Inspect for the the Unexpected

Same as before, the lobby was just as silent as when Kay and Getsurin scoped it earlier. The four entered the unsettling hotel with extreme caution, being thorough with the beginning of their investigation. Checking sections of each room on the first floor, detailing the corners of the lobby, and studying the additional rooms for the hotel patrons. There is a connected restaurant that had untouched silverware and plates ready for any hungry customers, while the well refined lounge gave no clues but dust.

All to find, nothing, not a soul, or evidence that anyone was even here, not a struggle, not even, the suggestion of forced evacuation. Zuina, while stuck in the van, took the time to also research that not even anything on the local news for this area gave a single clue as to why the hotel was so empty.

“Hey… Do you feel that?” Getsurin suddenly asked the others as they began to regroup in the lobby.

“Now that you mention it, a little. Like a chill, but I can just barely hear it.” Yuuichirou agreed, providing a poetic response.

“Well, that chill just seems to be getting louder for me the longer we stay here.” Getsurin remarked, showing a strange unease.

“Let’s take his feelings to heart, be on your guard.” Moku advised. “Looks like the power is still on. Lights are on, elevators appear to work, I think I heard one of the telephones ring.” He then speculated.

“I think we should still take the stairs.” Yuuichirou suggested. Moku and the others nodded in agreement, for them to make their way to the next floor for more investigation.

Within moments of being on the first floor, nothing looked abnormal. A few dozen hotel rooms with nothing to provide for their investigation. They were able to find the master key, so they did their due diligence and quickly glanced in each room, and to do the same with the following floors.

“Really? Nothing so far… Weird.” Zuina spoke over the radio, as the others moved to the fifth floor.

“Seriously, I won’t lie, I was pretty excited to hopefully get some answers today, but my energy is starting to fade.” Kay mentioned with annoyed disappointment.

“Excited? You’re joking, if we don’t find anything at all, I think we’ll have bigger problems.” Yuuichirou retorted.

“Yeah, I’ve been hopped up with this excited energy all day, and I don’t want it to go to waste.” Kay reasoned.

“That’s just an adrenaline high.” Yuuichirou scoffed.

“Well sorry for getting a little excited over the fact that we might finally get some solid answers.” Kay retaliated.

Moku quickly let out a belch of laughter at the small quarrel. Filling the hotel’s staggering silence with something of recognizable comfort.

“What are you laughing at?” Getsurin shied a small smile at Moku.

“Oh, it just reminds me of my days in the service: We’d be on an important mission with potential danger at any moment, for us to just talk crap to one another instead of taking anything seriously. Very unprofessional, we were.” Moku drew fond memories that were evoked by the odd situation.

Getsurin smiled back at the idea and the four continued to the remaining floors. Reaching the sixth, to again find nothing. From the ground floor, lobby and floors two though six had nothing. Not so much as even a sign of any guests were apparent.

“How many floors are there?” Kay asked, clearly announcing her boredom with the question.

“Nine, but the last three should be smaller than the other floors.” Yuuichirou answered with a small yawn.

“They should be, the hotel has two structural sections. I think it's an addition, but one section is elevated three storeys higher than the other section.” Zuina explained, announcing her architecture knowledge.

“Hold.” As they approached the seventh floor, Moku raised his arm to indicate to the others to stop their movements. Moku peering through the thin window on the door to the seventh floor, he quickly saw a difference to this floor, compared to the others.

“This floor’s different.” Moku simply said.

“How so?” Yuuichirou was the first to ask.

“More open, taller, but still empty… I think.” Moku described, to then reach for the door handle.

“Be careful.” Getsurin suddenly grabbed Moku’s arm to press the importance of caution.

“Your eye.” Moku noticed.

“Oh, yeah, Getsurin, it's just like before, all geometric and stuff.” Kay detailed.

“I’ll take that as a definite warning.” Moku mentioned, as he slowly opened the door. With his rifle held at the ready, Moku surveyed the floor as carefully as he could, while the others stayed near the stairway.

“Well?” Kay asked.

