Jade's frustration was palpable as she buried her head deeper into the book, her eyes heavy from exhaustion. The silence of the lab was suddenly broken by her exasperated voice, "Come on, why are none of these experiments working?!"
She slammed the book shut, her gaze falling on the only success in a sea of failures—the weird creature's shard that seemed to accept whatever she melded into it. V, observing her from his spot on the table, offered a suggestion, "Perhaps a break would help clear your mind? You seem to be running yourself to the point where you aren't being useful."
Jade looked up, considering his words. "Perhaps," she conceded, though her tone was laced with reluctance. "But I still have had no luck reverting the flesh back to before it became zombified or whatever. I also can't figure out how to activate this pink crystal after a week of troubleshooting."
True, I suppose it's normal to fail a lot for humans, but what you all excel at is persistence. I could never imagine building what you mortal beings have accomplished. But perha—
Mid-sentence, the door creaked open, cutting her off. Rosa staggered in, her figure a canvas of blood and sweat, painting a vivid picture of her recent ordeal. With a heavy, defeated sigh, she collapsed into the nearest chair beside Jade, her movements slow, burdened. She threw her head back, a gesture of utter exhaustion, and groaned, "I can't do this anymore, Jade. I need a break!
How about we go get some drinks or something?"
Jade, observing her friend's disheveled state, couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, tinged with concern. "I think you need a shower first. How many did you fight today?" she inquired, her tone light, attempting to ease the tension.
Rosa exhaled deeply, the weight of her battles lingering in her voice. "Three, but the last one... it kept regenerating limbs. So much blood everywhere." Her words trailed off, painting a gruesome picture of her struggle, the room around them momentarily feeling the echoes of her frustration and fatigue.
Jade exhaled softly, her voice laced with a mixture of fatigue and understanding. "Well, if we're going to head out, a shower is non-negotiable for you. And, honestly, a break doesn't sound too bad for me either," she admitted, her glance subtly conveying the shared toll of their endeavors. "V seems to think the same."
V squinted a bit, "I could have sworn I heard about mortals like beings with ears before, but my memory is still hazy."
Jade shrugged, indicating it was a topic for another time. "Not that it matters much, let's go ahead and shower up as well, you'll be staying back though for the time being."
V's response was calm and accepting, "Fine by me," I want to try reading some of those books again.
Jade acknowledged V with a nod, the light pink crystal disappearing into her pocket as she retreated toward her room. The minutes ticked by, forty-five in total, spent showering and dressing in a red button-up shirt paired with black jeans, her black hair now cascading slightly past her hips. A knock at her door signaled it was time to leave.
Stepping out, Jade noticed V, his attention wholly absorbed by a picture book, his brow furrowed in concentration over the letters and words. Beside him stood Rosa, clad in a black and white hoodie, accented by black jeans with a striking red stripe.
"Okay, let's go before that alarm goes off again and I get dragged away," Rosa announced, urgency lacing her words.
Jade's laughter filled the space between them, a lightness in her voice. "Sure, but how do we even get out of here? I can't remember where the front door is," she admitted, her confusion genuine.
Rosa's gaze on Jade was incredulous, her response laced with disbelief. "We just use the crosses. They teleport us to a hidden waypoint, so the location of this place isn't revealed."
The memory clicked for Jade, a recollection of her arrival with Ash surfacing. "Ahhh, that does make sense. Sorry, I don't leave often," she said, a sheepish hand running through her hair, her momentary lapse giving way to understanding. Stay tuned for updates on m-v -novelhall.net