†Chapter 1: Trapped Wolf†
IT was early afternoon the day after he spent that bittersweet night with Euphemia that ended in disaster.
Zelaide made it to morning without sleep.
Euphemia acted a little awkward when she woke up at the crack of dawn and confined herself to the laboratory saying she might as well get back to work since she was already there. And since he didn’t think she needed him to protect her anymore, Zelaide left Biotech in the gray of morning before the rain stopped.
No one was on the same floor when he left, but there was a serious risk of researchers arriving at any time. Zelaide exited the laboratory using the same route he took the prior night and waited for daybreak in the Wilds.
The bottom of the sky brightened just as the heavy rains started to let up, and the clouds scattered with daybreak’s radiance.
Dawn always visited this planet the same way.
Yesterday’s corruption was washed away and a new day began.
Nojima’s Workshop on Wheels arrived shortly after daybreak.
The heavy semi-truck loaded with parts shook as it barreled through pools of water scattered around the Wilds and stopped in front of Zelaide.
“Top of the mornin’ to ya! Or maybe not? Ya look crustier than usual, boss man. Didn’t sleep?”
“Stop yapping, start fixing.”
“Roger, roger.”
The surprisingly perceptive mechanic cheerfully got to work despite not getting much sleep himself.
As an apology for what happened yesterday, he worked extra hard and repaired the broken sensor in under three hours.
Zelaide drove back to Gothic City after scheduling repairs for the body to happen at a later date. He felt restless at home so he pulled an old motorcycle out of the garage and let Manuela know he was coming.
In an odd turn of events, he felt as if he was going to be swept away by the roiling waves of affection smoldering in him since last night. He had planned on never meeting with Manuela again, but he didn’t have anyone else to talk to. At this point he was desperate for a distraction.