Capítulo 11: Chapter 11: Sucked in

It was unlike me to express my expression this blatantly. But right now, I'm glaring. To the point my eyes could roll back and laser beams shoot out. The Alpha Team – 03 Captain was sitting opposite me, his legs crossed while the upper was kicking slowly like he was enjoying my outburst.

What's the sudden change of attitude? He did a complete 180, makes me get goosebumps whenever he smiles. His smile brightens his face, yes, but it irritates mine. It was obviously fake.

"Lay out your rules. We'll live together, so it's best we know which boundaries we shouldn't cross."

"You're not allowed to enter my room." I have plenty of rules, and I would gladly recite them to him one by one until he memorizes them, but let's say the important ones first. "And don't wake me up before 2 pm."

I finish my work at 7 am and start at 10 pm. So, from 2 pm—the time I wake up—I'll be training under him until it's time for my job.

Claude's eyebrow raised. His expression changed for a second but returned to that fake smile again. "Then you'd better wake up on your own at 8 am, Jade."

What? Why?

I tried to reason that my job was night shift and I could only get some rest during the day, but I was convinced to quit instead. After he told me the monthly salary of a junior Seeker, I couldn't refute him. It was five times larger than my wage.

I was blinded by money. I said I'd stop saving since I'm a Seeker now, and my life will always be at risk from now on, but the greedy one inside me can't ignore it.

I was given a day of full rest before the captain began his training. But instead of resting, I went to work, for the last time.

"I heard you're quitting?" Eman approached me after I closed my locker. I gathered all the things I left in it now, so I was ready to go when he came in too early. I nodded at him, showing him the bag of some trivial things I stocked in the locker. "Why so sudden? I thought you liked your job since the manager said you never complained, but if you don't like working the night shift anymore, we can swap."

"I got another job, a high-paying one."

Eman looked at me with surprise. He looked eager to know what job is it, so I just said that I was now a Seeker.

"That's a dangerous job, Jade! Will you be okay?" The genuine concern made me hesitate to ignore him.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Working or not, it's all the same. If I die tomorrow, then I die."

Eman gave me that weird look I always get. I patted his arm and went out. It was still in the middle of summer, so the weather was hot when I stepped outside the air-conditioned convenience store.

I felt it more because of that. Now, where should I go? Ah. I should check my money on the UAO and inform them that I won't be using the temporary unit they arranged for me. With that in mind, I headed straight to the organization.

I was already nearby when I saw the entrance of the building crowded with reporters. A man and woman linking arms were in the middle of them, while men in black were trying to shove the reporters away, to give way to that pair.

Some passersby were also taking pictures with their phones, and from my spot, I could hear reporters throwing questions.

"WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THE UAO TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OUTWORLDERS LIKE YOU??"

"WHERE EXACTLY DID YOU COME FROM??"

I yawned as I waited for them to move out of the way. It seems like those reporters are stirring up another baseless theory, likely under orders from those in power. Now that humanity is starting to find stability after the apocalypse, the elites controlling the media are trying to regain their hold over people by spreading panic again.

Outworlder? I've only read it in sci-fi books before. Maybe it's not farfetched, but for an alien, those two surely are superiors in the looks department. They share the same face, so I guessed they were twins.

The guy looked annoyed, and he had a murderous look on his face, but judging from the veins popping on his neck, he was trying to hold back from slaughtering those reporters. "Fuck off, you chickenshits. I'm an Earthling. Now, scram."

Some reporters froze in their spots because of fear, while others tried to follow the two, but the woman lifted her shades and glared at them with the same killing intent the guy had. After that, the reporters could no longer hold them.

With that, I slipped behind them and did what I intended to do.

"Ah, Sir Jade. I'm glad you came back." The receptionist's face brightened after seeing me. I greeted her and asked about the progress of the evaluation. It has been three weeks already after all. "Sir Jade, the vortex that appeared on your property was properly taken care of now, didn't it?"

It was on the news. Captain Van's team entered the vortex and closed it, but the fact that he almost obliterated the entire town with his power was not disclosed to the public. It was only stated that the mist leaked from the vortex.

"Yes…"

At first, I wondered why. If I had been in the neighborhood and seen that mist, I'd thought someone might have succumbed to the Nightmare already, but later I found that the public—ordinary citizens—had mostly no idea of some Seeker's nature and the extent of their ability.

It doesn't make sense, since I've seen Seekers doing vlogs and showing off their powers, but no one knows that the mist came from the captain, except his team members.

Something was definitely strange about it. But because it's got nothing to do with me, I didn't think of it that much.

"Sir Jade?"

"Ah, yes. What is it again?"

"I'm asking if you'd like to claim the ownership of the land back. This means that only the house will be appraised."

What use of that land to me now? I bought it with a house, so I can have a roof over my head, but if I claim it back, then I have to build a new house. Will they pay for the construction too? They said it was already government property, but now they're giving it back.

If they shouldered the cause of construction, then I might consider, so I asked, and the female employee nodded. I was going to accept it when she spoke. "The compensation for your lost house will be used for construction, Sir Jade, and of course, it will be fully furnished. You must know that nowadays, the cost of houses and lots has increased. It will be blah blah blah…"

She went on to explain how hard it would be to find an affordable house and lot with only the money I would get, and that it would be more advantageous if I just claim it back and build a new house.

I already knew that, but something was holding me back from agreeing. "I get what you mean, but what if the vortex appears again?"

"I understand your concern, Sir Jade. But the NSA had tagged the vortex cleared and declared that reappearance isn't likely. It is, after all, rare for a vortex to appear in the same spot."

Lightning never strikes the same place twice, as the old saying typically goes. I ended up agreeing, so the deed was transferred back to me, and I was reassured that the construction of the house would begin soon.

I have to go and train, and on top of that, I need to check if they're building my home right. On the first day of my training, I expected that Captain Van would go hard on me, but he actually never showed up.

Instead, I was escorted to an empty room with nothing but a table and chair… and books. Laws. Codes and Ethics. Books published about Awakeners, Seekers, and Minders. Rules and Regulations of UAO, NSA, and NMA… and so much more.

I was instructed to read them and memorize the important ones, especially the laws applied to awakeners. I read a book a day, and then I go and check my property.

I found out that the Alpha Team – 03 was on another mission, and that was why the captain couldn't train me personally. After telling me that we had to stick together, I hadn't seen him for a week already.

"You guys worked fast."

I commented when I saw my house nearly built. Maybe it was because it was small—just one bedroom, living room connected to dining and kitchen, then a bathroom and small storage. All it needs is plaster in and out, then the installation of windows, doors, electricity, and water.

I thanked the construction workers when they were done for the day and left, then I walked inside the house. I feel excited, thinking of decorating it the way I want. I didn't bother to redecorate my old house and used it just as the former owner left it.

"Maybe getting it sucked in entirely by that thing was a blessing in disguise."

I suddenly felt a gust of wind at my back. My clothes tightened at my front, and my hair felt like it was being yanked from the back. I shuddered. It's summer, but the breeze at night wasn't this strong.

I jinxed it, right? I shouldn't have said it out loud!

My instincts tell me that I should run away, but when you're at a horror movie, you have to be foolish and look for the ghost instead of bolting out. Except this is reality, and even if I run, my weak knees find it hard to move and take a step.

I found something very significant though. Vortexes are something I can't cancel. I'd like to jot it down for the silver-haired guy, but my vision spun and before I knew it, I was sucked inside.