Lucas’s POV

The lab was quiet at night. Not silent—but purposefully still. Just the way I liked it.

Above me, the overhead light buzzed faintly, casting a sterile bluish tint over metal trays and clinical tools. Glass vials lined the shelf like obedient soldiers. The air smelled faintly of antiseptic and blood—two of my oldest companions.

I leaned over Alicia’s latest report. The printout was still warm, the numbers still ...