Previous Chapter Excerpt:
Without realizing it, I found myself in front of Kav's chamber. He was still unconscious inside the capsule.
Sometimes I wonder what it feels like to sleep in there—with the lights constantly on, and a steady flow of electricity and oxygen being pumped in endlessly.
Yes, because of all that, they can't function in the outside world anymore or even touch nature. They've spent decades sealed inside tubes with limited oxygen.
"Hah… seeing you like this makes me want to destroy this place and live a normal life."
"Destroy what, Vinnie?"
~~~~
Vinnie nearly had a heart attack. For a moment, she thought the voice responding to her belonged to one of the senior researchers.
But it was just Intan.
Sometimes, Vinnie swore this girl was a ghost—appearing out of nowhere and disappearing just as mysteriously.
"You scared me," Vinnie muttered, placing a hand over her chest to calm her racing heart.
Intan simply let out a soft chuckle, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly—even though it wasn't actually itchy. She had come here under orders, tasked with delivering a tiny creature that resembled a slime. Of course, she hadn't meant to startle Vinnie.
"My apologies, Vinnie. Oh, and here's the creature you requested," Intan said, handing over a small capsule. Inside it, the adorable little creature bounced up and down, as if begging to be let out.
As if understanding her perfectly, Vinnie picked up the little creature and placed it on her shoulder. "Well then, what do you want now, Mello?" she asked while poking its cheek.
Intan, watching the strange interaction between them, stood frozen in confusion.
Did Vinnie really understand what the creature was saying? And did she just give it a name?
After working here for quite some time, Intan had learned one undeniable fact—aside from being ruthless, most of the researchers here had lost their sanity.
She hadn't come here to be one of them—a scientist or a researcher. No, Intan had been sent to gather evidence and spy on this facility. But blending in had proven harder than she thought. And if anyone ever found out who she really was… It wouldn't just be her mission that failed—she could end up dead.
"What media are you with?"
Vinnie's blunt question made her freeze.
Intan stared at Vinnie's face, trying her best not to let the fear show. "I'm on your side. Just say it," Vinnie continued, her voice calm but unreadable.
Those words gave Intan a small breath of relief, though she stayed alert—this could still be a trap. She scanned the room, ensuring they were alone. "A fairly large outlet, Vinnie. Please… don't tell anyone," she whispered.
Vinnie chuckled at her response. If the girl kept acting like that, someone would catch on sooner or later. She pulled Intan's arm gently and closed the door to Kav's chamber. There were cameras here, yes—but no one could hear what they said.
"I'll cooperate with you. Come to the address I'll email you. This weekend," she said firmly.
With that, Vinnie dismissed her.
She needed to examine Kav alone. No one else could be present—not with the risk he might wake as a feral beast and lash out at anyone nearby. The lab wouldn't care if one scientist died. They had plenty more where that came from.
Even if what had happened to Vinnie in the past were to repeat itself, it wouldn't be anything unusual. Every scientist working here had to be ready to die—not just from attacks. If sensitive data were leaked, or if a creature they created was discovered by civilians or authorities, the researchers would be silenced, paying with their lives for having birthed the monsters. Vinnie was no exception, even though she was the daughter of Xevana's founder.
"If you're feeling better, get up," Vinnie said to Kav, who lay motionless on the bed.
She sighed and rolled her eyes, already certain he was fully awake. "Come on, you need to prepare yourself to meet a mutant. What, are you planning to just nap through the whole encounter?"
Kav let out a quiet laugh, his eyes still closed, which only annoyed her more.
"Are you going to keep nagging me until we're old?" he teased. Clicking her tongue in frustration, Vinnie began detaching the thin tubes connected to his body.
The girl then handed Kav a plate of food, knowing he must be starving. "You just woke up from a long hibernation. Aren't you hungry?" Vinnie asked, folding her arms across her chest.
Kav glanced back and forth between Vinnie and the food, as if wondering whether she had cooked it herself just for him. Sensing this, Vinnie shook her head and motioned for him to start eating. "In an hour, you'll be meeting Jack," she said.
