The city had changed.
What was once alive with laughter and light now stood cloaked in shadow — buildings gray with time, streets echoing only with the whisper of the wind. Meilin pressed her palm against the window of the bus as they rolled past the empty boulevard where she used to walk with Rui years ago.
"Feels different, doesn't it?" Rui said quietly beside her.
She nodded, eyes distant. "It feels like coming back to a grave."
He reached out, brushing his fingers against hers. "Then we'll dig up the truth and bury it for good this time."
Behind them, Xiaoya slept, her small head resting against her mother's arm. Meilin smiled faintly at her daughter's peaceful face — a fragile piece of light in the darkness.
When they reached the outskirts, Rui helped them down. The air smelled faintly of smoke and metal. Ahead loomed the ruins of the research facility — the place where Meilin had once been reborn.
"Are you sure you want to go inside?" Rui asked.
Meilin's voice was steady, though her hands trembled. "If we don't, we'll never be free."
They stepped through the cracked glass doors, their footsteps echoing down the long, abandoned halls. Dust covered the walls, but the faint hum of electricity still buzzed somewhere deep within.
"This shouldn't still have power," Rui muttered.
"That's because someone's been here," Meilin whispered.
Suddenly, lights flickered on — harsh, white, blinding.
A voice echoed through the corridor. "I see you've come home, Meilin."
Rui froze. The sound was calm, familiar… chilling.
Dr. Liang stepped out from the shadows, his lab coat spotless, his smile sharp. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to return."
Meilin's breath caught. "You were supposed to be dead."
Liang chuckled softly. "Ah, but death is relative, isn't it? Especially for those of us who've touched the edge of it."
Rui's stance shifted protectively. "What do you want from her?"
"What I've always wanted," Liang replied smoothly. "Perfection. She was my greatest success — and my greatest failure. The formula in her blood… it's evolving again."
Meilin stepped back, shaking her head. "No. You can't have it. You can't have me."
Liang's smile widened. "I already do, child. You were never free."
A sharp pain shot through her veins — cold, burning. She gasped, clutching her arm. Rui rushed forward, catching her before she fell.
"What did you do to her?" Rui shouted.
Liang's eyes glimmered with satisfaction. "It's not what I did. It's what she is. The serum inside her was never dormant — it's awakening now."
Rui lifted her into his arms. "We're leaving."
Liang stepped aside, unbothered. "Go on. But remember, she belongs to me — and when it finishes awakening, she'll come back on her own."
Meilin's vision blurred as Rui carried her out. She could hear Xiaoya calling faintly from outside, her voice trembling with fear.
"Mommy! Daddy!"
Her heart squeezed painfully at the sound. She tried to open her eyes, to speak, but darkness pulled her under like a wave.
The last thing she heard before everything went black was Rui's voice — fierce, desperate, an
d full of love.
"Hold on, Meilin. I won't lose you again."