"You're seeing the same thing I am, right?" Camila asked.

"Yes." I sighed.

"So just to be clear, this means that I've not gone blind, right?"

"No, Camila." Saying those words through gritted teeth was the only way I could stop myself from yelling as I gazed up at the hologram. "You have not, no."

   The sixth hologram from the now connected Camera Six was up in the air, suspended above us, as clear as day.

   Except that what its screen portrayed was as dark as night.

   No, seriously. It really was.

   Camila and I had had no trouble in activating the connection between Camera Six and Rav's laptop. Even before the camera's final steps for its connection to Rav's device occurred, our hopeful selves reflected the laptop screen into hologram form for Camera Six in advance.

   The default black screen of the hologram, however, didn't change even after the laptop sent the notification that the connection of the camera was successful. Thinking that it was probably due to a connectivity issue between the laptop and hologram, we resorted back to the laptop screen, expecting to get a glimpse of what Camera Six truly had to show us.

   And that's when all hope went down the toilet.

   The screen shared the same feature of the hologram: black.

"I don't understand," I muttered, tending to the laptop once more. "It says here that the connection has been successfully activated, so why can't we see anything?"

"Maybe the Yunies got to it first," Camila, who was currently fidgeting with the items scattered on the table, paused as some form of realisation hit her. "But if that was the case, we shouldn't have been able to even establish the connection at all. The camera would have been utterly destroyed."

   She was right. The connection had no problems whatsoever. If the Yunies got a hold of the camera first, it wouldn't have been possible. Any person–or alien–in their right would've destroyed it.

   But then again, how was this state different from the Yunies destroying it? The camera, despite its ability to connect to Rav's device, was clearly defective in every other area.

   This is what happens when you choose to be optimistic.

"Beth?"

   Escaping my thoughts, I looked up at Camila. For some reason, in her hand was the one of the cameras' remote.

"Why are you—"

"Didn't you hear that?" She cut me off by holding up her hand.

"Hear what?"

"My fingers pushed one of the buttons of the camera remote on the table by mistake," Camila's already wide stare appeared to grow larger. "and I heard something."

"Are you sure?" I queried, glancing up at the still dark hologram.

   I flinched as she suddenly held out the remote toward me with a suggestive look. The hesitation rising within made me take my time in collecting the remote from Cami's outstretched hand.

   Forcing my trembling fingers to remain stable, I pushed one of the buttons.

   The light, grazing sound that erupted from the laptop's speakers due to my actions was nothing short of music to my ears.

   I turned back to Camila and saw a huge grin already spread across her face. "Told you. The camera isn't completely useless."

"But if the camera and its audio system are working," I remarked, pushing another button on the remote that should have led the camera to a different direction. Then another, "why are the laptop and holograms showing us nothing?!"

   At this point, my frustration drove me into pushing virtually every button on the remote. The sound of metal began to resonate within Cami's room, only getting louder with each button I pressed. And pressed again. And again. And aga—.

   Before I knew it, the device was freed from my vice-like. I looked over to Cami, noticing a sheepish smile directed toward me. My stare dropped to the floor as my cheeks began to pick up heat.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

   Maybe Cami was right. Maybe food was just what I needed to not go all hysterical over a bunch of buttons. Hopefully, that was enough to tone down the metallic noises from the camera that wouldn't stop ringing in my ear—

   Wait... metallic noises?

   All our cameras had lightweight plastic outer coverings. And yet, less than a minute ago, this room was filled with sounds of clashing metal as the camera moved in the many directions I sent it.

   But, hold on, the camera shouldn't even have been able to move like that. Certainly not with ease anyway.

"Why not?" Camila questioned me after I shared my observation.

"Because the camera is supposed to be on Tali, remember?" I pressed.

"So you're saying she dropped it?"

"More like it fell. You know, like out of her back pocket. Don't you remember? That was where Talise announced she was going to keep the last camera while in the bathroom. Before she left to try and rejoin the other Visitors. For all we know, the camera came out when the asshole of a tour guide Eugene threw her across the room. Don't tell me you've forgotten that too! Or it could have even fallen out after the placement occurred and they had to carry her away or something."

