CHAPTER 211: Ambush

CHAPTER 211: Ambush

Selene advanced cautiously through one of the intermediate floors of Enid Corp. The white lights in the hallway flickered slightly, and the constant hum of machinery made every step seem louder than it really was. Her breathing remained controlled when she heard voices approaching.

She quickly slipped behind a metal pillar.

Two scientists walked past her, dressed in immaculate lab coats and holding tablets.

—If the values rise again, the protocol will have to be recalibrated —one of them remarked.

—Do it before the next shift —the other replied—. We don't want mistakes with that subject.

Selene waited for them to move away before peeking out again. Her gaze swept down the hallway until it stopped on a slightly ajar door. Above it, a discreet sign read:

Maintenance Room.

She frowned. Too generic.

Carefully, she pushed the door open and slipped inside.

The room was packed with metal cabinets, tables holding scientific instruments, and dark screens. The air smelled of disinfectant and chemicals. It did not seem like a simple maintenance room, but rather a technical storeroom hidden in plain sight.

Selene moved between the tables until something caught her attention.

In a refrigerated compartment there were several trays with injectables perfectly aligned. Each one bore a black label with white letters.

ÜBER LYCAN SERUM.

Selene's pulse quickened.

She took one carefully and examined it more closely. On the refrigerator's side screen, a detailed description appeared automatically. Selene began reading in silence.

—"Extreme cellular stimulation compound. Increases strength, endurance, speed, and regeneration in lycan subjects…" —she whispered.

She kept reading.

—"Exclusive use under Enid Corp supervision. Prohibited in non-compatible subjects. High risk of physiological collapse."

Her eyes stopped on the last line.

Authorized subject: Fenix Roger.
Classification: Exclusive use.

Selene clenched the injectable between her fingers.

—Steroids… for lycans? —she murmured—. No… something much worse.

She looked at the rest of the doses. There were many. Too many for simple tests.

A chill ran down her spine.

—What exactly are you doing, Enid Corp…? —she thought.

She put the injectable back in its place, carefully closed the compartment, and took a step back, aware that she had just discovered something she should never have seen.

Selene reacted immediately upon hearing the footsteps approaching. The sound was heavy, rhythmic, too firm to belong to a scientist. Without thinking, she slipped under one of the metal tables, holding her breath and pressing her body against the cold floor.

The door opened.

An immense shadow crossed the threshold.

Selene barely looked up between the table legs and felt a knot in her stomach.

It was him.

The figure was over two meters tall, with a colossal build that almost brushed the ceiling. He wore an immaculate black suit, a white shirt, and a tie fitted at his neck. His presence filled the room with an invisible pressure, as if the air became denser around him.

Fenix Roger.

His black eyes, with that unnatural white point in the center, swept across the room with unsettling calm. He did not seem to be looking for anything in particular; he was simply there, dominating the space with his mere presence.

Selene stayed motionless, without blinking.

Every heartbeat thundered in her ears.

Fenix walked to the refrigerated compartment. He opened the hatch with a slow, precise movement. He observed the ampoules lined up as if they were collector's pieces.

He took one.

He twirled it between his fingers.

Without any doubt or ceremony, he removed the protective cap and injected the contents directly into the vein of his forearm.

The liquid disappeared beneath the skin.

For a second nothing happened.

Then the muscles of his arm tensed unnaturally. His veins stood out like cables beneath the skin. A slight vibration ran through his body, as if some internal energy had awakened all at once.

Fenix let out a low, rough laugh, charged with almost childish satisfaction.

—It works… it always works —he murmured, with a crooked smile.

He clenched his fist, testing his own strength, and his knuckles cracked with a dry sound.

Selene swallowed.

Fear pierced her like an electric shock, but she forced her body to remain still. She could not move. She could not breathe loudly. She could not make the slightest mistake.

Fenix remained silent for a few more seconds, savoring the sensation running through his body. Then he left the empty ampoule on the table and turned toward the exit.

Before leaving, he tilted his head slightly, as if he had heard something… or as if his instinct had sensed a presence.

Selene held her breath until her lungs burned.

After an eternal instant, Fenix simply opened the door and left the room.

The sound of his footsteps faded down the hallway.

Only then did Selene slowly release the air, her heart still racing.

—That was close… too close —she thought, a tremor running through her hands.

She stayed under the table a few more seconds, regaining her calm, aware that she had seen something that confirmed her worst suspicions.

That was not a simple serum.

It was a monster contained in a needle.

Selene cautiously left the maintenance room. Her senses were still on maximum alert after what she had just witnessed. She had taken only a few steps down the hallway when, turning a corner, she collided head-on with someone.

Both of them recoiled from the impact.

—Sorry… —they said at the same time.

Selene looked up. In front of her was a middle-aged man, with a tired face, a sharp gaze, and simple clothing, too discreet for that place.