COVELENT: XenoTrait

Jean said, ”Okay, I can take you there.”He gestured with a small tilt of his head, signaling Felix to follow.

Felix didn’t respond; he simply stepped behind Jean and followed him.

The hallway they walked through was long and sterile, lit by cold white lights embedded into the ceiling. The walls were reinforced metal, smooth but heavy-looking.

The deeper they went, the quieter it became; even footsteps became barely audible.

Jean walked slightly ahead, occasionally glancing back, unsure if Felix was following.

Felix’s eyes, however, remained forward.

After a few minutes of walking through multiple corridors and security checkpoints, Jean stopped in front of a reinforced door.

He placed his hand on a scanner, and a soft mechanical tone confirmed identity approval.

The door unlocked, and they entered.

Inside, the room was larger than expected.

Minimalistic, but far more refined than the containment facility.

At the center sat Mr. Takakura. He gestured casually toward a long dining table placed under soft ambient lighting.

”Let’s sit down over there.” His tone was calm.

Felix walked forward and sat. His posture was straight, but not relaxed.

Takakura sat opposite him.

Jean remained slightly behind and to the side, trying his best to be silent.

The room felt quieter than before.

Felix spoke first, ”If you want me to help you cure your infected body, I will need you to do two things.”

Felix continued, ”One. I need a lab... and you will bring me my research that I left at Jack’s lab, and my payment.” His eyes lifted slightly. ”You will bring me any animal of my choosing.” He leaned forward slightly. ”And you will bring it alive.”

Takakura studied him for a moment, then responded, ”Oh, okay. But your research in Jack’s lab will take a bit of time to acquire, and the animals... as long as I can get them, I will get them.”

Felix’s gaze sharpened instantly, ”Don’t say if you can... say you will.”

A brief silence filled the space.

Takakura’s expression didn’t change. ”Okay. I will get them for you.”

A pause.

”Deal.” Felix extended his hand, and Takakura extended his as well.

Felix suddenly pulled Takakura closer across the table, close enough that he could hear him.

His voice dropped. ”If you betray me... trust me, I will kill you.”

Then Felix released him. ”Okay, it’s a deal. No going back.”

Takakura adjusted his posture calmly, but his eyes stayed on Felix for a fraction longer than necessary.

Felix leaned back in his seat slightly, but his mind was active.

”I need this man... not because I trust him, but because he is the only path to animals... and Marcus Cain,” he thought.

Takakura spoke again, ”Felix... do you have anywhere to stay?”

Felix responded immediately, ”Huh?”

Takakura continued, unbothered, ”Looking at you... your torn clothing... the way you are so scruffy.”

Felix’s expression tightened. ”Huh.”

Then his thoughts drifted slightly. ”He’s right... that tavern is done, and most of my clothes... are destroyed with bullet holes, cuts, blood stains I stopped bothering to clean.”

Takakura continued smoothly, ”If you want, we can give you somewhere to stay here, or another place. And we can arrange new clothes for you.”

Felix replied without hesitation, ”I would like to stay somewhere else, and I want clothes I choose.”

Takakura nodded slightly. ”Alright. What do you want?”

Felix answered, ”A black long coat. Black pants. And a white T-shirt.”

Takakura smiled faintly. ”Don’t worry. It will all be arranged, but staying somewhere else will take some time.”

A subtle shift in tone. ”So just stay here or...”

Felix cut in immediately, ”Or what.”

Takakura paused. ”Nothing. It was a slip of the tongue.”

Takakura changed the subject smoothly, ”About what you said earlier... which animals will you be interested in?”

Felix leaned back slightly. He looked almost bored now.

Then he yawned lightly. ”I will tell you tomorrow... It’s time I go and sleep.”

Takakura nodded. ”Jean.”

Jean immediately straightened. ”Yes, sir.”

”Look for the nicest room in this building and show it to Felix,” ordered Takakura.

Jean turned toward Felix. ”Understood, sir.”

Jean and Felix left the room. The door closed behind them with a soft mechanical seal.

The hallway outside was quiet again. They reached an elevator. The doors opened with a soft ”ding.”

They stepped inside, and the elevator began moving upward. After a short while, the elevator stopped.

The doors opened again, and they stepped out into another corridor.

They walked for a short distance before stopping in front of a single reinforced door.

Jean gestured. ”Here you go, sir. We’ve reached the room you will be living in. I hope it is to your liking.”

Felix opened the door. Inside was dark; no lights were on.

The space was large enough to be a personal suite.

Felix stepped inside without hesitation. He began walking slowly through the room.

Jean remained at the entrance. ”...Are you having a hard time finding the lights because it’s so dark?”

Felix replied instantly, ”No... I can see in the dark.”

Jean blinked slightly, then thought to himself, ”Oh yeah... why did I even ask that...”

He cleared his throat.

”Well... I can’t see. So I need to show you where everything is.” He clapped his hands once.

Soft lighting activated across the room. The space illuminated gradually.

A bedroom area appeared, minimalist but clean. A separate lounge space. Storage units. A bathroom corridor partially visible through a side opening.

Jean stepped inside and pointed. ”This is the bathroom.”

Felix didn’t look impressed or curious.

Jean continued pointing toward other areas, but Felix interrupted, ”You don’t have to show me where the rooms are... I will find them on my own.”

Jean hesitated slightly, then stepped back. ”...Understood.”

Felix remained standing in the center of the room.

The door slowly closed behind Jean as he left.

The room became quiet again. Felix stood still for a moment.

Then exhaled slowly.

”Soon I will find you... Markus.”

And nothing about this situation was safe.

Felix walked deeper into the room.

The door locked behind him.

And silence settled completely.