UNKNOWN POV

The dim glow of fluorescent lights flickered across the sterile white walls of the laboratory. A constant hum of machines filled the air, blending with the bubbling of chemicals inside glass tubes. The faint scent of blood and burnt flesh clung to the air. Scents I had long since grown accustomed to.

I stepped inside, my boots clicking against the tiled floor, and the moment my presence registered, everyone in the lab halted their work and bowed in respect.

As they should.

These ...