*Archer*

Thud…THud...ThUd-was the noise that had suddenly woken me up from my dreamless sleep. I ignored it, thinking it was just the janitor having a problem with his card. I glanced at the clock- it was 1 Am, so I went back to sleep, not wanting to be sleep-deprived for tomorrow’s mission. 

THUD—there it is again. This time, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s not just the janitor struggling with his card- that seriously needs some upgrade. It’s the same sound I’ve heard before, but now it feels different—more urgent, almost as if someone is pleading for help. I try to ignore it, but the gnawing unease digs deeper into my thoughts.

I glance at the clock above the door: 3 AM. Perfect. The hour when strange things often unfold. After a moment of internal debate, I decided I needed to uncover the source of the noise for the safety of the others -and for my curiosity.

Quietly, I make my way down the dimly lit hallway, careful not to alert anyone—because wandering at night is strictly against the house rules.

THUD… THUD—the sound grows louder, and so does the frantic rhythm of my heart, pounding so hard I can almost feel it in my throat. I turn a corner to the left, and all I see are dark, empty hallways stretching endlessly before me. Why, I wonder, why do I always do something so stupid? It’s like I'm one of the people in horror movies where they discover a noise -where you usually just pack your things and burn the place down. Nevertheless, I continued to walk, still thinking I should go back and just let the noise be.

I retake a left turn. My senses dull, focusing solely on the noise—or is it my heartbeat? Perhaps both. The sound seems to pulse just a few meters away now.

I take a right turn. “What are you doing there?” The voice startles me. It was a man's voice, somewhat familiar- was it the Chief?—and my heart started racing even faster at the thought of being caught by him. I freeze, too scared to turn around. Will they send me home? Is this how it all ends? Will I now never find my sister? A flood of scenarios rushes through my mind, each more daunting than the last, making me reluctant to face the person who caught me snooping around for something I also didn't know what it was.

“Hello? Do I get an answer?”

“Uh… yeah, I’m sorry, chief, I was just looking for the bathroom- I didn’t want to wake my roommates, so I thought I’d sneak to the public restroom.” I stammered while turning to face him, forcing a smile as a defence. Just smile. Maybe he won’t suspect a thing. I look behind me, preparing to get yelled at.  But rather than the angry Chief Nebula standing before me stands the black-haired boy I had partnered up with on our way to the military base.  I was surprised and, at the same time, relieved. I sighed. Was it really him, or was my mind making things up to protect me?

I glanced up again to see the dim light in the hallway, which was enough for me to see his black hair, which reflected some of the light, making lighter sections in his hair. I continued to stare at him, still checking if it was really him who stood in front of me. As I continued, I noticed that he was still wearing his military uniform instead of the sleepwear provided to us by the military. His arms were crossed, and the look he gave me was a mix of frustration and scepticism- was I that bad at lying that he now feels frustrated because of it?

“But that hallway leads to the west wing, where there’s just machinery and labs. You can’t do your business there—you know that, right?” he said with a hint of frustration and, surprisingly, seriousness.

“Of course I know that. I must have made a wrong turn. You know how it is. It’s dark... where it’s usually tough to see in the dark,” I chuckle nervously, hoping my laughter will mask my nervousness. He stared at me with one brow slightly up, making me think he wasn't buying it.

“Well, I better get going… have a good rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said hurriedly, not wanting to give him more time to uncover my lie. 

“Mhm, you too,” he replied. As I left, I forced another smile before retreating to my room and stopping by the restroom -just for appearances.

Sleep eluded me as I finally arrived in my room and settled back into bed. After all the sleep time, I gave up trying to find some answers to the some mysterious noise - that really shouldn't bother me, and as expected, nothing, and I really mean nothing, with what I can work with, came out of it. Frustrated, I lay down, watching the hand of the clock move and feeling my body calm down and finally shutting down to sleep.