Back in his office, Faust lowered himself into his old chair.
He opened a drawer and took out a bottle of vodka.
Without bothering to find a glass, he removed the cap and took a long drink.
The alcohol burned his throat, making him cough.
Yet he continued drinking.
His gaze eventually returned to the photograph lying on his desk.
Faust reached for it and gently brushed his fingers across Eila's face.
"Are you angry with me?"
He gave a bitter smile.
"You always hated it whenever I got too worked up over something."
He could almost imagine her standing in front of him, scolding him for neglecting his health.
For a moment, the memory brought a faint smile to his face.
Then his eyes moved toward their children.
"Anna, Jack..."
His smile disappeared.
"Dad is coming."
Faust lowered his head.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for keeping you all waiting for so long."
He raised the bottle and took another drink.
"Don't worry. They will pay."
His eyes gradually hardened.
"The world will pay dearly for what was done to us."
After sitting in silence for some time, Faust carefully placed the photograph inside his lab coat.
He opened another drawer and retrieved a handgun.
The weapon felt cold in his hand.
For several seconds, he simply stared at it.
Then he stood up.
Before leaving, Faust took the bottle of vodka with him and drank the remaining alcohol.
Once it was empty, he tossed it aside.
Clang!
The bottle struck the floor and rolled beneath his desk.
Faust left the office without looking back.
He returned to the main laboratory, where the countless machines and experimental chambers continued operating.
His eyes moved across the equipment.
These machines represented years of research.
Every formula, every failed experiment, and every discovery he had made since losing his family had been recorded here.
However, Faust had no intention of leaving any of it behind.
He retrieved several containers of gasoline and began pouring their contents across the laboratory.
The liquid spread over the floor, soaking piles of documents and experimental records.
He moved from one section to another, covering the workstations, storage areas, and stacks of research papers.
If anyone discovered this facility after his death, there would be nothing left for them to recover.
As Faust prepared to finish, his gaze suddenly stopped.
At the far end of the laboratory stood a large glass cylinder.
Inside it, suspended in a nutrient-rich solution, was a strange organic egg covered by a thick mass of flesh.
Faust remained motionless for a moment.
Then he approached the cylinder.
"Ah, right. There's still you."
He placed his hand against the cold glass.
The object inside had been the beginning of everything.
From the genetic material found within that strange flesh, Faust had managed to synthesize the virus and develop the parasite.
Without it, his final experiment would never have succeeded.
Yet despite everything he had learned, the object itself remained a mystery.
He had examined it using every method and scientific instrument available to him.
He had tried cutting it, breaking it, and exposing it to countless experimental conditions.
None of them had succeeded in completely opening the fleshy mass surrounding the egg.
Even the most advanced tools he possessed had failed to reveal what was hidden inside.
Faust shook his head.
"My only regret is that I never uncovered what you truly are."
His hand slowly moved across the glass.
He had spent years studying the strange object, but even now, he couldn't determine its origin.
It clearly wasn't something ordinary.
Its properties defied many of the scientific principles he had spent his life studying.
Yet whatever secrets it contained would remain unanswered.
"Well, it doesn't matter anymore."
Faust smiled faintly.
"Now you and I shall go together to the underworld."
He activated the cylinder's controls.
The nutrient solution began draining away, gradually exposing the fleshy object within.
Once the liquid was gone, the transparent chamber opened.
Faust carefully reached inside and lifted the egg.
The mass of flesh surrounding it was strangely warm.
He could feel a faint movement beneath its surface, almost like a heartbeat.
Thump.
Thump.
Faust paused for a moment.
Then he shook his head and turned away.
With the egg held against his chest, he raised the handgun in his other hand.
He looked around the laboratory one last time.
"So much for all those years of research."
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
"Let's end this."
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunshots echoed throughout the laboratory.
The bullets struck the glass containers lining the walls.
Crash!
Glass shattered, scattering fragments across the floor.
Various experimental liquids spilled from their broken containers, mixing with the gasoline and spreading across the laboratory.
Faust continued firing until most of the surrounding equipment had been damaged.
Only then did he lower the weapon.
He placed the handgun beside him and took a match from his pocket.
For a moment, he stared at the small wooden stick.
Then he struck it.
A tiny flame appeared.
Faust looked at it for several seconds before tossing the burning match toward the gasoline-covered floor.
Whoosh!
Flames erupted almost immediately.
The fire spread rapidly across the laboratory, consuming scattered documents and climbing over the damaged equipment.
Within seconds, thick smoke began filling the room.
Several glass containers burst from the heat, spilling their remaining contents into the growing inferno.
Years of research were disappearing before Faust's eyes.
Yet he felt no regret.
He slowly sat down on the floor, leaning his back against a metal cabinet.
The strange egg rested beside him.
Faust reached inside his lab coat and retrieved the photograph of his family.
He looked at their smiling faces one last time.
"Eila, Anna, Jack..."
His lips trembled.
"I'll be there soon."
He carefully placed the photograph against his chest.
Then he picked up the handgun.
The heat around him continued rising, and the flames were already spreading across the ceiling.
