Their footsteps could be heard very clearly. The sound of their heartbeats accelerating, either out of fear that their escape would only fail or because they were trying to run faster. But Taringa had a hard time because he had to bring Kiau who had not yet regained consciousness.
"They're getting closer." said Taringa in between gasping breaths. His face was irritated, the sound of his heartbeat and breathing getting louder and louder. Plus the voices from Kiau, Anya, and Pifu around him made it difficult for him to hear other voices. "They're after us." He began to look in pain, his ears starting to ring. Taringa took the medicine from his pocket and swallowed it immediately.
“Unfortunately, you guys have been overtaken.” The familiar voice came from Niem at the end of the hall. "It's 12 o'clock Cinderella. It's time for you to take a nap." Niem aimed his long-barreled rifle at Taringa.
Taringa carrying Kiau beside him, he couldn't dodge. The rifle was fired and the bullet shot towards Taringa. Pifu who was behind Taringa threw herself to protect Taringa and Kiau from the shot.
Pifu hardened her skin and made the bullet bounce. It wasn't a bullet, it was shaped like a small injection. Then the trigger was pulled again, but not from Niem. It was Tieden who shot it and hit Pifu's leg.
"Don't worry, it's just an anesthetic." Tieden smiled. “As expected. When you focus on making your skin hard in one area, then in other parts it is like normal skin that a needle can penetrate.” Tieden approached Pifu.
Pifu fell to the ground, holding his leg which he couldn't feel anymore.
"The sedative isn't very strong, so maybe it's just your lower body that you can't move." Tieden explained again.
“Irung knows that this place does have CCTV, but Tieden and I and Irung can't access it. Isn't that right Irung?" Niem approached. “But why we can easily catch up to you? And Irung also know that answer right, Kiau.”
Irung or Kiau have started to realize. Kiau let go of Taringa's hand that was supporting his body. He stood on his two feet.
When everyone focused on Niem. Pifu reached for the shot that was bouncing off his body earlier and stuck it to Tieden who was nearby.
“Aah, I let my guard down.” Tieden held his neck which was stabbed by Pifu with anesthetic. He started to lose consciousness.
Niem turned around. "Tieden!" call him. Niem aimed the stun gun at Pifu without knowing that Taringa who was in front of him lunged at him. "You!" Niem was so irritated, both of his hands were tightly gripped by Taringa, making him unable to shoot the anesthetic anywhere.
Seeing the chaos, Kiau held Anya's hand and ran away looking for a way out. “Anya, find a way out.”
“Kiau!!” Niem shouted who saw Kiau running away. Anya didn't say anything and continued to show the way.
"Hey, he left you guys." Niem tried to mock Taringa. But Taringa didn't look too surprised, he felt that Kiau was very likely to do that. "You don't look too surprised by that," Niem giggled, Niem thought the same.
Taringa didn't flinch at all. "Your reaction...I didn’t expect it," Niem was quite surprised by Taringa's reaction. Niem gasped, “Don't tell me…” he realized something. Taringa was still staring at him intently. His two hands were still gripping Niem's hand.
"I can't stay here for long. I have to catch two more who escaped.” Niem brought his face closer to Taringa's. Then Niem shouted very, very loudly.
Taringa's ears buzzed. It weakened his grip on his hand. Niem immediately seized the opportunity by firing a stun gun at Taringa from very close range.
"With that medicine, your ears may not be as sensitive as usual but still more than the average normal human hearing." Niem walked away from Taringa who was increasingly losing consciousness. "Your strength has become a weakness." Niem chased after Kiau and Anya, leaving the three of them lying on the floor of the hallway.
There was an ordinary door, like the doors of the other rooms and hallways in the place. The door opened. They finally reached the exit. Kiau and Anya were already outside the building. Niem was right at the door.
"Kiau, let's just finish this chase." Niem said casually. “This is my first time coming out of that building. Well, seeing the ocean refreshes my eyes.”
In front of them is now a vast blue sea. As far as the eye can see, you will only see the ocean. Kiau and Anya are standing on the beach.
"No wonder Anya sits quietly and calmly without feeling bored, it turns out that you see a beautiful view of the sea. All I can see is a building with walls and everything white.” Niem spoke to himself. He looked so relaxed.
Kiau ignored this and continued walking forward. His feet started got wet in the waves. But his hand was no longer holding Anya. Anya did not follow him and remained silent on the beach.
"Hey Kiau!" Niem shouted, “What are you going to do? You can't cross the ocean, can you?" he chuckled, but Niem was starting to feel uneasy.
But Kiau ignored it and continued to walk into the middle of the ocean. Half of his body was drenched in salt water.
"Kiau!" Niem shouted even louder. “You will only die of exhaustion in the middle of the ocean.” Niem tried to make Kiau stop in his tracks. But the effort was fruitless.
"Kiau! Stop!" Niem started threatening, he pointed his stun shot at Kiau. But Anya spread her hands behind Kiau. Protects Kiau from Niem.
“I have a lot of pushers here. Enough to incapacitate both of you.” Niem smirked.
Anya took something out of her pocket. Plate shards. She pointed the shard of the plate towards her neck. Threatening Niem.
“No kidding…” Niem gasped, “You're threatening to kill yourself if I shot him?” he forced a smile. And that threat really cornered Niem.
All of them, the people who are the subject of research is something very important. If Anya died here, Niem doubted that he would be able to bring her back into the lab and save Anya's abilities. Therefore they could not kill the research subjects. Taking themselves hostage was a bad thing for Niem.
“Anya…” Niem tried to stop Anya, “Are you sure about this? He's just using you. Take advantage of you."
But Anya didn't say anything. Her hands didn't keep the shards of glass away from her own neck either. Niem snorted in annoyance, Anya wasn't the type to be easily swayed. Anya didn't even answer herself.
"Hey Kiau!" Niem changed his target, “You used them only to save yourself. You know that you guinea pigs have a chip embedded in your body. That's why Tieden and I could easily find you." Niem lowered his gun.
"Irung knows about it," said Niem making Kiau stop.
“You sacrificed Rurimi. Then Pifu walks behind you just as a shield. Trying to stop me by sacrificing Taringa. And now, you asked Anya to make this threat right? Just so you can escape from here.” continued Niem. Niem walked slowly closer.
"But Kiau." Called Niem, “Those selfish thoughts... of you, right? Not Irung. You can see Irung's memories, and you know Irung ended up here for protecting someone."
"He won't be selfish like you, Kiau."
Niem had tried to shake Anya and Kiau off, but the two of them looked very calm. Niem didn't expect Anya to have this trust in someone she just met, someone like Kiau.
Kiau turned around, “They know it.”
"They know. They have no problem with that. To be someone useful..” Kiau said coldly. "I'm like this. To achieve my goal, I will do anything.”
"Sacrificing one or two people to prevent more people from going through the same thing..." Kiau turned back, "Wouldn't that be better."
Niem was speechless. "You...How can you..."
Kiau took a deep breath, "I can smell the aroma," Kiau then plunged himself into the ocean. Swim farther and farther into the open ocean.