"Nooo… Rian, do something!" Yunho groaned from under the couch.
Rian stayed calm. "Maybe it's the perfume you smelled this morning."
She narrowed her eyes. "No. There's another smell mixed with it."
Quickly, Rian turned on the TV.
"It's live," he said. "Your favorite scientists' competition."
Her expression changed instantly. "Oh—then I should go."
She turned to leave, then paused.
"Where's your rich friend? That stupid little boy. If he comes back, tell me immediately."
Rian nodded.
Once she left, Yunho and Yurim crawled out.
"Why does she hate me so much?" Yunho muttered.
Rian shot him a glare. "Aren't you the one who told her we're rich, in love, and that our parents would beg her to take us back—with money?"
Yunho laughed awkwardly. "If her stupid kid hadn't overheard, none of this would've happened."
"Then pay your rent," Rian snapped.
Yurim burst out laughing at their fight.
Yunho opened his mouth to argue—then froze.
"…Wait," he whispered. "Isn't that your grandmother?"
They all turned to the TV.
Rian's grandmother appeared on the screen.
She looked… wrong.
Without saying a word, Rian bolted out the door.
Yunho and Yurim ran after him.
---
Back in the laboratory…
The experiments began.
Creatures were pulled from jars and injected with glowing liquids. Some transformed into beautiful, otherworldly beings. Others twisted into horrifying shapes.
"See… I knew my team would do the best." "Just wait—my team will do better in the next round."
The crowd started whispering excitedly.
In the noise, Rian's grandmother quietly fixed her gaze on a little girl. Smiling softly, she led the child away.
Then—
CRACK.
The heavy metal door burst open.
A monstrous figure stepped out.
Its face was pale and lifeless, its jaw stretched wide, flesh puffed unnaturally around its mouth. Its arms dragged along the floor, too long for its body. Its legs looked half-formed. Its skin was the color of dried blood.
Screams filled the hall.
People ran in every direction.
The little girl's mother spotted her and pulled her close, fleeing in terror. Rian's grandmother's eyes burned with rage—but she couldn't stop them.
The monster roared and slammed its arms down.
Glass shattered. Fire erupted. The laboratory collapsed into chaos.
Outside, Rian, Yunho, and Yurim arrived just as people poured out screaming.
Smoke filled the air.
Through the broken building, they saw it—
The monster.
A chill ran through them.