Desmond froze as Clarissa’s frail hand shot out again, grabbing his ankle shakily. “Don’t leave me,” she breathed, her voice barely audible. His eyes widened as he looked at her. She was weak, bruised, trembling and the footsteps approaching were heavy. Moving her now was a huge risk. What if there were traps, or a tracker on her? But leaving her meant she would fall into the wrong hands, and he had already seen what that meant. The man lying dead in the lab was proof enough. He couldn’t let Clarissa become another casualty. He bent down slowly. “Okay… I’ll try my best to get you out… quietly. Okay?” She gave him a small, shaky nod. He tugged off his hoodie and draped it over her thin shoulders, then took her hand in his. “Can you walk?” he asked gently. She nodded again, hands shaking as they moved to support her weight. Bruises lined her skin, dark and ugly, and Desmond felt a wave of guilt and pity he couldn’t suppress. And suddenly, he felt a familiar sensation. He looked d

Zoe's eyes widened. She instinctively shook her head. “I… I don’t know. She was right behind us—”“Damn it,” Irius muttered, his voice low. “Don't tell me she's still in there.”Desmond’s eyes widened in horror. “What do you mean?” his voice cracked.Asher froze, her lips parting. “Gosh…”Irius looked between them, his expression tightening.Desmond clenched his teeth in panic. “Why are we all just standing here?” he snapped. “Let’s go back in!”He moved to step forward, but Asher grabbed his arm, stopping him.“Wait,” he said firmly. “We have to think about this rationally.”Desmond turned to him, eyes blazing. “You realize she’s my only family, right?” His voice trembled with anger and fear. “There’s nothing rational about this.”Asher didn’t let go. “And if you rush in without thinking, you could get yourself killed and then you won’t be able to save anyone.”Desmond’s jaw tightened. “I don’t care,” he said.Irius let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his forehead. “Hey…hey, everyone,

“What if I also want to defeat Black Finger?” Desmond just stared at him for a moment before letting out a quiet scoff. He slipped his hands into his pockets and nodded. “So you want us to believe that?”Before Elias could respond, Clarissa suddenly began coughing vigorously.Desmond’s head snapped toward her. She was shaking slightly, her skin even paler than before.“Shit,” he muttered, rushing forward. “We need to get her inside.”They quickly moved toward the entrance and unlocked the doors with a code, stepping inside.But just as Elias was about to follow… The alarms blared.A machine-like device dropped from the ceiling, locking him in place as red lasers pointed directly at him.Elias’ eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t look surprised, frightened, or even shocked. He wasn’t one to show emotion.The others stopped and turned back.“He can’t come in,” Asher said, holding Clarissa.“That’s because,” Desmond added calmly, “he doesn’t belong here.”Asha looked at Desmond. “You h

[PATIENT’S PULSE HAS DROPPED BY 70%]Everyone immediately rushed toward the room.Desmond pushed the door open first.Clarissa lay on the bed.Her skin was even paler than before. Her chest rose and fell weakly, each breath shallow, as if she was barely holding on.Desmond froze.“Shit,” Asher muttered under his breath as he stepped in behind him, staring at her.The sight made the air feel heavier.“What’s going to happen now?” Desmond asked, his voice tight.His jaw clenched.“Elias isn’t even here with the antidote,” he continued in frustration. “She’s already dying.”“I’m here.”Elias’ voice suddenly echoed from behind them.Everyone’s heads snapped toward the door as he walked in slowly, a small tube container in his hand.“You’re late,” Desmond snapped immediately.Elias looked at him calmly. “At least she’s still alive.”Asher rubbed his forehead, exhaling sharply. “Did you get it or not?”Elias raised the small tube, showing it to them, then moved closer to Clarissa’s bedside.

“Something’s happened to Vivian,” Zoe said, breathing quickly.Everybody froze.“What is it this time?” Irius sighed under his breath.Desmond was already moving. He walked straight over to Zoe. “What happened?”Zoe looked at him, trembling slightly. “I don’t really know how to explain it… we were just talking, and then she collapsed. Then she got up again and started acting really weird.”Desmond’s expression changed instantly. He didn’t wait for anything else. He rushed out.“Where is she?”“In the main hall,” Zoe called after him.The rest followed immediately.Desmond reached the doorway first, his voice sharp and urgent. “Vivian!”Asher’s brows furrowed the moment his gaze landed on Vivian. She was sitting on the floor.What made it strange was how still she was.Her breathing was uneven, her head lowered, her hair covering her face.Desmond moved closer. “Vivian…”He moved closer to her.Asher’s gaze dropped to her fingers, and he noticed they were twitching lightly.He stepped