The harsh lights of the medical bay made Nora Su squint. She was strapped to an examination bed, connected to a tangle of monitoring devices. Adrian Fu and two doctors leaned over her blood samples, speaking in low tones.
"Antibody concentration is 120 times higher than normal…""Chromosome 23 shows abnormalities…""Compatibility with Ω-7 is almost perfect…"
The technical jargon swirled around Nora's ears, but her brain refused to process it. She only wanted one answer—why had her father never mentioned this? Why was her blood so special?
"Can you let me go now?" she finally croaked, her voice hoarse from silence. "I'm not a lab experiment."
Adrian glanced at her, then signaled the doctors. They quietly left the room, leaving just the two of them.
"How much do you know?" Adrian asked bluntly.
Nora rubbed her wrists, red from the restraints. "If I knew I was 'humanity's hope,' do you think I'd be running around like a fool trying to survive?"
Adrian studied her carefully, as if weighing the truth in her words. Finally, he walked to the bed and sat down—a casual gesture that somehow made him seem a little more human.
"Preliminary tests show your blood contains a natural antibody capable of neutralizing the Blood Moon virus," he said calmly, as if discussing the weather. "This seems to be genetically encoded. You were born this way."
Nora absorbed the information slowly. "So… I can't be infected?"
"Not only that," Adrian's eyes sharpened, "your antibodies could be the key to developing a broad-spectrum vaccine. Su Mingyuan must have known this, which is why he sent you to me before he died."
A sudden thought made her heart seize. "My mother… she died of a 'sudden illness' when I was five…" She lifted her eyes to Adrian. "Was it… related to this?"
Adrian's expression faltered briefly. "I'm not certain about your mother. But based on the timeline, the precursor to the Blood Moon Project—the Prometheus Project—did begin twenty years ago."
"And you were involved," Nora said, her voice cold.
Adrian did not deny it. "I was the chief researcher at the time. Decisions were made by the military and the board." He stood and walked to the window. "Three years ago, I realized the project had been weaponized. I then joined forces with your father to steal the core data and create the 'Fire Seed Project' as a hedge."
Nora tried to piece it together. "So Ω-7 is…?"
"A derivative based on early antibody samples. The results were unstable," Adrian turned to her. "But now, we have the original version."
He approached her, then unexpectedly knelt on one knee, bringing himself level with her gaze. The gesture caught her breath—the blue-gray depth of his eyes was like a stormy sea, hiding immense power.
"I need your help, Nora," he said, using her name, his voice low and sincere. "Not as a prisoner or a tool, but as a partner. Together, we can end this nightmare."
Nora wanted to refuse, to berate him for his secrecy and manipulation, but the words stuck in her throat. She saw the rare pleading in his eyes, and deeper still—loneliness. This man, seemingly in control of everything, bore a weight far heavier than she had imagined.
"I need time to think," she finally said.
Adrian nodded, surprisingly not pressing her. "Tomorrow, give me your answer. But remember, Wang Zhiguo has seen you. He will not stop hunting a living antibody carrier."
He rose and paused at the door. "By the way, your blood saved two lives. The two pilots who jumped into the sea after the helicopter crash—they were bitten by mutated creatures and should have turned within an hour. We used your serum."
Nora looked up in shock. "They… survived?"
"Not only survived, but their wounds healed three times faster than a normal person's." Adrian's lips curved slightly. "Congratulations, doctor. You've just created the first successful cure."
The door closed, leaving Nora alone to process the staggering revelation. She gazed at the night sky. The Blood Moon still hung high, but somehow, it didn't seem as menacing now.
Perhaps Adrian was right. Perhaps she really could help end this disaster. But at what cost? Complete trust in a man who had hidden the truth from her until now?
Nora didn't know the answer. She only knew that when the sun rose tomorrow, she would have to make a choice.