The walk wasn't that bad.

Rex was certainly unnerved by his situation, but nonetheless, he persisted. Half an hour ago on his meanderings through the forest, he'd begun to see people enjoying themselves under the shade and sun as well. He smiled at the fact that he wasn't alone. If civilians around him were unharmed, chances were, he would be safe as well. If anything, when he reached familiar civilization and streets, he could always ask where exactly he was. A map wasn't a far reach either, as they were found in plenty of gas stations.

As the boy went on, it soon became clear that he was in a large park. He reached a clearing filled with children and their parents, as well as their pets. Benches and tables had been set around to be say upon by those hungry enough to dine, while others opted for a picnic blanket. The smell of food wafted into the air, making the teen's mouth water. He couldn't remember when he'd last eaten, and it wouldn't hurt to buy some food.

But the thought quickly vanished when he realized he didn't have money.

Rex continued his journey a little more disappointedly, though not completely in despair. Eventually, the trail led away from people and into pure solitude again, towards the parts of the forest that even hikers steered away from. It was a darker section of the woods, and as he ventured forward, he saw many people who walked alongside him turn back.

Was there something sinister hiding in the woods?

"Hey!" Rex called out to a nearby woman, causing her to turn her head. "Why is no one going into there? The trail keeps going, but you guys are turning back. Are there bears or something?"

The lady stared at him, confused. "What?"

"Why is everyone afraid to go in there?

The woman shook her head and laughed. "Oh, we're not afraid. I like a little darkness from the sun, in fact! But we're not supposed to enter."

"Why not?"

The young woman pointed at a sign that stuck out from the nearby bushes. The teen glanced at it, wondering how on Earth he'd missed it, and read the bright red text across the wooden material it was carved into.

NO TRESPASSING.

Rex was taken aback by the bluntness, and became confused as to where he was supposed to go now. It was essentially a dead end. He turned to the woman again, seeking more answers.

"What's past the forest?" he asked. The woman shrugged.

"I don't really know, but some people do. It's nothing creepy or anything. I think it's just a building we're supposed to stay away from. They're doing work up there, I've heard."

Rex nodded and thanked the woman, watching her turn around and jog away. In the corner of his eye, he saw his watch light up again, and bright green text began to hover into the air again.

"I'm surprised you could understand her," the words read. "Then again, it's probably from your subconscious memories."

Rex cocked a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"She spoke German. In fact, she didn't understand your question until you accidentally switched languages."

Rex blinked in shock, then realized the watch was right. The woman spoke fluent German, yet somehow, he had understood it. It was a similar experience to how he had understood the street vendor in Hong Kong, despite the fact that the man had spoken Chinese. He glanced back at the warning sign in the bushes and recognized German even on that. The sign wasn't written in English at all.

But that was a clue.

This sort of phenomenon happened when he had heard a language that at some point in his life, he was exposed to. At one point, according to Cesar, he had spoken in Spanish with his family, which explained his moderate skill in that tongue. He understood Chinese due to his time as a thief working for Quarry, and learned English due to being in America.

That means wherever he was now, at some point in his life, he'd been here before.

"I think I know why," Rex responded after a while, glad he was one step closer to revealing where he was. "But never mind that for now. Where am I supposed to go? The sign says I can't enter that part of the woods."

"I give you permission," a new text read. "Ignore anyone who tells you to stay away. Run inside as fast as you can and don't look back. Don't listen to anyone else except for me."

Rex shifted his legs uncomfortably. "Why should I listen to you anyway? What if I ran away right now and didn't come back?"

"Try it and see what happens," the watch warned. "Even if you think you know what's going to happen, you're essentially stranded without me. Your family is entirely out of your reach."

Rex let out a low groan and looked back to make sure no one was watching. When he was satisfied that only a few children looked his way, he dashed into the forest, hoping it wasn't the point of no return. The ground beneath his feet became a blur of rocks, sticks, and leaves as he sped across the trail, providing plenty of excuses for him to trip. The teen breathed heavily as he ran for minutes on end, relying on his training to help him maintain his high speed.

The forest was only getting darker and darker.

Rex soon became annoyed at how there was nothing but foliage as far as the eye could see, as well as lonelier due to the lack of people around him. He'd always associated human connections and contact with safety, but now, some anonymous person had forced him to abandon them. And still, the woods became even darker, with nothing new arising from his surroundings.

This had nothing to do with Noah's birthday.

"Agh, c'mon!" Rex shouted as his legs began to burn. "Why is the place you want me to go to so far away? Is anything even there? Or are you leading me into a ditch?"

The watch shined new words into the air, bringing light against the darkness of the foliage. "It's far from people due to a need for privacy. Keep going. Do not disappoint me, Rex."

And just like that, the watch switched off, leaving the boy alone with his thoughts.

By the time the boy's run was finished, it had taken practically half an hour to finally see some light peering in through the trees. Splashes of color dotted the foliage due to flowers that decorated the forest, their beauty printing Rex to slow down and walk to regain a steady pace of breath. It was strange how his destination was so isolated, and that a warning for trespassers was placed so far away from it. Perhaps the people there tended to relax in these woods in seclusion.

What sort of people needed to be so far away from everyone?

As he continued his pace, the sight of a large white building came into view. A few cars were parked in an adjacent lot, giving Rex the impression that he was finally about to see the hidden people. The building itself wasn't the size of a mall by any means, but it was still quite massive- and that was just from the view the boy could see. Who knows just how big it was from a full three-sixty perspective?

Rex decided to activate his jet pack to get an aerial view of the mysterious building, but before he could take off, the watch buzzed and shot out words instantly.

"DO NOT FLY."

Rex paused, and reabsorbed his nanites. "Why?"

"I have ordered you not to. That's why. Do not activate your nanites around these people until you understand where you are and what your purpose is. And even then, only with my permission."

"Are they... extremely anti- EVO?" the boy asked the watch. "Are they gonna shoot me or something? I'd understand that."

"Nothing of the sort, Rex. They haven't even begun to comprehend anything like you. You'll see why. Keep going."

Rex hugged and continued walking until he reached a safe distance from the entrance, his eyes wide with shock at what the metal letters read at the top of the building.

Applied Nanite Research Lab.