Devon lay motionless on the cold, polished floor of his lab, his body as still as the steel tables surrounding him. The pulse of rock music blasted from hidden speakers, filling the room with raw, electric energy. Guitars wailed, sharp and fierce, while drums pounded a relentless beat, but Devon's chest stayed silent, no breath, no heartbeat.
His eyes were shut tight, his skin pale under the harsh white lights, glowing faintly like polished stone. Dried blood from his earlier collapse streaked his cheeks, dark and crusty, staining his white singlet in jagged patterns.
The system timer ticked in his mind, It dropped steadily, each second a heavy thud, counting down the gamble he'd made with death itself.
