Ryn walked through the dim, humming halls of the underground laboratory his father's command echoing in his mind.
"Take the specimen's head to your lab. I'll handle the body later."
He carried a reinforced jar in both hands. Inside floated Milly's head, eyes half-closed, hair flowing weightlessly in the suspension fluid.
But Ryn's steps faltered. Ever since he picked up the jar, a strange warmth spread through his mind a voice whispering from within.
"Left… third door. My body's inside. Don't alert anyone."
His eyes dulled pupils faintly glowing red and he obeyed. The mind control had taken hold.
He entered a sealed chamber filled with humming sigils and containment runes. At its center lay Milly's body on a cold metal table, her black-and-red scales dim under the flickering lights.
"Set me down near it," the voice guided.
Ryn placed the jar gently beside her. Then, under Milly's mental command, he began removing the runes binding her. Each one released a faint hiss, filling the air with mist and a low, throbbing hum.
When the last rune broke, her body shuddered fingers twitching faintly as the dormant energy began to awaken.
Milly could feel it from inside the jar her energy reconnecting piece by piece.
"Almost there…" she whispered into Ryn's mind.
Then the door slammed open.
"Ryn?"
Varlen stood at the threshold, eyes narrowing as he saw his son beside Subject M-07's body, holding the jar.
"What do you think you're doing with that?"
Ryn turned slowly, his voice no longer his own.
"She's not a specimen," he said in Milly's tone. "She's me."
Varlen's eyes widened "What?"
Before he could reach the alarm, the energy around Milly's body flared.
Her arm moved. Then her hand.
"Now."
Ryn lifted the jar as black tendrils reached from her neck latching onto the jar and with a brilliant flash, her head reattached.
Glass shattered. Lights flickered.
Milly gasped for breath eyes snapping open, pure black with crimson irises.
Varlen stumbled back. "No… impossible she was sedated!"
Milly smiled faintly. "Not sedated enough."
Then the room exploded in chaos.