The elevator ride back to the main floor of Eryndor Tower was silent, but the air between Adrian and Mei Lin crackled with unspoken questions. The folder from the vault was tucked under Adrian's arm, its weight heavier than paper should allow. The hum lingered in their bones, quieter now, but never gone—like a melody stuck in their heads, waiting for the next verse.
Mei Lin broke the silence first, her voice low. "You think that figure in the vault was bluffing?"
Adrian's eyes stayed on the elevator's mirrored wall, catching her reflection. "They knew too much to be bluffing. They knew us."
Her jaw tightened. "And they're not done."
The doors slid open, revealing the bustling main floor. Staff moved with practiced efficiency, oblivious to the storm brewing beneath the surface. Adrian's office loomed ahead, a glass fortress promising temporary safety. He led the way, Mei Lin close behind, her steps matching his with a rhythm that felt too natural.
Inside, he locked the door and set the folder on his desk. The sigil on the cover—a spiral of light in a wolf's eye—seemed to pulse under the office lights. Mei Lin stared at it, her fingers twitching as if tempted to touch it again.
"Don't," Adrian warned, his voice sharper than intended. "Not until we know more."
She shot him a look, half defiance, half curiosity. "You're scared of it too baby."i am not scared, just don't touch it" he admitted, his gaze dropping to her hand, where their earlier touch still seemed to linger. The hum stirred faintly, as if responding to his words.
Mei Lin stepped closer, her voice softer now. "You felt those flashes in the vault. The lab, the voices… that child's laugh. It wasn't random."
He nodded, running a hand through his hair. "It's like the project left echoes. Memories coded into the energy."
"Or into us," she said, her eyes searching his. "You said your family's blood was used. And mine…" She trailed off, her expression darkening. "What if I'm not just a bystander? What if I'm part of it?"
Adrian wanted to argue, to tell her she was wrong, but the truth was a splinter under his skin. "Then we find out together," he said, his voice steady despite the churn in his chest. "Starting with this."
He opened the folder, revealing the same grainy photo of the machine, its jagged lines and cold metal glaring under the light. Below it, a name stood out in crisp black ink: Dr. Elena Grey, Lead Researcher.
"Elena Grey," Mei Lin read aloud, her voice catching. "You said she vanished?"
"After the project was shut down," Adrian confirmed. "No records, no sightings. My father said she was brilliant but unstable. Obsessed with pushing human limits."
Mei Lin's fingers hovered over the name. "Sounds like someone who'd leave a legacy like this." She tapped the photo. "This machine—it's not just tech, is it?"
"No," Adrian said, flipping to a page of dense notes. "It was designed to bind energy to DNA. To make people… more. Stronger, faster, self-healing." He paused, his eyes meeting hers. "Like you."
Her breath hitched, but she didn't look away. "And you think this energy, this hum, is what's left of it?"
"I think it's more than that." He pointed to a diagram of a double helix, threaded with glowing lines. "They used a catalyst—something they called the Spark. It was supposed to stabilize the process. But it was volatile. Unpredictable."
Mei Lin's hand drifted to her chest, where the hum seemed to pulse strongest. "You think I'm carrying it."
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached for her hand, stopping just short of touching her. "When we connected in the vault, the hum changed. It wasn't just reacting—it was responding. Like it recognized us."
Her eyes softened, but her voice held an edge. "So we're what? Batteries for this thing?"
"Or keys," he said quietly. "And someone else wants to turn the lock."
The hum flared, sharp and sudden, as if punctuating his words. The office lights dimmed, then surged back. Mei Lin pulled her hand away, rubbing her palm. "It's getting stronger."
Adrian's phone buzzed on the desk, the screen lighting up with an encrypted alert from Division W. He scanned it, his expression hardening. "There's been another breach. Not here—off-site. One of our old labs in the outskirts."
Mei Lin's eyes narrowed. "The kind of lab that built that?" She nodded at the machine's photo.
"Exactly." He grabbed his jacket, already moving toward the door. "We need to go. Now."
She didn't hesitate, falling into step beside him. "You think it's them? The figure from the vault?"
"I think they're done waiting," he said, his voice grim.
The drive to the outskirts was tense, the city's neon lights fading into the dark sprawl of abandoned industrial zones. The hum followed them, a low thrum in the car's silence, syncing with the rhythm of their pulses. Mei Lin stared out the window, her reflection sharp against the glass.
"You're quiet," Adrian said, glancing at her.
"I'm thinking," she replied, her voice tight. "If this Spark is in me, in us… what happens when it's fully awake?"
He gripped the wheel harder. "We don't let it get that far."
She turned to him, her eyes fierce. "And if it's already too late?"
He didn't have an answer. The hum pulsed again, warm and insistent, like a hand brushing their skin. It was intimate, invasive, and undeniable. Whatever tied them to Project Lupus, it was tightening its grip.
The lab came into view—a crumbling concrete structure surrounded by rusted fences. Security drones lay shattered on the ground, their lights dead. Adrian parked a safe distance away, his hand already on the gun holstered under his jacket.
"Stay close," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Mei Lin smirked, pulling a small knife from her boot. "Don't worry, I'm not here for a picnic."
They moved through the shadows, the hum growing louder with every step. The lab's entrance was ajar, the door's lock melted into slag. Inside, the air was thick with dust and the faint smell of ozone. Dim emergency lights cast long shadows, and the hum became a rhythmic pulse, guiding them deeper.
They reached a central chamber, where the machine from the photo stood—larger, more menacing in person. Its metal frame gleamed under flickering lights, and at its core, a faint glow pulsed in time with the hum.
Mei Lin froze. "It's alive."
Before Adrian could respond, a figure stepped from the shadows—tall, cloaked, their face hidden behind a sleek mask. The hum roared, shaking the floor.
"You're late," the figure said, their voice distorted but unmistakably familiar from the vault. "The Spark is already waking."
Adrian stepped in front of Mei Lin, his gun raised. "Who are you?"
The figure tilted their head, the mask catching the light. "I'm the one who knows what you are. What she is."
Mei Lin's voice was steel. "Then stop hiding and talk."
The figure laughed, the sound grating against the hum. "You think you can control it? The Spark was never yours to wield. It was hers."
"Hers?" Adrian's grip tightened on the gun. "Elena Grey?"
The figure's silence was answer enough. They raised a hand, and the machine's glow intensified, the hum now a scream in their ears. Mei Lin gasped, clutching her chest as the energy surged through her, her knees buckling.
Adrian caught her, his arm around her waist, the hum binding them tighter. "Fight it," he whispered, his voice raw. "You're stronger than this."
Her eyes locked on his, and for a moment, the hum softened, their connection grounding her. She nodded, standing straighter. "I'm okay."
The figure's mask tilted, as if amused. "Touching. But it won't save you."
They pressed a device in their hand, and the machine roared to life, its glow blinding. The hum became a force, pulling at their blood, their breath, their very selves. Mei Lin's hand found Adrian's, their fingers interlocking, and the hum shifted—defiant, fierce, theirs.
"We're not your pieces," Mei Lin said, her voice carrying over the chaos.
The figure paused, then stepped back into the shadows. "We'll see."
The machine's glow pulsed once, then died. The hum faded to a whisper, leaving only silence and the weight of their joined hands.
Adrian's voice was low, urgent. "We need to destroy this thing."
Mei Lin shook her head, her eyes burning with a new resolve. "No. We need to understand it. If it's part of us, we don't run from it. We own it."
He looked at her, the