The lower levels of the facility felt alive.
Pipes rattled like bones, steam hissed through cracked valves, and the smell of chemicals burned Leon's throat. Every step echoed too loudly, announcing his presence to whatever still lurked below.
Ada walked ahead, moving with silent confidence, her red scarf a thin streak of color in the gray corridors.
"You've been busy," Leon said quietly.
"Information is a weapon," she replied without turning. "And Requiem has many owners."
They reached a security door hanging half open. Inside, monitors still flickered, displaying rows of files, test subjects, and progress logs.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Dr. Elias Vorn.
Leon leaned closer. "Who is he?"
Ada typed quickly, bypassing the system with ease. "Genetic architect. Worked on military enhancement programs. Disappeared five years ago."
The screen shifted to a video log.
A man in a white coat appeared—thin, nervous, brilliant.
"Requiem is not a virus," Vorn said on the recording. "It is evolution under control. Fear makes humanity weak. Adaptation will make it worthy."
Leon felt his stomach tighten.
"Worthy of what?" he muttered.
The lights suddenly died.
Emergency power kicked in, bathing the room in red.
A voice echoed from the hallway.
"So you're the famous Leon Kennedy."
Footsteps approached.
A tall man stepped into the doorway, suit immaculate despite the filth around him. His smile was calm, almost friendly.
"Dr. Vorn sends his regards," the man said. "I'm merely the caretaker."
Leon raised his weapon. "You experiment on a city and call it caretaking?"
The man chuckled. "Lawrence Falls was already dying. We simply gave it purpose."
Ada moved beside Leon, gun steady. "Enough talk."
The man lifted a small device. "Requiem responds to command. Let me demonstrate."
The walls trembled.
From the darkness behind him, something enormous began to breathe.
Leon glanced at Ada.
"This is the part where we run, right?"
She smirked slightly. "For once, we agree."
The creature roared as the corridor collapsed into chaos.
And the name behind the plague finally had a face.