As Kyle approached the building, he came to a halt when he felt the presence of something in front of him. He reached out, his hand coming into contact with a pulp wall. As he pressed down on it, his hand and arm were sucked in deeper and deeper.

He pulled his hand out, took a couple of steps back, and looked down at Muell.  Blue light was spreading from his fingers and covering the dome-like barrier that was enveloping the hotel. Kyle looked at the barrier with equal parts horror and interest. 

A solid wall made from wastewater mixed with a processed spell. Whatever happened inside, it just looked like a run-down old hotel from the outside, so it seemed like the perfect place to conduct top-secret research. 

And Noah was in the middle of it all. 

“I’m going to tear it down, Mister!” Muell shouted, raising his hands up and curling them into tight fists. The blue fluorescent net began to squeeze, causing the  barrier to bulge and lose its shape. Within seconds, it was starting to fall apart.  

The real hotel soon appeared within the diminishing barrier, along with an array of scents that bombarded Kyle’s nostrils. A waft of lavender tickled his nose. That soon gave way to an acrid smell of smoke. 

But even without the flames, the hotel was still a horrific sight to behold. The top floor had a twisted appearance that defied all laws of nature. Brass pipes were covering from the third floor the top floor,and chimneys were attached where windows should be. All along the walls, small houses appeared to have been tacked on. On top of that, the outer walls were swelling up as if they’d burst any second.

Additionally, with the barrier now gone and the grease rain falling, those who had fled the hotel were beginning to itch their skin and writhe around as if in pain. 

“Muell, can you cover the hotel? It’ll protect the people, as well as the building. It is too important to be lost to the rain.” Kyle knelt down beside Muell. “And is there any sign of Noah?” 

Muell nodded and closed his eyes. His nose twitched as he tried to find Noah’s trace. His eyes snapped open, and he pointed up to the fifth floor. 

“She’s moved from the third floor to the fourth floor, and is now on the fifth floor. She’s heading to the balcony.” 

Kyle nodded, and Muell closed his eyes again. Smoke covered his body as he began his transformation, and soon a large pair emerged. As the rest of the smoke dissipated, Muell reared his head back and roared. Kyle, used to Muell’s transformation, merely watched as he took to the skies and soared over the hotel. Everyone else, on the other hand, were startled and frightened by the sudden appearance of a dragon. 

Now soaring around the air, Muell came to a rest on the roof of the hotel. He spread his wings out, allowing the rain to land on his wings and protecting the people on the ground. With the people, and the hotel, now with some degree of cover, Kyle readied his loaded revolver and pointed it at the fifth floor balcony, ready to fire when needed. 

***

Noah swore that, as she felt her heart pounding against her chest and fire in her muscles, that she would never run again in her life. When she was free, when everyone who was out to get her was behind bars, she was going to pack her bags and move back to the countryside. Eleonora, Lenia, and Adrian would not be able to find her, so she could live her life in peace. 

Noah kept repeating that to herself as she ran, a stitch forming in the side of her torso. Her cardio levels had always been her weakness, and now that weakness was in plain sight. But finally, she reached her destination: the fifth floor. Much like the other floors, the geometry was confusing and disorienting. But fortunately, a large window was easily accessible. And on the other side, to her blessed relief, was a ladder attached to the other wall. 

Still breathless, Noah hurried over to the window and unlatched it to push it open. Before she could lean out, however, she yet out a yelp of pain as a sharp pain radiated from her shoulder.