"Subject 0067? Why all of a sudden?" he asked, curious.
"Have you forgotten about your mission that failed three days ago?" Vinnie shot back.
Kav went on eating as if he hadn't heard her. Frustrated, Vinnie tugged on the werewolf's ear. Maybe he got cranky after eating.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Please stop, that hurts!" he whined.
Vinnie just rolled her eyes, then sat down on the white chair next to Kav. She observed the most handsome test subject in Xevana. It was said that only a few test subjects retained their human forms; others like Jack had their bodies changed by nearly ninety percent.
To give a simple example, some had spikes growing on their bodies, horns, ears that had grown huge, four arms, or even extremely elongated legs. Kav was one of the few who still looked normal.
"How does Jack look now? Is he still like before?" Kav asked, curious.
"No, he's terrifying now. I barely recognized him," Vinnie replied. "I'm grateful you didn't end up like him."
Kav fell silent. Perhaps if Vinnie and Mr. John hadn't saved him back then, he might have truly become a merciless monster. He remembered the first time he came to this place—Jack was still in the early stages. Like the others, Jack had rebelled and tried to escape from here.
If Kav remembered correctly, Jack was a homeless boy with no family. At first, Jack was offered a chance to join, promised a decent life and a place to stay at an orphanage. Well, any child living on the streets would be drawn to that—it seemed like a blessing from God. But they were wrong; it was a devil's deception.
Out of thousands, even tens of thousands who fell victim to Xevana Laboratory, only about 30 survived, though their lives were shattered and aimless. So, what happened to the failed subjects? Some were saved by Vinnie, but the rest were exterminated to eliminate any evidence that could one day destroy Xevana.
Isn't this how the real world works? The strong lead even if they're wrong, while the weak become stepping stones—even when they're right. Kav once wondered if God had destined them to be like this. What was God trying to show him that he had to endure a life like hell? Even after suffering in this world, won't we still end up in Hell when we die?
"Are you two done having your cozy little chat?" Hannah suddenly appeared, breaking the moment between them.
"Looks like you and Intan are siblings, huh? How can your behavior be so alike?" Vinnie said, rolling her eyes.
Hannah clicked her tongue in annoyance, then quickly told Kav to sit in the wheelchair she'd brought. Without a word, Kav stood up and sat down in the chair. He grasped Vinnie's hand, silently asking her to accompany him to the laboratory hall. Vinnie nodded and started pushing Kav's wheelchair, leaving Hannah standing there alone.
"Hah… I'm just a pesky mosquito again," she muttered.
Hannah hurried after them. As usual, she never left Vinnie's side during meetings. The first time Hannah came here, she nearly died from a monster attack — and Vinnie was the one who saved her. Without Vinnie, Hannah might have ended up as a test subject too.
"Wow, it feels like ages since I last saw the young researchers," said a woman standing beside Vred.
"Indeed, I haven't seen you in a while either, Aunt Luna. I hope you're doing well," Vinnie replied with a sharp tone.
Like any workplace, the scientists here constantly undermine and compete against each other to secure the positions they want. Often, they resort to dirty tactics to get their rivals punished for things they never even did.
Luna used to be Alessia's trusted colleague. But she betrayed her, and Alessia ended up dying at the hands of a monster back then. Now Luna is living well, even after killing her partner decades ago. No wonder—they're nothing but demons.
"Vinnie, since you and your team failed your mission, Father is assigning Luna to supervise your work for the next week." Vinnie rolled her eyes—once again, she was put in a tough spot.
"Is Father afraid I'll die while supervising Jack? Don't worry, as long as no one deliberately traps me, I won't die," Vinnie replied with a meaningful smile.
She observed Luna's face closely, catching the slight flicker in her expression. Vinnie was certain her words had stirred memories from the past—memories that were far from pleasant. Was Luna planning to repeat history, this time with the daughter of Xevana's second-generation owner?
"So, Aunt Luna? You don't mind if I take over your little lab rat for the week, do you?"