CHAPTER 27: CHAPTER 26: CEREMONIAL INTERROGATION

Under the guise of staying at a rehab facility, the organization arranged for Zaen to be transported to the nearest F.O.R.C.E. forward base.

At first, Uncle Mack was hesitant at the suddenness of it all, but after inquiring about the facility and its excellent rehabilitation programme, he agreed in a jiffy.

Honestly, it scared Zaen. Not because Uncle Mack agreed so quickly, but because he learned how resourceful and scary the organization was.

After all, within minutes, they virtually constructed a rehab center which didn’t even exist and yet convinced everyone that not only was it real, but it also had excellent facilities!

Surprisingly, it was only five kilometers away from Zaen’s bungalow, right in the heart of the main city. However, it wasn’t a grand place, at least from the outside.

Much like the restaurant Zaen took down, it was a hidden area with the only entrance being through a subway station. Once inside the elevator, Zoey pressed a series of buttons to send the lift plummeting below.

Yet, strangely enough, Zaen couldn’t feel a thing. Not until he felt someone hold his hand.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Eh? What dirty thought is going through your mind?" Zoey scoffed. "I have to do this because a single wrong turn will lead you to get lost within the infinite maze."

Zaen looked around and only saw static filled corridors around him. However, the path they were walking on didn’t have any static interference, so it wasn’t an anomalous path, unlike the rest.

"Another anomaly?" he asked.

"Why? Did you think all anomalies exist to hurt humans?"

Zaen shrugged. Obviously, he didn’t think that, especially after Zoey had told him what the Control protocol meant for the organization.

Not to mention, he also had an anomaly, the fortune wheel, helping him out, so he didn’t think all anomalies were inherently evil.

"SA-091, codename Infinite Maze," Zoey explained. "Each clearing in this maze leads to five different paths, and we have documented twenty-five such clearings within the maze. Out of all that, there’s only one right path, which leads to the exit."

"Why stop at twenty-five... oh."

Five paths, twenty-five such clearings... the probability of finding the right path through the maze for an ordinary person would be infinitesimal.

"One in about 298 quadrillion possible paths, to be precise," Zoey smirked. "Hence it’s called the infinite maze."

"...you people don’t joke around, do you?"

"That’s why you must hold on to me, or you’ll get lost and perish here."

Zaen nodded and held her hand, but he didn’t tell her that he could ’see’ the right path just fine on his own. After all, the correct path wasn’t filled with static, unlike the rest.

After five minutes of twists and turns, they finally arrived at the actual forward base of operations.

"Come on, let’s get you to Captain Johann."

Every now and then, Zaen would hear someone stomp their feet, with Zoey nodding towards them in acknowledgment. He thought it was some sort of salute performed by the agents.

True to her word, Zoey didn’t stop or say a word throughout the way. It wasn’t just her. Other than the stomping feet, Zaen couldn’t hear a single thing. It was as if the entire floor was playing some weird silence game.

The only sensation Zaen felt was Zoey’s fidgeting thumb on the back of his hand. After another five minutes, she finally let out a breath and let go of his hand.

"That stare always wrecks my nerves..." she mumbled.

"Stare?"

"Oh right, you didn’t see it. Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t. I’ll tell you about the All-seer the next time. First, we should get the to captain."

Zoey said that, but Zaen couldn’t hold his curiosity back.

"How many more such anomalous defenses are there in the facility?"

"One for every time the existing security was breached," Zoey replied. "Since this facility was only infiltrated twice, so we got three layers."

"The infinite maze, all-seer, and what else?"

"An agent’s recommendation," Zoey replied. "We’re here."

Just like that, they entered a small room, which looked more like a supply closet than an office. Anyone who entered the place was sure to comment on it, but Zaen didn’t because he couldn’t see shit in the static environment.

"You pass," a child commented.

The next moment, there was a bright flash, and two figures appeared before them. Not just that, Zaen’s static vision cleared to a normal, perception-filled one.

In reality, the closet had changed into a large office, with Johann sitting at the head’s chair, flanked by Karloff.

"I pass? And why is there a child here?" Zaen asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Yes, you pass," Karloff said. "We wanted to check if you were blind like you said. As for the child... captain, would you mind explaining?"

"It is my ability and a curse," the child-like Johann continued. "A skill that essentially grants me immortality, but every time I die, I regress in age."

"Wait... why are you telling me that? I know I asked, but shouldn’t it be a secret or something?"

"Oh, it will remain secret," Johann chuckled. "If so much as a thought of leaking it crosses your mind, you’ll be dead. Why do you think Karloff here didn’t tell you about my ability himself?"

"..."

"But we’re not here to talk about us, but about you," Johann snapped his fingers, and the next second, restraints were slapped on Zaen’s body. His hands, legs, and even his face were covered in a skintight latex suit with only his mouth remaining uncovered.

"From now on, it would be in your best interest to answer truthfully to every question I ask," Johann said. "For if you didn’t, the skintight suit would shrink, crushing you within itself. So then... shall we begin your ceremonial interrogation?"

What the hell is going on!?

Zoey’s friendliness was a ploy to get him properly interrogated at the facility, and sadly, Zaen fell for it.