The wolves hauled Kane back through the stairwell, his feet scraping against concrete as they descended into the bowels of the facility.
The chemical stench hit him first—acrid compounds that burned his nostrils and made his eyes water.
Then came the ozone, sharp and electric, like lightning trapped in glass.
Underneath it all lurked something worse: the metallic tang of terror, soaked into every surface.
They dragged him into the same laboratory he'd escaped from, past the twisted forms floating in their suspension pods.
Kane tried not to look at the bird spirit with its clipped wings or the salamander with tubes snaking through its torso.
The restraint table waited in the center of the room—reinforced steel with thick leather straps designed for beings far stronger than humans.
Kane fought as they forced him down, but exhaustion made his struggles weak and uncoordinated.
The straps bit into his wrists and ankles, leather creaking as the guards cinched them tight.
