Year five of the apocalypse.

Somewhere deep underground on Blue Star, cruel experiments on ability users were underway in a secret lab no one had heard of.

In one of the sterile, brightly lit rooms, a silver metal table sat dead center—about two meters long, over a meter wide, and nearly as tall. Right now, Lydia Walker was strapped tightly to that cold, hard surface.

Her body was all bones and barely any skin, covered in a mess of wires and tubes. The other ends were hooked up to different machines, each beeping steadily like a metronome of pain.

She stared blankly into the blinding overhead light, like she couldn't even see it anymore. Her eyes were dull, lifeless, like a porcelain doll someone forgot to put away.

How long had it been? Since the moment they tied her down here, she'd lost all sense of time. There was no day or night in this place. Just the same brutal light every time her eyes opened.

She tried to move her arm—barely twitched a finger—and it felt like lifting a mountain.

Right… even before she got dragged in here, her powers had started draining out without any warning. She was almost sure now—there wasn’t a drop of power left in her. Most days, she was knocked out cold on sedatives that sucked the strength from her bones.

Ethan… where was he now?

An eighth-grade mutated beast with regeneration—those weren’t exactly common. And even if he found one, could he really take it down with just peak-level six powers? Not likely…

"E-Ethan..." Her voice was barely above a whisper, rough and hoarse, like it hadn’t been used in days.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the hallway. Along with them came an overly eager male voice, getting closer.

"Miss Harrison, we’re almost there. Just one more day and we’ll have a full analysis of Lydia’s regeneration factor. Once we isolate it and inject it into others, even an average Joe could be immune to the zombie virus!"

He sounded beyond excited, like he was announcing a miracle.

"And that’s not even the best part! Her regeneration factor shows insane activity. Give us a bit more time, and we might even crack the secret to eternal youth—for powered folks! Imagine—undying, youthful ability users!"

“With these breakthroughs, we won’t just be ahead—we’ll be the saviors of humanity. Every base on Blue Star will have to bow to us!”

A soft, way-too-familiar female voice responded smoothly, “Of course, Professor. Just remember how you present your findings, okay?”

“Of course, Miss Harrison. You have my word. Our lab doesn’t leak. No one outside will know about the test subject.”

The woman’s heels clicked closer on the tiled floor. “Right… Professor, I’d like a moment alone with my sister. It won’t take long. Just want to share a little news with her, that’s all.”

There was a pause. The professor didn’t sound so sure. “Well… it’s just we’re in the most critical phase of the analysis...”

The woman gave a soft laugh, light but a little cold. “Come on, Professor. You do remember how we got such a ‘perfect’ specimen in the first place, right? Don’t tell me you’re worried I’d ruin her now.”

The professor gave an awkward chuckle. “Of course not! It’s just… timing and all...”

“I promise, it won’t mess with your progress. Thirty minutes, tops. That’s all I’m asking.”

“…Well… alright then.” Given the woman’s influence in the base, he didn’t push it further.

Soon, retreating footsteps echoed faintly into the distance.

Step… step… step… until they faded out completely.

Then, after a moment, a slender hand reached up and moved the blinding lamp off to the side. Lydia’s eyelashes fluttered slightly from the change in light, more from instinct than thought—before going still again.The woman suddenly leaned in, her delicate yet elegant face instantly filling her vision.

Fiona Harrison—Lydia Walker's stepsister. Also the one who threw her into this hellhole of a research facility.

"Hey sis, how’ve you been lately?"

Fiona’s hand lightly brushed Lydia’s cheek, her voice laced with its usual sweetness and warmth, but her eyes were ice-cold and nasty.

Lydia didn’t respond. Based on what that man said earlier, it sounded like she was still considered valuable—for now, Fiona couldn’t actually do anything to her.

All Lydia needed to do was survive. Hang in there until Ethan came back. Then, she’d have all the time in the world to make these people pay.

Fiona frowned for a second at Lydia’s deadpan gaze. But then, like something suddenly came to her, she smiled again.

"Lydia, any idea why I dropped by today? I’ve got good news I just had to rush over and share with you!"

As she spoke, she leaned in close to Lydia’s ear, like she was scared her words wouldn’t be heard.

"Ethan Reid is dead! He’s never coming back for you!"

Boom—

Lydia’s pupils shrank, her heart thudding so hard it felt like it would tear apart. Her ears rang with terrifying static as the machines hooked to her started blaring frantic alarms.

No… Ethan couldn’t be dead. No way.

Fiona had to be lying.

Yeah. That had to be it.

Ethan was the first person to awaken both lightning and speed abilities. Even if he ran into some overpowered mutant beast or high-level zombie, he’d be able to get away. There was no way his life would be in danger.

This had to be fake! Absolutely fake!

The flicker of pain and forced calm in Lydia’s expression as she tried to suppress the emotional storm made Fiona feel oddly satisfied.

Grinning, Fiona suddenly turned to grab a scalpel from the metal tray nearby. She slowly traced it across Lydia’s cheek.

"You think I’m making this up, don’t you?"

She pressed down.

"Uh—" The cry that escaped Lydia’s lips was so frail, it barely made a sound.

A thin red gash instantly tore across her pale face, blood welling up fast.

Then, almost impossibly, the wound began closing. Within seconds, her skin looked untouched—no scar, no trace it had ever been there.

Fiona’s smile twisted into something uglier. The hate in her eyes darkened—how was Lydia still healing like that after a year of being experimented on?

Without warning, she slashed again, this time deeper, dragging the sharp blade in long lines across Lydia’s flawless face, each cut precise and cruel.

With her lips nearly brushing Lydia’s ear, she said in a low, sinister whisper,

"You wanna know how horrible your precious Ethan died? When the Sugena base commander sent over that footage this morning, the whole meeting room started gagging."

"A rank-eight mutant beast self-detonated. Limbs everywhere, blood raining down—wanna take a look at how your Ethan ended up?"

She tossed the scalpel aside and pulled out a phone, the old type from before the world ended, holding it just inches from Lydia’s face.

The screen flickered on—a scorched wasteland filled the view. In the middle of the blackened earth were chunks of flesh, barely recognizable.

Among them… was Ethan.

Or pieces of him.

His body had been sliced clean in half at the waist, the lower part missing entirely.

Even the hand that had worn their wedding ring lay meters away from the mangled torso. The only part that made him still identifiable… was his wounded, bloodied face.

It was him.

Her Ethan.

…