The Lab; Inside the Chamber

Vincent was thrown into the chamber, his unconscious form sprawled on the verdant floor— the 'chamber' resembled a vibrant oasis, with towering trees casting dappled shadows and crystal-clear streams meandering through the landscape. The air hung heavy with the rich scent of earth and lush foliage, while the azure sky overhead bathed the scene in warm sunlight. A symphony of birdcalls mingled with the gentle rush of water, creating a tranquil ambiance. Amidst this natural splendour, clusters of rustic wooden huts could be seen, crafted from intertwining branches, green leaves, and other organic materials. Vincent groaned, slowly lifting his head and glancing around with weary eyes.

"Huh…?" he murmured.

"Where… am I?"

"Wait…" he grunted as he pushed himself to his feet. 

"The hell…? I swear I was in… some sort of lab… my mind's all fuzzy damn it…"

His dizziness began to slowly fade as he stretched around. "No… I was. I was… injected." he realised. "And… I was punched hard by… Peter? I think so…"

He scratched his head as he tried to touch the grass below. "But then, how am I here…?"

However he couldn't feel the grass, it felt like a flat surface, like glass. "Huh…?"

His fingers slid easily, which wasn't supposed to happen. What was going on here? He tried to walk forward, or even, anywhere. It felt as though he could only move a short distance before hitting an unseen wall, preventing him from going any further. He tried to reach upwards, but his arms were thwarted, blocked from fully extending by an invisible ceiling this time. "Okay… what the fuck?" Vincent exclaimed.

"Why can't I… move!" he grunted as he kicked at the invisible wall. The impact was felt, but nothing happened. Suddenly then, a familiar voice rang out— of Jake's.

"Vincent. Are you there?" he called.

"Jake!? Motherf… you better explain!" Vincent protested, eyes darting around, but no sign of Jake anywhere.

"Calm down."

"How do you expect me to calm down when I can't even see you!?"

"You're in the chamber." Jake explained.

"What? What cham… the— the Hominota one?" Vincent's voice wavered.

"Mhm." Jake confirmed.

"Why!?" Vincent shouted.

"We're gonna have to test you to see if you're not an undercover zilch person." Jake clarified.

"Test!? Undercover!? Zilch!? What do you mean!?"

"Zilch is just what we call those disgusting beasts."

Vincent scratched his head. "But why me? I thought you trusted me, friend…"

"It's not that easy, pal. You really think we'd trust some random stranger from a random village just like that?"

"You… fucking traitor!" Vincent yelled.

"Right right. You're not special. All of our recruits went through this procedure. Except you've by far been the most intriguing one. Didn't think you'd react violently." Jake chuckled through what seemed to be a hidden speaker.

"Show yourself coward!" Vincent demanded.

"I'd literally fold you in half, friend. Watch your tone." Jake warned.

"All talk." Vincent mocked.

"You've got no gear, pal."

"Don't need any."

"Oh yeah right… this gear would absorb all your damage anyway weakling."

"Is that why I dented your helmet?" Vincent responded.

Jake didn't reply, all that came out of the speaker was a low growl. "Whatever." he said. "You'll be tested either way. Consent or not."

"Screw you." Vincent groaned. "How long?"

The speaker emitted whispers for a moment, before Jake's voice played out again. "Two or three days, continuous. No rest at all, no breaks. Nothing."

"Nothing!? I'm not a damn toy!" Vincent retaliated.

"Too bad."

"Why even give me the injection if it was a lie?"

"Well. You'll forget all this happened, so might as well open the curtains for you." Jake said. "That was a decoy." 

"Wha—"

"Kind of. Yes it has the same effects as the real one, memories and knowledge or whatever. But, it lets us control you to an extent." Jake explained.

"What!? Control!?" Vincent bashed his fists against the invisible walls.

"Yeah. We can hardwire you to hunt zilch for us."

"What…?"

"Enough questions." Jake's voice echoed through the chamber, accompanied by the faint sounds of buttons being pressed. Suddenly, everything fell into darkness, shrouded in silence. After a brief moment, a soft hiss filled the air, signalling the opening of doors. A dim light flickered to life, casting an eerie glow over the room. In the illuminated section, Vincent could make out several glass chambers, four in total. Each chamber surrounded Vincent's, creating an unsettling feeling of confinement.

"What the hell is happening!?" he panicked.

Then, ascended up four figures in each chamber. They bore human characteristics, but something was different about them. Each of them had a normal human face. Vincent's eyes moved around, staring at each chamber circling his, when suddenly, the chamber began coming closer. Slowly they approached, before sticking to each side of Vincent's confinement like glue. He panicked. His eyes caught the appearance of the figures more clearly now. In the first chambers, stood something covered in fur, bearing sharp claws, standing upright a little hunched over. The second had a golden mane, and a long tail. The third and fourth were similar, muscular, slightly furry but slim, with sharp piercing eyes. Vincent's realisation struck like lightning— these were the so-called 'Hominota'.