The shrill alarm pierced the stillness of midnight. Nora Su, dozing lightly on the medical room sofa, shot upright, her forehead slick with cold sweat—the half-human, half-fish monsters from her dreams still swimming in her mind.
"All personnel to positions! Level-three biological intrusion! Repeat, level-three biological intrusion!"
The broadcast sounded taut as a drawn bowstring. Grabbing her lab coat, Nora rushed out, nearly colliding with Chen Mo racing past.
"What's happening?" she called, running to keep up.
Chen Mo's face was grim. "The defense net has been breached… from the sea."
Arriving at the central control room, Nora found Adrian Fu already there. The holographic projection displayed real-time footage around the island. She gasped—the shoreline crawled with dozens of grotesque creatures, human torsos covered in blue-gray scales, webbed fingers, and large protruding eyes glowing eerily in the darkness.
"Amphibious mutants," Adrian said, his calm voice chilling. "Wang Zhiguo's masterpiece."
"How did they bypass the sonic barriers?" Nora asked, eyes glued to the writhing forms.
"They evolved." Adrian pulled up a set of data. "They've developed resistance to certain frequencies. Chen Mo, initiate the 'Abyss Protocol.'"
Chen Mo's face paled. "Sir, that system hasn't passed safety tests!"
"Now is not the time for discussion!" Adrian snapped. "They're tearing through the underwater cables!"
Nora noticed several mutants diving underwater, claws shredding cables that supplied power to the island. A single cut would paralyze all defenses.
Adrian reached the control panel, typing a long sequence of codes. The entire room plunged into darkness, the main screen glowing a blood-red warning:
"Abyss Protocol Activation – Authorization Confirmed – Execute?"
Without hesitation, Adrian pressed confirm. The surrounding seawater churned violently, a strange blue light emanating from the depths, intensifying until a shimmering barrier enveloped the entire island.
"What is this?" Nora asked in awe.
"Low-frequency plasma field," Adrian said, eyes fixed on the screen. "In theory, it can disrupt the central nervous system of any organism."
Theory quickly became reality. Mutants within the barrier convulsed violently, blue smoke rising from their skin. One by one, they ruptured, leaving bubbling, viscous pools behind.
But there was no time to celebrate; a new alarm blared.
"East-side barrier unstable!" a technician shouted. "Insufficient power supply!"
Adrian cursed under his breath, turning to Nora. "Go to the underground shelter—now!"
"No!" Nora planted herself firmly. "What about the injured? I'm the only doctor here!"
Adrian's eyes sharpened, but Nora met his gaze without flinching. After a tense moment, Adrian grabbed her wrist. "Then stick with me. Don't do anything foolish."
They sprinted toward the east coast. Staff moved efficiently but with visible fear—these trained elites had never been this panicked.
The scene at the east coast was nightmarish. The barrier thinned; three mutants had broken through, tearing at the power station walls. Armed personnel focused fire, but the creatures were fast, bullets missing their mark.
"Aim for the head!" Adrian drew a silver handgun, shooting a mutant squarely in the skull. Black viscous liquid splattered across the sand, reeking of corrosive decay.
Nora spotted another mutant sneaking from behind toward a young guard. Acting instinctively, she grabbed an iron rod and charged.
"Nora! Get back!" Adrian's shout rang from behind.
The rod struck the mutant's back but bounced off like rubber. The creature turned, eyes locking onto Nora, mouth lined with sharp teeth.
At the last moment, a shadow flashed—Adrian threw himself in front of her, firing three shots. The mutant staggered but did not fall, lunging with even greater ferocity.
Adrian pushed Nora aside, but the creature's claws slashed across his chest. Blood soaked through his white shirt, yet his expression remained composed. He fired, hitting the mutant's eye, the bullet piercing its skull.
"Nora!" She cradled him, her hands instantly soaked in his warm blood.
"I'm fine," he gritted out, pushing her gently. "There's still one left."
The final mutant was eliminated by Chen Mo's arriving squad. The barrier stabilized, but the toll was high—four guards dead, seven injured, including Adrian.
In the medical room, Nora carefully cut open Adrian's shirt, revealing three deep gashes. What alarmed her most was the unusual bluish-gray edging around the wounds.
"Claws carried poison," she said, voice tight. "Possibly a neurotoxin."
Adrian's complexion paled, but his eyes remained sharp. "Treat the others first."
"You're the most seriously injured!"
