The revelation that Dr. Aris Thorne was behind the blight settled over the lab like a cloud. This wasn't a random disaster; it was a carefully orchestrated attack by a brilliant, evil mind.
"If Thorne is here, he's watching," Jonah said, pacing the length of the room. "He'll be tracking our movements, studying our methods. He's treating this whole province like his personal petri dish."
"Then we must be cautious," Vanessa added, her fingers tracing a glowing rune on her console. "He'll have magical traps, surveillance spells…"
Lira, who had been standing silently by the window, turned to face them. The pain in her eyes had been replaced by a focused intensity. "Science can only take us so far. We know the blight is intelligent. It has a consciousness, even if it is a corrupted one. It has a voice."
She took a deep breath. "I can follow its scream."
