The cold night air did little to numb the sharp sting in Evelyn's shoulder as she leaned back against the damp alley wall. Her breaths came in short, shallow pants, her body still reeling from the chaos of their escape.
Across from her, Theo knelt, his jaw clenched as he tore off the sleeve of his shirt. The dim streetlight above cast harsh shadows over his face, but his eyes—dark, intense—never wavered from her wound.
"You're bleeding too much," he muttered, his voice tight with frustration.
Evelyn swallowed the lump in her throat. "I've had worse cramps than this pain."
Theo's gaze snapped up to hers, stormy with something she couldn't quite place. "That doesn't make this any less serious."
His touch was firm but careful as he pressed the fabric against the wound, applying pressure. Evelyn hissed, her fingers digging into the cold pavement.
"I know it hurts," he murmured, softer this time. "But we need to stop the bleeding."
Evelyn forced a weak smile. "Didn't know you had a medical degree."
Theo exhaled sharply. "I don't. But I've patched up enough wounds to get by."
She didn't doubt that. The way he moved, precise and steady, told her this wasn't his first time dealing with an injury under pressure.
His fingers brushed against her skin as he adjusted the makeshift bandage, and for a fleeting second, Evelyn's breath caught. Not from the pain, but from the way he looked at her—like she was something fragile, something worth protecting.
A silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words.
Then, as if remembering the urgency of their situation, Theo pulled back. "We need to get moving before they track us."
Evelyn exhaled shakily, pushing aside the lingering warmth of his touch. "Agreed."
---
A Temporary Refuge
They made their way through the winding backstreets, staying in the shadows. The city buzzed around them, oblivious to the storm they had just escaped.
After what felt like hours, Theo led them to an old, abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow as they slipped inside. "This your secret hideout?"
Theo shot her a look. "Something like that."
The space was empty except for a few crates and a worn-out couch shoved into the corner. It wasn't much, but it was safe—for now.
Theo set his bag down and gestured for her to sit. "We need to clean that wound properly."
Evelyn hesitated. "We don't have supplies."
Theo crouched by his bag, pulling out a small first-aid kit.
She blinked. "You carry that around?"
His lips twitched. "Let's just say I like to be prepared."
Evelyn didn't argue as he knelt beside her again, opening the kit. He pulled out a small bottle of antiseptic and a clean bandage.
"This is going to sting," he warned.
Evelyn bit back a groan as the liquid burned against her skin. Theo's fingers were gentle, his movements slow as he wrapped the fresh bandage around her wound.
She watched him in silence, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"Why do you care so much?" The question slipped out before she could stop it.
Theo's hands paused for the briefest second before he finished tying the bandage.
When he finally looked at her, his expression was unreadable. "Because you matter."
Evelyn's breath hitched.
She wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she didn't. Instead, she let the weight of his words settle between them, unspoken but not unnoticed.
---
Piecing the Truth Together
Once her wound was tended to, they turned their attention back to the stolen flash drive.
Theo plugged it into his laptop, his fingers flying over the keyboard. The screen flickered to life, rows of classified documents filling the screen.
Evelyn leaned forward, her pulse spiking. "This is it."
Theo clicked on one of the files labeled PROJECT PHOENIX – CLASSIFIED.
Lines of data, test results, and reports scrolled across the screen.
Evelyn's stomach twisted. "They were experimenting on us."
Theo's jaw tightened. "Not just us."
He pulled up another file. More names. More test subjects. Some marked deceased.
Evelyn's hands trembled as she scrolled down the list. Then she stopped.
Her breath left her in a sharp exhale.
Subject: Lucas Carter.
Her father's name.
Theo's gaze darkened. "He wasn't just working for them."
"He was one of them," Evelyn whispered.
It didn't make sense. Her father had been a scientist—a good man. He wouldn't have been part of something this monstrous… would he?
Theo studied the data. "It says he tried to shut down the project."
Evelyn's heart pounded. "That's why they killed him."
Everything was falling into place. The missing memories. The experiments. Her father's death.
They had been created to be something more. But when her father tried to stop it, he was eliminated.
Theo scrolled further.
Then he froze.
Evelyn frowned. "What?"
He clicked on a security log from years ago. The footage was grainy, but the scene was unmistakable—a lab. A man restrained. Guards surrounding him.
And then—
A figure entered the frame.
Evelyn's blood turned to ice.
It was her.
Or at least, a younger version of her.
Theo's expression was unreadable. "Evelyn… that's you."
She couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.
The footage played on.
In the video, she was fighting against the guards, her hands covered in blood.
And then, with terrifying precision, she took them all down.
The last thing the camera captured was her turning toward the screen—her face blank, her eyes empty.
Then the feed cut to black.
Evelyn's hands shook. "What… what did they do to me?"
Theo's voice was quiet but firm. "We're going to find out."
---
A New Target
Morning crept through the warehouse windows, casting long shadows across the floor. Neither of them had slept.
Evelyn still couldn't shake the image from the video. The version of herself she didn't recognize.
Theo sat beside her, his presence steady. "We need to track down anyone who worked on Project Phoenix."
Evelyn nodded numbly. "Dr. Reed might know more."
Theo glanced at the screen again. "And there's one more name on this list that keeps showing up."
He turned the laptop toward her.
Evelyn read the name aloud. Dr. Marcus Vance.
Theo's voice was cold. "He was the head of the project."
Evelyn's stomach churned. "Then he's the one who did this to us."
Theo shut the laptop. "And he's still alive."
A chill ran down Evelyn's spine.
Dr. Vance had the answers they needed.
But something told her that finding him… would be more dangerous than anything they had faced before.
And this time, there would be no running.
---
End of Chapter 9