For the first time in months, I overslept and arrived at work late. Well, late according to my standards. My mandatory shifts didn't require me being at the building for several more hours, but this was a rare occasion when I missed one of the deadlines I set for myself. No one paid me any attention in the break room, so I hurriedly shoved my stuff in my locker before rushing down as nonchalantly as possible towards Snow's room. My heart raced as I opened the door, and it sank a million miles when I stepped inside. He wasn't there. None of his stuff was there. There wasn't a single thing in the room that signified a baby was nearby, and, worse, several things had been packed inside that hinted the space would return to a place to stuff storage.
Maybe...maybe they had simply moved him back into the nursery?
Footsteps behind me straightened my shoulders tight, and I only dared to breathe when I saw it was Fresco who walked inside the room.
"I thought it was you I saw coming in here. It was a bit of a shock not to see you here this weekend, especially with the news of the changes happening, but I'm glad you finally took some time off. Went to go visit that friend of yours and his kid again?"
"Amaranth is his nephew, but yes," I replied, "What news did they officially release about Ethereal?"
"They are indeed starting to design a new room for her. It will suit her needs as she grows, and when she gets old enough she'll have access to come inside and outside as she pleases. You'll want to find Grotto upstairs in the third floor office as soon as you have a chance. He'll fill you in on everything, and he'll introduce you to Buttercup. With most of the children having been adopted and only one left having to be born, they're cutting out the majority of the people working on the project as there's not much need for us to focus on it anymore. They obviously want you to continue to monitor Ethereal's mental health, they're going to have Buttercup be her general caretaker, and I think they're getting someone from the medical wing to keep track of her physical health and run diagnostics on her for future plans of the project."
"Alright, thank you" I nodded, "I'll head up to the office soon."
My chest bounced. Fresco had told me things that both relieved me and worried me intensely. I would have to watch myself more carefully in the upcoming months as the changes were made. Though I thought that, I instinctively glanced back towards where Snow's cot had been.
"Based on the report that came in, it was decided that Snow's condition was unable to be sustained. They let him go on Saturday."
"I-I see. That is unfortunate, but it was necessary." I replied with an admirably steady voice despite that my chest started ripping itself to shreds.
I hadn't been there for him in his last moments, and who knows what they had done with him once he had passed.
I paused a moment to see if Fresco had anything else to say, but in the next second my blood froze. I don't know what it was, something in his stare perhaps, but something about the way my co-worker looked alerted me to the fact that I had just screwed up. My mind panicked as I fought against the urge to bolt knowing I'd been caught. But, caught doing what? I managed to get the answer quickly. Snow wasn't Snow to anyone else but me. To them, he was nothing other than Nine.
"You've been doing well, Eden," Fresco began, his voice lower and more serious in a way that I'd never heard, "But be careful. It is not impossible to keep a good heart in this line of work, which is why I don't give a damn that you named Nine, however...you must always be aware that the heartless walk among us. They will find any excuse to tear you down. I found you out this time, but that's probably not going to be the case next time. You're going to have to be on your guard every second. Ethereal needs you. Promise me you won't forget you're still very much a trapped mouse being stalked by a hundred hungry hawks?"
I didn't break eye contact with him no matter how much my instinct kept on screaming at me to run away. There was no option to run away. Fresco was entirely right. I was still new, still prey, and the lone way to survive was to fight onward despite the risks.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Fresco. Excuse me. I think I'll go see Grotto now." I spoke calmly and indifferently, smoothly stepping to the side and moving past him.
Only at the last second did I catch a hint of a grin on his face.
"Good lad," he praised quietly, "Never admit to anything. "
Saying nothing in return, I left him behind to head to the nearest set of stairs.
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