Faust closed his eyes.
"Bye-bye, this forsaken, damned world!"
BANG!
A gunshot rang through the laboratory.
Faust's body collapsed onto the floor.
Blood began spreading beneath his head, gradually mixing with the chemicals scattered around him.
The photograph slipped from his hand and landed beside his body.
Nearby, the flames continued spreading.
Soon, both Faust and the strange egg were surrounded by fire.
Everything should have ended there.
However, something unexpected began happening.
The mass of flesh surrounding the egg suddenly trembled.
At first, the movement was faint.
Then it became increasingly violent.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
As the flames reached the object, the fleshy mass began twisting as though it were alive.
SCREEEECH!
A strange scream echoed throughout the burning laboratory.
The flesh continued convulsing, desperately struggling against the flames.
However, as the surrounding chemicals burned, the strange material gradually began disintegrating.
Layer after layer peeled away.
And for the first time since Faust had discovered it, the object hidden inside was revealed.
It was an egg.
Its surface glowed with a faint golden light, and strange runes covered its shell.
The flames surrounding it grew more intense.
Yet instead of burning, the egg began shining brighter.
Crack!
A small fracture appeared across its surface.
Crack! Crack!
More fractures followed, spreading rapidly until the entire shell was covered.
Then, with a sharp cracking sound, the egg finally broke apart.
A strange, glowing substance slowly emerged from within.
Its body resembled a mass of silver liquid, constantly shifting and changing shape.
For several moments, the creature remained motionless.
Then it began examining its surroundings.
The burning laboratory.
The shattered equipment.
And finally, the lifeless body of Faust McHollen.
A feminine voice suddenly echoed through the room.
"What a tragically sad man you are."
The voice was soft, carrying a trace of sorrow.
"The heavens bestowed upon you so many blessings. Talent, wealth, love, and a life that countless others could only dream of."
The glowing substance slowly approached Faust.
"Yet they never prepared you for the suffering that comes with losing everything."
It paused above his lifeless body.
"The first true adversity you faced plunged you directly into the abyss of misery."
For a moment, the creature remained silent.
Then it continued.
"Nevertheless, you have freed me."
Its voice softened.
"And for that, I will help you."
A small portion of the silvery substance separated from the main body.
It floated toward Faust's head, where the bullet had left a terrible wound.
The liquid slowly entered the damaged area.
Almost immediately, the surrounding flesh began moving.
The wound started closing as the silvery substance worked its way through the damaged tissue.
Blood stopped flowing.
Broken bones gradually reformed.
And the damage to his brain began to disappear.
Meanwhile, the main body of the mysterious creature returned to the remains of its egg.
The broken shell fragments began dissolving.
One by one, they were absorbed into the creature's glowing form.
As it continued absorbing the fragments, its body grew larger.
The silver liquid gradually turned golden.
Its surface thickened, forming a solid outer layer around the shifting substance within.
Before long, the creature had transformed into a large golden cocoon.
Its size continued increasing until it was roughly as tall as an adult human.
The laboratory continued burning around it.
Yet the flames seemed unable to damage its surface.
Time passed.
Eventually, small cracks began spreading across the golden cocoon.
Crack!
A large fracture appeared near its center.
Then the entire cocoon began breaking apart.
From within stepped a woman.
Her long golden hair fell down her back, and her eyes contained countless tiny lights, resembling stars scattered across the night sky.
Her appearance was so extraordinary that even describing her as a goddess would seem like an insult to whatever she truly was.
The woman slowly opened her eyes and looked around.
The laboratory was still burning.
Flames had consumed nearly everything, and thick smoke covered the ceiling.
Yet she showed no concern.
Instead, she raised one hand and gently flicked her finger.
In an instant, the raging flames stopped moving.
The entire laboratory became strangely silent.
The woman looked at the motionless fire before her.
Then she made another small gesture.
The flames began shrinking, transforming into countless crimson threads that floated through the air.
The threads gathered around her body.
They intertwined, gradually forming a magnificent crimson dress that covered her figure.
Once the process was complete, the remaining flames disappeared.
The woman lowered her hand.
Her gaze moved toward Faust, who was still lying motionless on the floor.
For a moment, she silently observed him.
Then she approached his body.
The silvery substance that had entered his head earlier began spreading outward.
It flowed across his skin, covering his arms, chest, and legs.
Gradually, the liquid enveloped his entire body.
The woman watched as it thickened, slowly forming another cocoon around him.
Unlike her golden cocoon, this one had a faint silver glow.
When Faust's body was completely covered, the woman finally spoke.
"When next we meet, I hope to find you in better shape."
Her eyes lingered on the cocoon for another moment.
Then her body began turning transparent.
Her golden hair, crimson dress, and beautiful features gradually lost their solid form.
Within seconds, her entire figure dissolved into countless tiny particles.
The particles scattered through the air before disappearing completely.
The laboratory fell silent once more.
Only the damaged machines and the silver cocoon remained.
And deep beneath the facility, another machine continued operating.
The launch countdown had never stopped.
On the digital display, the remaining time was rapidly approaching zero.
[00:00:03]
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