Jade held the key card delicately between her fingers, its surface cool and smooth to the touch. She examined it closely, her gaze lingering on its intricate design as a yawn escaped her lips. Her eyes felt heavy, a clear sign of the exhaustion that was beginning to set in.
Despite the weariness that threatened to overwhelm her, a spark of determination flickered within. "No time like the present, I suppose," she murmured to herself, the idea of postponing the task at hand quickly dismissed by a surge of resolve. However, she conceded to the need for a brief interlude of self-care. "
But a quick shower should do, and probably a bite of food," she decided, setting the stage for a small yet significant pause in her day.
Refreshed from her shower and nourished by a simple meal of fruit and bread, Jade found herself rejuvenated and ready to face the challenges that lay ahead. She slipped into her cozy pajama bottoms, the blue lines running alongside them providing a small comfort in the otherwise stark environment of her living quarters.
The familiar, soft fabric was a stark contrast to the cold, impersonal corridors she navigated on her way to the labs, as instructed by Victoria.
The clock in the corridor marked the time as 8pm, a silent reminder of the day's progress into night. Despite the late hour, Jade's commitment to her work spurred her on. "Just a few checks and that should be good enough," she thought, her mind focused on the tasks that awaited her in the lab.
Upon entering the lab, Jade was immediately struck by the sight of the equipment and materials that filled the room.
Fancy bottles of chemicals and pitchers were meticulously arranged on the shelves, each item reflecting the light in a way that seemed to beckon her closer. It was everything she had dreamed of after graduating college and working in a lab—a place where curiosity met innovation, and where her skills could truly flourish.
Her attention then shifted to the cube she had pulled from her pocket. The once vibrant object now bore an exhausted appearance, its color fading to a pale hue while the edges began to turn dark brown. Jade observed the changes with a mixture of fascination and concern. "Huh, I guess the King of Nothing wasn't lying about you deteriorating slowly over time,"
The atmosphere within the room swiftly transformed into an icy expanse, the chill so severe it seemed to solidify the very air around them.
Amidst this frigid environment, the cube underwent a remarkable transformation, morphing into a spherical ice form before finally settling back onto the table as an enlarged cube.
This new form bore semblances of broken blue flesh and a mouth, a startling development that spoke volumes of the cube's mysterious capabilities.
Observing the frosty havoc it had unwittingly unleashed, the cube stammered out an apology,
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to freeze all of this,"
its words barely cutting through the cold air. Jade, her forearms encased in ice, glared at the creature with a mix of astonishment and irritation.
"Well, can you stop? I'm not trying to become a frozen ice sculpture. I'll blow a hole in your chest... cube, or whatever you are right now if you don't," she retorted sharply, her patience wearing thin. Your next read awaits at m,v -NovelFire
Acknowledging the severity of the situation, the cube hastily promised, "Right, I can't undo the current freezing, but I can ensure I won't freeze anything else." Jade, somewhat reassured yet still shivering, demanded, "Well, what the hell are you right now anyways?"
The cube's response was tinged with uncertainty, "I'm not really sure. The 'King,' as he proclaims himself, never undoes this when he turns one of us into this cube form, so your guess is as good as mine."