Truth Beyond the Veil Chapter 14: Chapter 13: This thing can’t even tell our names.

Read chapter 14 of Truth Beyond the Veil by DarkCosmos on NovelPedia.

Summer, 16:45; Location: Theo’s Villa; [Beep... Beep... Beep] “Ugh,” Victor groaned as he woke up with a massive headache. He felt as if someone was hammering his head repeatedly. He sat up, clutching his head in his hands. After a few seconds, Victor felt the pounding in his head subside, replaced by a cool sensation that instantly relieved his tense muscles. He slowly opened his eyes, only to be met by a red, floating holographic window. Before he could make out the words, it vanished as if it had never been there. “Huh?! What was that?” Victor's eyes shot open, wide with shock and confusion. He quickly looked over his friends, a wave of relief washing over him when he saw their chests rise and fall gently. He was particularly worried about Noir. He blinked a few times, waiting for his vision to clear before he looked at the clock. As he took a deep breath, his face immediately scrunched up. “Ugh… what a horrible smell!” He slowed his breathing and began to check his condition. He was covered in black gel-like substance, which had a smell similar to ammonia, but far more potent than what he had ever smelled in the lab. “Shit!” Victor looked over at Leo, Theo, and Noir. They were all similarly coated in the black gel, as was the sofa and a portion of the floor around them. He would have noticed sooner if he hadn't taken that deep breath. The room heavily smelled of Lavender. The room was heavily scented with lavender, a result of the automatic scent dispersers Theo had installed. They were designed to immediately spray the moment a foul smell was detected, a precaution Theo had taken for their sensitive conditions. “Tsk... tsk... What is this?” Victor grabbed a tissue from the coffee table and wiped his hands a little. Plop… “Whoa.” The tissue slipped from his grasp, but he didn't even notice. His eyes were glued to his hands. His skin had become pale and unnaturally smooth, so much so that it could easily rival someone who spent a fortune on beauty products. He touched it; the skin was still cold, not as much as before, but noticeably cooler than a normal person's. “So, this is the legendary 'impurities release' from all those novels and animes? Hmm…” Victor muttered, glancing at Leo and Theo, who were still sleeping like logs. Victor went to Leo and gave him a shake, but he was completely immovable. It was then that he noticed Leo was half-sunk into the sofa cushions. “His weight must have increased a lot,” Victor muttered. Unable to wake him through normal means, Victor raised his hand and delivered a hard smack. Instead of a solid thud, he heard the sharp sound of glass breaking, and Theo flinched in his sleep. “As expected, Sun Tzu was right…” Victor muttered as he noticed Leo begin to groan and shift. He turned his attention to Noir. Her condition gave him pause, and after a moment's thought, he scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom. "She's definitely going to overreact the moment she wakes up," Victor muttered. He put the sink plug in, turned on the tap, and then carefully set Noir down beside the basin before giving her a gentle shake. “Mew…” Victor shook his head as he left the bathroom. He knew she would wake up soon and would clean up by herself; she would not let him do it. He knew Noir would be up soon and would insist on cleaning up herself. There was no way she'd let him handle it. "Huh, he is still sleeping!" Victor muttered in disbelief. He drew back his hand for another smack, but before he could land the blow, he heard a faint groan. "Ugh!" Leo woke with the same pained groan as Victor, clutching his head in pain. "Shit," Leo cursed the moment he opened his eyes. His gaze met Victor's, who stood over him with a hand raised, ready to deliver a smack. His eyes darted around the room, spotting the still-sleeping Theo and the missing Furball, though her mews echoed from the bathroom. His attention finally settled on himself and the black gel that covered them all. "Fuck! What is this shit... Yuck, what