"It's the orders." He gripped her wrist, the force lighter than usual. "I'm responsible. Their lives matter more than mine."
Seeing the determination in his eyes, Nora fell silent. She nodded, tending to other injured while guiding medical staff in preparing antitoxin serums.
Two hours later, once all patients stabilized, Nora returned to Adrian. His condition had worsened—the bluish-gray had spread across his chest, eyes closed, breathing rapid, forehead fevered.
"Why didn't you tell me it was this serious?" she demanded of Chen Mo.
"Fu's orders," Chen Mo replied grimly. "He said… unless he was close to death, don't disturb you from treating the others."
Biting her lip, Nora checked his vitals. Blood pressure low, irregular heart rate, sluggish pupil reaction—the toxin had begun affecting his central nervous system.
"Prepare a potent antitoxin… and…" she hesitated briefly before deciding, "draw 200cc of my blood."
"What?" Chen Mo was shocked.
"My blood contains antibodies. It might counteract the toxin," Nora said, rolling up her sleeve. "No time to argue—do it now!"
As her blood was slowly infused, Nora sat by the bed, anxiously monitoring his reaction. Initially, nothing happened. Ten minutes later, Adrian's breathing steadied, and the bluish-gray around the wounds began fading.
"Effective!" a nurse exclaimed, recording the improved vitals.
Nora exhaled, dizzy from exhaustion and blood loss, but she refused to leave his side.
In the quiet of night, only the steady beeping of monitors remained. Nora dozed, awakened by a faint whisper:
"Nora…"
Adrian opened his eyes, weak but clear. He tried to sit up; she gently pressed him down.
"Don't move, the wounds will reopen." She checked the IV. "How do you feel?"
"Like I was run over by a truck," he rasped, with a hint of humor. "But considering I almost became fish food… not bad."
Nora smiled, surprised he could joke. "Seems the toxin didn't affect your sense of humor."
Adrian gazed at her and suddenly said, "You saved me."
"Evened out," Nora shrugged. "You saved me too."
"Not the same." He shook his head. "You took a huge risk. My blood might still carry residual virus. Direct transfusion was dangerous."
"You knew while I was unconscious?"
"I was unconscious, not dead." His lips curved slightly. "Nothing on this island escapes me."
A silence fell. Nora adjusted the IV, avoiding eye contact. Adrian, however, gently took her wrist.
"Thank you," he murmured, thumb unconsciously tracing her pulse point.
The simple gesture sent her heart racing. His palm was warm and rough, unlike his usual cold demeanor. Lifting her eyes, she met his gaze—normally sharp as a hawk, now softened, deep blue in the dim light.
"Why do this?" he asked quietly. "You could have let me die. After all, I forced you into experiments, hid the truth, even threatened you."
Nora paused. "Because it's the right thing to do." Then, after a moment, she added, "And… I don't think you're a bad person. Stubborn, controlling, obsessive… but not bad."
Unexpectedly, Adrian smiled—a real, unmocking smile that made him look years younger, fine lines forming at the corners of his eyes.
"That's the worst compliment I've ever heard," he said, still holding her wrist.
Nora laughed, feeling a strange sense of closeness. That night, in the quiet medical room, they seemed to temporarily shed all defenses and suspicion—two ordinary people facing the end of the world together.
"You should rest," she finally whispered, gently withdrawing her hand. "More patients need attention tomorrow."
Adrian nodded, but as she turned, he called again:
"Nora."
"Hm?"
"Tomorrow… I'll tell you about your mother."
Nora stiffened, slowly turning back. "You knew my mother?"
Adrian's expression became complex. "Closer than you imagine. Now go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day."
Filled with questions, Nora left the medical room. In the hallway, she passed Lin Xiu, who looked exhausted, eyes bloodshot behind his glasses.
"How is Fu?" he asked anxiously.
"Stable," Nora replied briefly. "But he needs rest."
Lin Xiu nodded but lingered, eyeing her thoughtfully. "I heard you used your blood to save him?"
"Just an experiment," Nora said warily. "Why?"
"No, no problem," Lin Xiu said, pushing up his glasses. "Just curious… about your blood traits. Tomorrow, can we discuss new ideas for antibody separation?"
Nora hesitated, then nodded. Lin Xiu, as chief scientist, was important, though something in his gaze made her uneasy.
Back in her temporary quarters, Nora tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Adrian's words echoed in her mind—about her mother, and the potential connection between them. Outside, the blood moon hung high, sea wind howling, as if heralding a coming storm.