The lab no longer resembled the place it once was.Days had passed since the incident, but the damage still clung to every surface like a wound that refused to heal.Shattered glass crunched faintly underfoot. Sections of the walls were scorched, dark burn marks spreading outward.Broken equipment lay scattered across the floor, some completely destroyed, others half-intact, their exposed wires hanging lifelessly.Then slow, measured footsteps began to echo.A man stepped into the lab.He was dressed in all black. Dark pants and a hoodie pulled over his head, casting shadows over his face. A black mask covered the lower half of it, leaving only his cold, brown eyes visible.He stood over six feet tall, his presence filling the ruined space without effort.There was no rush nor hesitation in his movements. He walked forward slowly, his gaze sweeping across the lab.A lab attendant rushed forward.He was a middle-aged man, his petite frame trembling, streaks of gray visible in his hair.

“This is bad,” Asher said slowly. “The system might try to kill Vivian.”Nobody spoke for a few seconds.It was as though the weight of his words had settled heavily on their chests.Zoe froze, her heart racing in panic.Desmond stared at Asher, tension tightening across his face.“So what do we do?” he asked.Asher looked at him, and for the first time since all of this started, there was uncertainty in his eyes.“I’m… not so sure.”Desmond clenched his teeth.BANG!His fist slammed hard against the wall, leaving a dent in the concrete surface. The impact cracked the bones in his hand instantly, but they began healing almost immediately.No one spoke.At that moment…The soft blue glow surrounding Vivian’s containment unit shifted. From blue to red.The entire chamber flashed crimson.A sharp warning sound echoed through the room.“That’s not good,” Irius muttered immediately.His expression darkened as he stared at the system.“She’s already getting flagged.”“Oh my God…” Zoe whispe

“He doesn’t have a heartbeat,” Irius said quietly.For the first few seconds, nobody moved.It felt like the entire room had frozen.The emergency lights flickered once before going out completely, plunging the room into a tense dimness.Desmond’s eyes widened slightly. “What?”Asher immediately stepped forward again, dropping beside Elias. He pressed two fingers against his neck, then his wrist. His expression darkened instantly.“No pulse,” he muttered.Vivian, still weak and dazed, only stared blankly at Elias, as though her mind hadn’t fully processed what was happening.Elias… dead?No.She slowly shook her head.Her heartbeat spiked instantly, her breathing becoming uneven again as panic started creeping back in.“Oh my God,” Zoe whispered, covering her mouth with both hands.Desmond stood rigid, his gaze fixed on Elias’ body, which remained completely still. There was no movement, not even a slow rise and fall of his chest.Asher slowly lowered his hand from Elias’ neck.The si