“Clear, I think, mostly empty, no signs of life so far.” Moku stepped his way through the floor. Realizing that the ceiling was higher, appearing as if the eighth floor was renovated to make the seventh taller. More room for larger pieces of unrecognizable equipment and matches, but mostly filled with average office desks and chairs. A few areas that are sectioned off for private meeting rooms.

“One things for sure, this place looks more like everyone got out of here as fast as they could.” Moku announced for the others, seeing that there were hundreds of papers and office supplies on the ground. Scattered everywhere, a clear sign that the people that were here had to get out, and get out fast.

“What do we have here?” Moku saw an interestingly labeled file on the ground. “‘Osiris Parameters’, the hell does that mean?” He mentioned.

“Osiris? I read something with that name, but it was on conspiracy paranormal websites, so I didn’t read much into it.” Zuina added.

“Looks like you might have to dig that one up then.” Moku jokingly advised as he moved forward. “The hells that sound?” As he moved throughout the floor an eerie sound was floating in the air of the seventh floor.

Moku, powered by pure instinct. Perfectly aimed his rifle in the direction of the source of the eerie sound as he just barely captured the sight from the corner of his eye.

Understanding that the eerie noise was from a viciously breathing creature. Hyperventilating as if it is starving of oxygen, unable to get enough, constantly inflating its lungs with air. But what elevated the growing fright is that the creature was standing, back straight, feet flat on the wall. Not the ground, the wall, as if gravity wasn’t in this creature's mind.

“Moku?!” Yuuichirou hollered at a low volume.

“We got company…” Moku took the time to assess the creature before he answered. “But I don’t think it's hostile… Yet.” He slowly answered.

The others still kept their distance, but close enough to see the creature. The first thought instantly ran through their mind: This creature is a Bio Mage, but far from like them, or even from when Yuuichirou lost control. This Bio Mage has haunting pale blue flesh, towering like an Olympian, jagged muscles rippling throughout its entire body. The flesh on its head is enveloped by thin skin, zero muscle or cartilage, like a shrink wrapped skull. Remaining are its deep dark eyes, no white, or any color but black.

But, for whatever reason, the creature just stays still. Inhaling aggressively. Not even looking at Moku’s direction.

“Okay, it looks like it's going to stay there, but let's not do anything potentially agitating.” Moku eventually announced.

“Okay, we’ll quickly get into any of their filing cabinets and desks.” Yuuichirou planned.

“I’ll keep an eye on it.” Moku decided.

Without another moment to spare, Getsurin, Kay, and Yuuichirou quietly ran to different sections of the floor to scour any that might be helpful for their mission. Moku didn’t budge a muscle as he laid his iron sights on the Bio Mage.

The three were fast to find things of interest.

“I found a few things that say something about distribution centers.” Yuuichirou announced.

“I have, uh, ‘Outliers and Regional Management’ and a ‘Calibration Manual for Energy Storage’, whatever that means.” Kay discovered.

“They have an employee record?” Getsurin said, somewhat unsure of the usefulness.

“Take it all, anything of interest, I’ll read it over once we get home.” Zuina declared over the radio.

“I think we have plenty for now, let’s check out the last floor and get the hell out of here!” Yuuichirou hollered with caution as the others retreated to the floor's doorway to the stairs. While Moku took his time to back away from the Bio Mage.

“How’s that for excitement?” Yuuichirou openly asked.

“That! That was insane.” Kay remarked, exhaling the overhaul of adrenaline, just as were the others. Even Zuina, despite being in a much safer position.

“Let’s just hope that’s the most action we'll have.” Getsurin stated.

“Should we even see the last floor? Seems like whatever happened here, started with that Bio Mage, and everything important was in that office area.” Getsurin suggested.

“Let’s just take a look so we have at least an idea, and we’ll come up with a plan for another day.” Yuuichirou advocated.

“As much as I want you out there, I think a really, really, quick look will be beneficial.” Zuina agreed.

“Well, it doesn’t look good.” Quickly reaching the final floor of the hotel, Moku did as he did on the seventh floor and peered through the thin window on the door.

“God, damn…” Yuuichirou was next to look inside the thin window. To his surprise, the ninth floor was the origin of the vacancy of this building and what that Bio Mage likely did.