteen.

My breath quickened as my hurried strides, without noticing, turned into a sprint. I want to get out of this jail. I want to find the others. I want to know what is happening. Why did the lights turn red? Why the hatch isn't opening? Do they know what is happening? They surely know. Eric likely touched something he shouldn't have in the control room. And where is Zane? Why did he leave me there alone? Did he walk out before or after the lights turned red? Did... did he know the lights would turn red? And the hatch wouldn't open after? Is that why he needs a drinking partner? A ruse to trap here? Why? What will he or them benefit from this? Is that why my ability is now broken? Was that drug some sort of poison against the Blessed? Pathetic. so fucking pathetic. Falling for two of their traps consecutively is... no, I'm not sure, nothing confirms that... I need to find them. I need to get out of this fucking labyrinth.

My heart sank once another hatch door come into view but I kept moving forward. Red button, red button, red button. My gaze was on the side wall as my mind recited the mantra and... it's there, the red, splendid, and springy button.

I stopped in front of the open door, at the split, as soon as I pressed the button to catch my breath. Thought part of my rugged breath was only partially caused by the physical activity.

I heard a Tesh sound as the door wall split open and then... a cold sensation run through my body, it felt as if hundreds of small, hairy spiders crawled all over my body. I recognize it. I know thi--

I didn't have time to finish that thought as a strong impact yanked me out of my feet, purging the air out of my lunge. The impact was so strong it sent me flying a distance from the opening hatch.

Raspy and desperate sounds left my throat as I gasped for air, it was hard and frantic as if I forget how my lungs works.

I felt a searing pain in my right shoulder. I landed on it, I realized, and the injury opened. Though it was that injury and that pain that tore the veil of confusion and haze. Move, stand up, run. A voice cried in my head, it was so clear as if it were right next to me.

I briefly shot a glance back as I pushed the ground. The hatch is sliding open, and between its sides is a Shredder. A fucking Shredder. It hadn't passed through yet, but not for long. Its fish-like head along with its long arm did, however. Lashing its long sickle of death.

I ran.

I did wait to see more, so I ran. I ran before even standing. I stumbled, hit a wall but didn't stop. I didn't even know where to run. I just want to be away from it. My heart was at my throat. It will kill me. Swing its long arm and decapitate me. Or will it dismember me first? It did that to the hunter, it did that to the kids in the village. And I'm next.

The view started to blur.

They set this up, the bastard, the fucking bastards deceived me. Why? why did they do that? I don't understand. I don't understand. Why?

I put my hand on my right shoulder. I felt warmth and wetness. I gritted my teeth and squeezed.

"Ugh!!"

The sight blurred even more, but it cleared my mind a little. I blinked a couple of times and resisted the urge to use my hand to clear my eyes.

GUHHAAAAA

It's alright, it's big and will need time to get through.

I tried to lie to myself with no success, I wondered why others do it so often when it's not working, fucking at all. I squeezed my shoulder tighter. Was I trying to prevent blood loss by doing so? Or did I want the pain to clear my mind? I might end up killing myself before that thing could do anything. Oh, come to think of it, it's not a bad idea.

I squeezed once more.

The previous intersection soon comes into view. Three roads. One led to a dead end. Two are unknown.

I took a deep breath.

[Click]

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

It's now that I need you. Right fucking now.

They set me up, they...

I stooped that line of thought. I need to find my way here, and I need all of my brain's capacity.

Three choices.

The left is where I came from, where there is the breakroom and the sealed hatch.

The front and right are unexplored, a black hole.

Right or ahead?

They are the same. Obscure. A gamble.

Luck again. The more you hate something the more it follows you wherever you go.

I gasped. Long breaths each time, it difficult as if a boulder was on my chest. I can feel a cold, rough rope slither slowly and steadily around my neck. Walk enough on the edge and soon will fall. I hate the edge. I didn't choose to walk on the edge. I didn't want the edge. I don't want... to fall.

I don't want to die.

I'm afraid.

Of death? Of Shredder? Does it matter? Though, all of that repulsive emotion did, was send water to my eyes. Cert, it's there, but that is it. It didn't govern my mind, nor did it freeze my body.

I shook my head. I looked at the paths in front of me and decided. It's a gamble anyway, running from a Shredder without a weapon or super ability. If I had to gamble, I will make sure the stakes are fair.

If you want my life, then be ready to lose yours.