The moment Maxwell heard the knock, a wave of cold shivers ran through his body. He took two steps back, eyes fixed on the door.
"Is everything alright? Can I come in?" Nova's voice came from the other side, soft and steady.
The moment he heard her, relief washed over him. He wasn't alone in the settlement; he had a companion in this place.
"Huuuu..." Maxwell took two full breaths to steady himself, walked to the door, twisted the knob and pulled it open. As expected, he found Nova on the other side, her hand raised for a second knock. Still, seeing that it was just Nova and not some abominable entity, his shoulders dropped, his relief plain enough for even her to see.
Naturally, Nova grew confused and suspicious, immediately questioning it. "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Why do you look so relieved to see me, as if you'd been expecting a ghost?"
Maxwell pondered for a moment, considering whether it was a good idea to disclose what he had found. He studied her, taking in her puffy red eyes, the dried tear trail on her face, and her drained countenance. Maxwell was not an idiot, and he naturally knew that some things should not be disclosed at certain times.
He continued to look at Nova, deep in thought; he really did not want to regret his decision. Nova, meanwhile, took several steps back, uncomfortable with his hawk-eyed stare.
"What's going on? Why are you just staring?" she asked, a note of irritation seeping into her voice.
"Ohh... sorry." Maxwell rubbed the back of his neck, giving an apologetic smile. "I was just contemplating whether I should tell you about what I saw inside that room just now. See, the thing is..." He paused, looking away from her. "The thing is, I found something inside that room, but in your current condition, I don't think you're fit to read it."
"So I've decided I'll tell you after we're done with the search and you've calmed down more than this." He held his breath and steeled himself, already expecting a harsh response from Nova.
But contrary to what Maxwell expected, Nova did not respond in the cold, annoyed manner he'd anticipated. In fact, she didn't respond at all. She just kept staring at him, unblinking, her eyes locked on his as though trying to peer into his soul. Fortunately for Maxwell, she couldn't.
Nova stared for a few minutes, assessing him suspiciously, before shaking her head. "If that's what you believe is right, then no problem."
"..."
For a moment, Maxwell just stared, stunned speechless. "That's it? No protest? No arguing? No outright demanding answers?"
"So that's your view of me?" Nova scoffed. "Honestly, normally I wouldn't have accepted it, but you said it yourself: in my current condition, it wouldn't be wise for me to know." She let out a bitter laugh, dragging a hand down her face as though she were already tired of herself. "And as much as it pains me to say, even I don't think my current condition is very stable, so if it's something that can make it even worse, just keep it away."
Maxwell blinked rapidly, giving Nova an incredulous look, his brain still struggling to process what she had just said. Since when had she become this reasonable and understanding?!
"What is going on? Why do you have that look on your face, as though you'd seen a ghost? Did I say something wrong?" Nova questioned, unable to see what she'd said to earn that look.
"Ahh, it's nothing." Maxwell chuckled dryly. "I was just in a bit of shock, you know." He paused, as though weighing his next words. "I never expected you to be this... you know, this..."
"Understanding?" Nova finished.
"Yes, understanding!" Maxwell exclaimed. "That's the exact word I was looking for. I did not expect you to be so understanding. But how did you know that was what I wanted to say?"
"I used to get that a lot, so I just knew," Nova said, unbothered.
"Are you sure you're really Nova?" Maxwell joked.
Nova ignored the joke. Instead, she pressed the heel of her palm briefly to her eyes and changed the subject. "Alright, enough chit-chatting. Let's get back on track. I don't know if I said it earlier, but I did not find any sign of the so-called charger you were looking for. And judging by the way you immediately left me to search the other room, I doubt you found it either."
Maxwell felt the jab at her words, shrinking a little. "Emm... sorry about earlier." He gave a dry chuckle.
"Apology accepted. Now, let's go. We've already cleared this floor, so it's the research floor next."
With that, the duo resumed their walk and made their way down to the research floor.
In his opinion, Maxwell did not even think it should be called a research floor. It had the exact same layout as the previous one, down to the last lamp and tile arrangement, with the same eight doors on both sides and one in front and another at the back, making a total of eighteen doors.
Like the last time, Nova suggested they split up, but this time Maxwell rejected it. Thinking back to the note he had found, he no longer felt safe moving by himself; call him a coward or not, he didn't care! And in all honesty, he did not want Nova to have another episode. He knew that going through all these rooms would remind her of the past, and being reminded of the past was sure to bring her pain, so he felt the least he could do was be there, even if it achieved nothing in the end. No small part of it was that he still felt guilty for bolting out earlier, even though he had convinced himself it was perfectly logical.
In the end, they both decided to start their search from the left, for absolutely no reason at all.
Maxwell walked to the door. As his hand reached for it, he suddenly felt the world slow around him. Still, he thought nothing of it and pushed the door open.
That was when he saw something.
No.
More precisely, someone. At the end of the room.