Chapter 22

Your throat feels dry as you rasp out, "I guess I shouldn't say I wanted you to come home. You're technically already there. Always here." You avert your gaze momentarily looking away. Not sure why you decided to add that after what you'd said a moment ago.

Caine replied unbothered, "Well, dear" he pauses for a moment. Mulling over how to word this feeling in his chest that had been bubbling up since the moment he saw you.

"You feel like home." His eyes rested on your contemplating face. You were lost in a whirlwind of emotions hearing him say such things.

Caine took a breathe and exhaled slowly before recounting what had happened,

"You abstracted. Fully. Wholly." He grimaced as rushing images of the black spikes writhing along your form invaded his thoughts. You sense his discomfort and place your hands on both of his. Intertwining your fingers.

He continues, "I placed you in here. Unsure of if it'd even work. You were just so— far gone."

You begin contemplating why he hadn't told the others about this machine. You wondered if it was some sort of prototype he planned on eventually sharing.

"No matter what the others can't know about this, or that I brought you here. That you corrupted. Though that last part may be a bit harder to hide.. considering your short rampage through the circus."

You gasp, "my..? My— rampage?"

Caine sheepishly rubs the back of his jaw shaped head and looks in the opposite corner of the room. Chuckling nervously he states, "Uhhh- about that."

You sit completely upright so fast your head began to spin and your vision went partially black. After nearly falling out of the medical chamber from sitting up you throw a leg over the cool plastic pod's side. Your limbs buzzed and tingled, not quite used to being used again.

Your feet slap against the cool tile as you hop out. Suddenly sparks and black dots fill your vision once more before you slump back against the chamber.

"Y/n!" Caine rushes to catch you.

He floated you back upwards as he cradled you. Your eye lids lower and your head slumps against his chest. You go limp in his arms.

Caine sharply inhales in a panic after checking your pulse to assure himself you didn't just die. His breaths came in rapid shallow succession. Panic ebbed and flowed in his veins.

He wasn't entirely certain that humans could handle going from abstraction to normalcy at such a fast rate. Part of him had a feeling this might happen.

Silently he floated down the empty hospital hallway. The only sound nearby was the distant beeping of the machine that had healed you.

As he approached two double doors that led into a seemingly abandoned office. He passed the office belonging to him. Giving it a small glance before turning away. Grimacing as he recalled the times he'd relieved himself to your surveillance footage without your knowing.

"Damn it." Caine sighed quietly. Wishing he could just take you there now. However, he couldn't risk you finding the hidden files on his computer. Knowing how curious you tended to be he wasn't interested in taking that chance.

He approached what seemed to be a break room at the end of a long hallway. After placing you on the couch nearby he began pouring water from a nearby jug. Bubbles floated up to the surface as a cool liquid fell into a small styrofoam cup. The steady glug filled the room with a calming noise.

You tossed and turned on the couch as you slept. Once you'd woken up again you saw a styrofoam cup of water and a bag of chips from the nearby vending machine staring at you. They sat neatly placed on a wooden table in front of the couch you currently sprawled out on. You pick up the note left with the snacks and read it carefully. Your blurry vision making it somewhat difficult.

'My dearest y/n, I'm so sorry I've got to run for now! Just tossing everyone into an adventure. I'll be back in a bit. xoxo -Caine'

Below the lettering there was a cute drawing of two bees together with a heart above them. You smiled at his little doodle and placed the note down before snacking away. You munched on your snack and began wandering around the strange looking break room. Everything seemed so.. professional?

It was the complete opposite of what you'd gotten used to seeing in the digital circus. All the wacky wonderful colors seemed a million miles away from wherever this was. Cold white and beige tones littered the furniture.

The gentle hum of electricity supplied to the vending machine caught your attention. You stood before it and glanced at what all was inside.  Everything was.. free? All the prices had been set to zero. You raise a suspicious eyebrow before putting it to the test.

The number pad clicked and beeped as you entered a code. Shiny black spirals behind your snack begin moving to your surprise, pushing the tasty treat to certain doom. You grab another snack or two of your choosing, then stash them in your pocket for later. Figuring you might not get the chance to eat for a while. Even if you technically don't need to eat in the digital world.

Despite this for some reason you still felt peckish.

You push the feeling down with the provided bag of chips from Caine and throw down a second cup of water. The dry sensation in your throat slowly faded away.

"Wonder what else is around here."

You walk up to the only set of doors in the room and push them open slowly. Peering out into the hall. Afraid at any moment Caine would appear and ask what you were doing. After reassuring yourself no one else was here you walk down the long hallway into a cubical.

Old neglected computers collected dust on the desks. You begin to lose interest after seeing all the desks were fairly empty. The nearby metal organizers seemingly also offered no entertainment. With each drawer pulled out you found more nothingness. A long sigh came from your chest. Your hope of finding something worth snooping around slowly faded away until the steady glow of a screen came from a doorway.

The momentary glimpse of light beckoned you over. You wearily open the office door. It creaks under the pressure of your hands as you peered around once more. Seeing no one you enter.

Signs litter the wall and several books sat on the shelves nearby. You begin scanning over a few of the books. Recognizing one of the creators as a YouTube channel you'd used to watch in the real world. You pause for a moment reading it briefly before placing it back on the shelf.

Continuing to the main event you plop down in what you assume to be Caine's office chair. You see the words "Caine and Abel" around the room. Wondering if Abel was a real person or just a name for the company.

After clicking the mouse and entering the log in screen you pause.

'Passcode required'

"Fuck"

You begin mulling over what he could possibly have as his passcode. It seemed to be a four digit code.

You tried your birthday.

'Access denied. 3 attempts remaining.'

You scratch your icing locks in confusion. Wondering what else he might use.

'1234'

'Access denied. 2 attempts remaining.'

You begin searching around the office desk for clues. Hoping he might keep the password written down somewhere. You instead find Polaroids of a similar office to the one you currently sat in. Eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "What the hell?"

You shrug it off and chalk it up to Caine being oddly sentimental. Pulling out drawer after drawer you find nothing.

Sighing you sat back in the chair, racking your brain for possible answers. When suddenly an idea came to mind.

You enter in the date you arrived at the circus.

A loading screen appears as the system boots up. You punch a fist in the air and giggle at your genius. "Yes, yes, yes!!!"

You begin browsing his computer. Endless lines of code and programs were stored inside various folders. It seemed like 99% of his computer if not 100% was dedicated to keeping ideas for adventures.

Until a special folder caught your eye.

✨1406 words