"Of course not." Camila's gaze toward me narrowed at my previous question. "But I feel like I should be freaked out by your really bizarre ability to remember the minor things."

   I chuckled but didn't say anything.

   At the rate at which my mind kept replaying every single moment that led to Talise's capture basically all the time, it would be rather bizarre if I didn't remember.

   But she didn't need to know that.

   No one did.

"Isn't this bad news though?" Camila frowned. "This means that Camera Six could be...anywhere."

"Certainly not where we've looked," I stated. "And we've looked everywhere. Also, our other cameras would have detected Camera Six if it was simply lying around."

"Okay fine, so maybe we still have this new location discovery thing on lockdown." She shrugged. "But we just lost any form of guaranteed access to the Yunies, Zavolonians or Mr. Sacury's lab."

"I don't think we should have that conclusion yet," I remarked.

"Let's not forget that we still have no visuals of our surroundings. So..."

   Damn, Camila. I was really seeing her best friend Viola in her right now.

"No...but we have a clue." I sighed. This was getting tiring. "The camera is situated in a metal environment and that narrows—"

   Out of the blue, a loud, rumbling growl erupted, startling us both. For me, it was into silence.

   Camila's eyes, almost on instinct, began wandering around the room, in search for the source of that noise that sounded next to animalistic, if you ask me.

   Which was why I refused to believe that came from me.

   Eventually, her gaze returned to my frame, going lower and lower until it landed on my stomach.

"Beth?"

"What?" I shrugged, forcing myself to look into her piercing stare with a straight face.

   Maybe if I played dumb, her suspicion would fade away.

   After nearly ten seconds of unflinching eye contact, Camila actually seemed prepared to refocus on our conversation.

   But then the second growl that emerged from my stomach was too thunderous to hide.

   I began to look at everything else that wasn't Camila Mendes. Or around her. You could never be too careful.

"Beth," Camila's fuming voice was still able to reach me though. "If you don't eat now..."

"Fine, fine," I mumbled, bolting to the door.

   Right before she could throw my ass out.

***

   Beneath Camila's crazy obsession with getting me to eat was some truth I couldn't ignore. And apparently neither could my treacherous tummy.

   I was starving.

   Seeing as the last time I'd willingly eaten a proper meal was the morning of Visitation Day, it was understandable.

   That, however, didn't overpower my other hunger; my hunger to dive deeper into the mystery surrounding Camera Six as its centre and—who knew?—its probable solution.

   That was the reason I rushed through lunch, barely tasting the noodles with beef sauce as they made their way into my mouth. The moment I was certain I felt full, my eyes darted to the exit. Soon after, I was on my feet, heading to the hallway that led to Camila's room.

   Upon reaching my destination, I stopped my tracks at the entrance, surprised to see that her door was already ajar. Taking cautious steps into her room, my shock piqued when I was met with no one, not two, but three persons.

   My entry appeared to snap Camila, Rav and Dorian whatever trance caused by the laptop screen they were fixated on. From where I was standing, it was impossible to get a good view. Or a view at all.

   The looks they exchanged before turning to me was enough to make me want to hurl everything I only just ate.

"Any-anything I should know?" I fisted my hands at my sides like that's what I needed to cease the tremble in my question.

"Camera Six," Camila replied with a tone I couldn't recognise, "It caught something."

   Without being told, I walked over to their spot, not wasting any time to catch a glimpse of what they'd just been staring at.

   The minute the screen's images hit my sight was when I knew lunch was a bad idea. My hand shot to my lips, failing to suppress the choked gasp that slipped out. The overcooked noodles I'd had for lunch were not any different from the state of my legs at the moment. Barely making it from the desk we were surrounding, I flopped on the edge of Camila's bed, only then remembering how to breathe.

"What the hell?" The only words my traumatised mind could come up with.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to vote and comment❤!

Any predictions of what Camera Six picked up?