The lab felt suddenly smaller, tighter, as if the walls themselves were pressing in. I could hear my heartbeat hammering in my ears, deafening, while my mind raced through every possible contingency. The shadow standing behind Viole made my blood freeze. A cold weight of dread settled over me, but beneath it, a spark of curiosity, an unpredictable thrill I hadn’t felt in years.
Viole’s eyes were wide, almost pleading, but there was something else too, triumph. And the shadow behind her, it was him. Marcus Voss. My first love. The one I thought had vanished from my life forever. My chest twisted, rage, disbelief, and something dangerously close to nostalgia. My hands trembled, but I forced control. Pride wouldn’t let me falter here.
“Marcus?” I said, voice sharp, though my stomach clench
