That night, Adam stayed over. He woke early to find Hezme preparing breakfast. Stepping up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.
"Good morning," he said.
She hesitated before responding.
Adam reached for a pinch of fried egg, but Hezme smacked his hand away. She loaded a tray with a couple of plates and carried it to Shuxeta's room. When she returned, Adam was already eating her food. He grinned and fed her a bite before she snatched the plate back.
"We should go to the Spore building today. Look what I got." Adam held up a keycard, shaking it teasingly.
Hezme didn't react right away.
"Why does it feel like you're mad at me?" Adam asked. "She was having an episode. I had to stay with her."
"Did I say anything? You don't need to explain yourself," Hezme said.
Adam exhaled but didn't push further. "We should go soon, before they realize the keycard is missing."
Hezme nodded and went to the room to change. She tried on some of Shuxeta's clothes—too big, but she made them work. When she stepped out, Adam was already dressed. She brushed past him without a word. Adam shook his head and followed.
They got in the car, and Hezme waited for Adam to settle before driving off.
At the Spore building, they walked toward the entrance and confidently scanned Dr. Yan's keycard. The doors unlocked without issue.
Inside, Adam stopped at a wall-mounted directory, scanning the map. "Which department did your brother work in?"
"Research and Development," Hezme said.
They stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the floor. Nothing happened. The panel let out a double beep, denying access.
Again.
Again.
Adam frowned, then tapped the keycard against the reader. The light flashed green, and the elevator hummed to life.
The Research and Development floor was a blur of movement. People rushed back and forth, nearly colliding as they navigated the cramped hallways. Adam had expected something extraordinary—maybe a two-headed man or some futuristic experiment—but it looked like any other office, just rows of cubicles and scattered lab stations.
They wandered through the halls, searching for anything unusual. Nothing stood out.
Adam tried a door handle. Locked. He glanced at Hezme and motioned her over before forcing it open.
A man inside turned, startled. "This is a restricted—"
Adam cut him off with a punch, knocking him out cold.
Inside the room, monitors flickered with live video feeds. Deformed people filled the screens—mutated figures, twisted beyond recognition.
Among them was Main.
"That's my brother," Hezme whispered, pointing at the screen.
Main's face sagged as if melting, his features distorted. His arms were unnaturally long, his fingers curling like tendrils. Hezme's breath hitched, and tears welled in her eyes.
Adam clenched his jaw. "All this just to split."
His gaze landed on a thick logbook resting on the desk. He picked it up and flipped through the pages. "Subject GG567B—failed. Subject GG568B—failed," he read aloud, scanning entry after entry.
"Stop," Hezme said suddenly, her voice breaking.
Her hands trembled as she wiped her tears. "They're not subjects. They're husbands, fathers, sons, bra… brothers." She sobbed, her shoulders shaking.
Adam tightened his grip on the book, forcing himself to keep reading. His eyes narrowed at a section further down the page. "Look, they're even creating chimeras. Vermilion DNA, Sherma DNA, and House Compound G…"
His stomach twisted. Whatever they were doing here—it was worse than he'd imagined.
He looked back at Hezme. She had her arms wrapped around herself, shoulders shaking, eyes fixed on the screen like she was willing her brother to look back at her.
Adam set the book down.
"We need to get him out of here," he said.
They searched the room for clues on where Main was being held. As they sifted through papers and monitors, sudden flashes of red light filled the hall. A blaring alarm echoed through the building.
Adam and Hezme froze.
Slowly, they slipped out of the observation room, shutting the door behind them. Around them, people moved in a rush, their voices tense.
Are they evacuating because of us? Adam thought.
But as they listened, they caught snippets of conversation.
"Containment breach—ventilation required."
"Seal the lower levels now."
A chemical outbreak. Not their fault. But it could be useful.
They continued their search, blending into the confusion. Eventually, they found where Main was being held.
It was a fortress.
A single reinforced structure stood apart from the rest of the lab, secured like a high-value containment zone. Guards patrolled the perimeter, and others watched from behind thick, reinforced glass a story above. Cameras lined the area—at least sixteen just in the holding camps alone.
But the worst part?
They had no idea who was watching.
In the observation room, someone was monitoring the security feeds. If they could manipulate the cameras, they might have a chance. But even if they managed to take out every guard without drawing attention, the observers would still see—and the entire building would lock down.
Adam exhaled sharply. "This isn't going to be easy."
"Come forth, Oversight," Adam said.
A ripple passed through the air as his Mind Echo took form—an identical version of himself standing beside him.
Hezme's breath caught. In that moment, she understood why they were after him.
She stared at the two Adams, identical in every way.
"How do we get him out?" she asked.
Adam fell silent, thinking. His Echo mirrored him, eyes sharp, mind working. Within seconds, an idea formed.
The Echo smirked. "Why sneak in… when they can escort us inside?"
Before Hezme could react, the Mind Echo turned and called out—loud enough for the guards to hear.