Chapter 32: Classified
Richard lay unconscious in his bed, his breathing steady but deep, his body still recovering from the incomprehensible transformation he had just undergone. Beads of sweat clung to his forehead, his muscles slightly twitching as if his very biology was still adapting to the changes forced upon it.
Though he appeared at peace, his mind was anything but.
Somewhere, deep within his subconscious, something new had awakened.
Something beyond human.
Meanwhile, downstairs, the atmosphere in the kitchen was heavy.
Estello sat at the far end of the large wooden dining table, his fingers interlocked, his expression unreadable. The normally lively kitchen, where family laughter and idle chatter often filled the air, was now deathly silent.
Jack, Anita, and Maria were seated around him, each wearing a look of concern and confusion.
For several moments, no one spoke.
The events from earlier—the screams, the shaking walls, the floating objects—were burned into their memories.
Finally, Estello, the patriarch, broke the silence.
He shifted his gaze to Jack, who was still deep in thought, his expression torn between worry and suspicion.