Goro and Axel moved like shadows through the corridor, steps measured, breaths controlled. One by one, cameras went dark—quietly disabled before they could register anything unusual. The white halls felt endless, sterile, humming faintly with power.
Then Axel stopped.
A door label caught his eye.
TEST-LAB B
He didn't hesitate. Axel slipped forward and began opening the door slowly, inch by inch. Goro followed close behind—
Too late.
A guard far down the hallway spotted them. His hand snapped up, fingers already moving to activate the hologram embedded in his white armored gauntlet.
Goro reacted instantly.
He surged forward, grabbed the guard's arm, yanked him back hard, and tore the gauntlet clean off. The guard hit the floor with a dull thud as Goro slammed him down. A distant camera caught only a blur—from another room. Not enough to raise suspicion.
Goro crushed the gauntlet against the floor.
At the same moment, Axel raised his silenced pistol.
One quiet shot.
The guard went still.
They moved fast.
Inside Test-Lab B, Goro dragged the body in and shoved it into the nearest massive white waste container near the door. The two of them scanned the room—
—and froze.
On one of three hospital beds lay a woman.
Unconscious.
Long light-brown hair spilled over the metal surface, skin pale, clothes torn and barely intact. Tubes ran from her arms into machines beside the bed. Whatever this place was doing to her—it wasn't humane.
Goro and Axel ducked behind the container as voices drifted through the room.
Five scientists.
Two cameras—one in each corner.
Axel exhaled slowly, then rolled the dice.
5–4.
The room died.
Lights cut out. Screens went black. The computer one scientist had been working on shut down mid-process. Confusion erupted as the scientists began panicking, backing toward the exits.
They never made it.
Goro blocked the doorway.
In the darkness, the sounds were quick and controlled—bodies hitting the floor, breath knocked out of lungs. One by one, all five scientists were rendered unconscious. Goro dragged them into the container with the guard, sealing it shut.
While the power was still down, Axel destroyed both cameras completely.
The lights flickered back on.
They searched fast—white coats, pockets, wallets.
No ID cards.
Only keycards.Changing rooms.Numbers #10 to #15.
"Main IDs must be there," Axel muttered.
As they turned—
A soft noise.
One of the scientists had woken up.
Silently, shakily, he climbed out of the container and slipped through the door. Across the hallway, behind a clear protective cover, the red alarm button waited.
He reached it.
One step—
Then his body collapsed to the floor.
The motion was so sudden it barely registered.
Behind him stood the woman from the bed.
Light-green particles drifted through the air around her, fading slowly like embers. She moved with unreal calm, effortlessly pulling what remained of the scientist back into the room.
Goro and Axel stared.
Frozen.
Her clothes were still torn, barely holding together. In her hand rested a katana—its blade glowing with a soft, eerie green flame. She rested it casually on her shoulder and looked at them both.
Smiled.
"Hi," she said, warmly.
Goro and Axel stood there for a second too long, eyes awkwardly fixed on the woman's torn clothes and exposed skin.
She noticed.
Color rushed to her cheeks.
"Give me a sec," she said quickly, raising one finger.
Before either of them could respond, her body dissolved into drifting light-green particles, fading out of existence.
A heartbeat later, the particles reformed near one of the desks at the far side of the room.
She reappeared—changed.
Now she wore sleek, black assassin gear. A hooded jacket hugged her frame, traced with vibrant neon-green accents that pulsed faintly. The hood was pulled low, shadowing her face, and a black mask covered her nose and mouth. Only her eyes showed—striking emerald green, sharp and alert. Long light-brown hair spilled from beneath the hood, flowing down her back.
Her outfit blended tactical armor with flowing fabric: a reinforced chest piece, armored shoulders etched with glowing geometric symbols—a stylized X, a triangular crest. Straps and buckles wrapped around her torso and hips, clearly built for combat. A katana rested vertically on her back, its scabbard lined with the same neon-green glow. Dark fabric draped around her legs like a skirt, broken up by harness straps around her thighs.
She looked… complete now.
Goro and Axel approached carefully.
Axel extended a hand.She hesitated for half a second—then shook it.
Then she shook Goro's.
"Sealbreakers?" she asked.A pause."I suppose," she added.
"Yeah…" Axel said.
"Yeah," Goro echoed, at the exact same time.
She winced slightly and rubbed her temple."They caught me. After the fight. I-I ended up here. This lab." Her voice faltered, thoughts clearly fragmented. "My head's… not right."
"No time," Goro said firmly. "We need to get to the changing rooms. IDs. Passwords. One of the scientists there will have them."
She nodded, jaw tightening.
Axel moved first, easing the door open and peeking into the hallway. Clear. The corridor stretched ahead, branching into another passage. The three of them slipped out, turning left.
They advanced silently.
Up ahead, a new room came into view. The door was half-open.
WATCHING QUARTERS.
Inside, they could see movement—at least seven scientists clustered together. A few guards stood nearby, though the angle made it hard to tell how many. A massive reinforced glass wall dominated the room, lined with thick cage-bars.
Behind it—prisoners.
The scientists were observing them closely, taking notes, talking in low voices.
None of them noticed the three figures passing silently down the hallway.