Chapter 26: The Underground Laboratory
Kimo hoisted Ren's limp body over his shoulder like a sack of grain. "I know the risks, Kara. But look at him—he hasn't turned yet. If he were a Feral, he would have ripped our throats out the moment he saw us."
"Perhaps," Kara muttered, grabbing a heavy ring of keys. "But the Vane is unpredictable. Let's move."
As they stepped out of the alchemist's chamber, they nearly collided with Mika. She was just about to knock on the door, her hand frozen in mid-air. Her eyes widened as she saw Ren's pale, unconscious face hanging over Kimo's shoulder.
"What happened to him?" Mika gasped, her usual playful smirk vanishing.
"The potion is fighting him," Kimo said shortly. "I think he's on the verge of turning into a Feral. But what are you still doing here? Lira and Adam already headed home for the evening."
"I was just about to leave," Mika stammered, looking worriedly at Ren. "Should I go?"
Kimo shook his head. "No. You're a Supporter, aren't you? Come with us. We're taking him to the testing vault. If his condition worsens or his energy explodes, I don't want to go hunting for a healer. Your support abilities might be the only thing that keeps him stable."
"Understood," Mika said, her expression turning serious. "I'm coming."
The group moved toward the back of the Academy, entering a rusted, 2000s-style industrial elevator. The gears groaned and screeched as it descended deep into the earth. When the doors finally slid open, they were in a cold, sterile underground lab.
Kimo placed Ren on a cold metallic table in the center of the room. Master Kara moved toward a shelf filled with specialized diagnostic liquids. He picked up a vial of glowing blue fluid and walked back to the table.
"Kimo, strip his shirt. I need to see the skin directly," Kara commanded.
Kimo quickly unbuttoned the long black trench coat and then the fishnet shirt. As the fabric fell away, a heavy silence filled the lab. Ren's torso was a map of pain—jagged scars from the bullies' beatings and old, faded marks from his childhood were etched into his skin.
Mika looked away for a second, her heart sinking at the sight of how much this boy had already endured.
Kara didn't hesitate. He uncapped the vial and poured a few drops of the blue potion onto Ren's chest, right over his heart.
SSSSSST.
The moment the liquid touched his skin, it began to sizzle. Ren's flesh turned an angry, scorched black where the potion landed, the skin blistering instantly.
"If he's human, his body will fight the burn," Kara whispered, his eyes glued to the wound. "If he's a Feral... the potion will sink in and turn his blood to ice."