2025-07-15 23:57:20
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Ethan turned toward Morrison.But instead of anger — there was only calm.A quiet, steady calm that silenced the room more completely than thunder.Morrison swallowed, bracing for condemnation.Chris’s jaw was tight, his voice shaking with restrained fury. “You endangered him. You nearly—”Ethan lifted a hand gently.“Chris,” he said softly. “Wait.”Chris blinked — startled. “What? Ethan, after what he just—”Ethan stepped closer to Morrison.The doctor stiffened… unable to meet his eyes.Ethan spoke slowly.“The serum…” he said, voice level, deliberate. “It didn’t affect the creature inside John. That much is true.”Morrison winced.His throat tightened.Ethan continued.“But that doesn’t mean it failed.”Morrison’s head snapped up in disbelief.“W–What?” he stammered. “I… I don’t understand.”Ethan nodded faintly toward John.“When the parasite was removed,” he said gently, “his body should have collapsed. The damage it left behind was severe — years of decay. But…”He placed a hand
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Morrison’s lips twitched — the confident mask he’d worn all evening shattering at the edges.“I… this— this reaction is… unexpected,” he stammered, voice thin, eyes darting to the monitors as if they could save his dignity. No… this can’t be real. I ran the numbers. I reviewed the data. I am the expert here… I cannot be wrong… not in front of them…Chris didn’t even hear him.All his focus was on Ethan.“Please — keep going!” Chris urged, clutching the bed frame, hope and terror tangled in his voice. “Whatever you’re doing — it’s working!”Ethan didn’t respond — his jaw was tight, eyes narrowed in fierce concentration.The humming grew louder.The light in the room dimmed further, shadows bending toward Ethan’s hand like iron filings to a magnet.The dark mass writhed violently now, thrashing, desperate.“Come out,” Ethan muttered through clenched teeth. “You don’t get to feed anymore.”The blackness twisted, shuddered — and then—It tore free.A stream of thick, oily mist burst upwar
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Ethan stepped closer, eyes locked on John. He could see it now—not with sight alone, but with something deeper. Veins darkened beneath John’s skin, pulsing as though something were crawling through them. The shadows around his chest thickened, clinging unnaturally.“You didn’t cure him,” Ethan said coldly. “You poisoned him. Or worse—you empowered it.”Morrison turned on him, anger flashing. “I told you to stay out of this. You’re not a physician—”A sudden scream cut him off.John cried out in agony, a raw, broken sound that echoed off the stone walls. His back arched violently, and for a split second, a dark shape pressed outward against his chest, as though something inside him were trying to tear its way free.Chris stumbled back, horror etched across his face. “What… what is happening to him?!”Ethan moved without thinking. He planted himself beside the bed, one hand hovering over John’s chest. The air beneath his palm burned cold, like frost and fire colliding.“This thing,” Eth
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Chris turned to Ethan, disappointment burning in his eyes. “I welcomed you into my home,” he said coldly. “I allowed you near my father out of respect for your name. And this is how you repay it? By sowing fear and insulting the man trying to save him?” Ethan stared at him. “Chris, listen to me. I would never—” “No,” Chris cut in sharply. “You will listen to me.” He took a breath, steadying himself, but his voice remained hard. “I did not allow you into this house to cause chaos. I did not bring you here to disrupt my father’s treatment with wild accusations and… supernatural nonsense.” Morrison folded his arms, a thin, satisfied smile creeping back onto his face. “Exactly,” he said smoothly. “Grief and desperation often drive men to delusion.” Ethan’s fists clenched. “You’re blind,” he said quietly. “Both of you. That thing inside him—” “Stop,” Chris said flatly. “Every word you say further proves my mistake.” He turned toward Morrison. “Doctor, please continue. Do not let thi
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Morrison’s eyes swept over Ethan with thinly veiled disdain, as if the very presence of another adult male in the room were an inconvenience to his attention.Chris cleared his throat and held out a folder. “Dr. Morrison, did you get the latest medical report?”Morrison took it with a practiced motion, scanning the pages with a raised brow. “I don’t need the latest report to know Mr. Hadel’s condition,” he said smoothly, almost with a sigh, as if the answer were obvious. “I’ve studied him thoroughly. I’ve devised a treatment that will work.”Chris’s eyes lit up with hope. “A treatment?”“Yes,” Morrison said, voice firm and confident, almost theatrical. “I have developed a cell-repair serum—cutting-edge, experimental, revolutionary. When injected, it will repair damaged cells, restore vitality, and allow Mr. Hadel to recover fully.”Chris’s face broke into a wide smile. “That… that’s incredible! You truly are the city’s finest.”Ethan remained silent, his mind ticking. Something about
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“Ethan,” Chris began, still holding his shoulders lightly, “I want you to understand… what you ask is… complicated.” Ethan tilted his head, sensing the shift. “Complicated?” he repeated cautiously. “I need allies. The Watsons are mobilizing. If we do not act now, everything—everything our families built—will crumble. I am offering you the chance to stand together. To honor the Storm legacy.” Chris stepped back, releasing Ethan’s shoulders. The warmth had gone, replaced with a cold formality. “You misunderstand me, Ethan,” he said, voice tight, carefully measured. “I am glad you have returned. I do not deny your blood, nor the history you carry. But I cannot—will not—risk my house in a war with the Watsons.” Seeing Ethan’s deception, he quickly add, “our house… is too weak,” he said, the words heavy with careful caution. “My father… John… is gravely ill. I cannot risk my people in open conflict while he remains in this state.” Ethan nodded slowly, keeping his expression calm. “I
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