They regrouped in the security office. Marcus paced, jaw tight.
"I need to tell you something," he said finally. "Before this place went to hell, I worked for the company that built Haven Heights. I was part of the containment team."
Eli stared at him. "Containment for what?"
"The Human Evolution Protocol," Marcus said. "They were testing emotional resonance—how feelings could alter biology. The residents here were volunteers. Or so they thought."
June's eyes widened. "You mean we're all experiments?"
Marcus nodded. "The building monitors emotion through nanotech in the air. When the system overloaded, it triggered mutations."
Hana clenched her fists. "And you didn't think to mention this sooner?"
"I didn't know it would go this far," Marcus said. "I thought the project was shut down after the lab explosion."
Eli's voice was low. "That explosion killed Aria."
Marcus looked away. "Then she was part of it too."
The silence that followed was heavy. Outside, the sound of claws scraped along the walls.
Eli turned to the others. "If this building is a lab, there has to be a control center. Somewhere we can shut it down."
June nodded. "The schematics show a restricted floor between the basement and the foundation. It's sealed, but I can open it."
Hana looked at Eli. "Then that's where we go."