Chapter 1

Elara Turner left the control center after upgrading her access card, inevitably passing by the contamination zone on her way out.

Pained humanoid creatures were contained behind the glass wall. They saw a glimmer of hope when they noticed the sorrow Elara couldn't completely hide. They pleaded with her, but she couldn't do anything to help.

There were many other failed experiments at the research base. They cried and howled in agony, half their faces resembling people while the other half resembled an unknown, grotesque creature. Many of them used to be researchers at the base who had become part of the experiments themselves for one reason or another.

That afternoon, the research base received another batch of prisoners. Cries, shouts, and howls echoed throughout Zone A.

A young sea hare humanoid grabbed Elara's clothes, so meek that he was scared by the noise. He trembled and clung to her, hiding behind her skirt.

"Don't be scared." She stroked his head, soothing him gently. "Everything's okay, so don't be scared."

His eyes were red, and he had delicate features. His gaze was filled with fear as he pressed his face against her hand. His lips parted, but he was unable to form a complete sentence. "Elle…"

His voice was soft and small, and he nuzzled against her hand. "Touch… Don't… go…"

His gentle pleas sounded coquettish, and Elara's heart softened. She sat down to soothe him.

The cries and screams came from the prisoners in the initial phases of their transformation. The ripping and tearing of their bodies brought them pain that was more intense than any form of punishment—it made them want to die on the spot.

Unfortunately, the pain was just the beginning. In the future, they would experience unimaginable torment. This was an entirely new form of capital punishment—the death row inmates would contribute whatever they could to science before their deaths.

The humanoid sea hare lifted half his body out of his chamber and wrapped his arms around Elara's legs. Looking docile, he pressed his flawless face to her knee, wetting her uniform.

She couldn't see this from where she was, but his red eyes filled with satisfaction and happiness. She was his keeper, and she indulged in him so.

"Are you scared, No.11?" Elara asked gently.

"Yes…" No.11's lashes fluttered under her soft touches, and his cheeks slowly flushed. His voice, soft and sticky with shyness, spilled from his lips.

Beyond the reinforced glass wall beside them, a brooding, half-squid young man gazed at them darkly. He had handsome, deep-set features, but his face was emotionless.

He wasn't the same as No.11. He was dangerous and aggressive, so he had never been allowed to leave his chamber. And so, he had never been that affectionate with Elara. He was named No.17, a hybrid of a human and a cephalopod-like mollusk. He was another experiment under Elara's care.

If she turned around at that moment, she would see the terrifying storm brewing in his eyes when he was usually quiet, docile, and compliant with her.

Ashley Lane always said that Elara had a certain affinity about her. It was rare for experimental subjects to develop feelings for their researchers—the experiments were brutal and inhumane, after all.

This zone, in particular, housed cold-blooded sea creatures that were solitary, reclusive, and devoid of emotion. They were also highly dangerous.

However, the experimental subjects under Elara's care all displayed boundless dependence and trust in her, which was a curious sight.

One example would be No.11, a sea hare young man whose flesh and blood were filled with healing properties. Another example would be No.17, a tentacled man who looked like a chiseled marble statue. Her third experimental subject was a gigantic, semi-transparent jellyfish—No.4, a blue bottle jellyfish mutant.

It was forbidden to name the experimental subjects—that was the rule. Once the creatures were named, one would inevitably form an attachment to them. Unnecessary emotions were meaningless restraints to the employees at the research base.

Elara had once secretly named the first experimental subject under her care. She'd later cried for days after the experiment had failed one of its splitting experiments. From then on, she'd only addressed her subjects by their numbers.

"See you tomorrow," she said to the experiments. She changed out of her uniform before starting the hardest part of her day.

No.11 whined and looked at her with his red eyes, seemingly on the verge of tears. "Are you… leaving? Not… sleeping here?"

His words came out awkwardly as he reached out from the chamber. He wanted to grab the hem of her shirt but couldn't reach her.

No.17 watched her silently. One of his tentacles pressed against the cold glass wall. He didn't speak, but the reluctance in his actions was clear.

These scenes of farewell, almost as tragic as life and death itself, played out almost daily. The experimental subjects resembled children who refused to part with their parents when being dropped off at kindergarten.

They acted like the most relentless overseers of the research base, wanting Elara to work around the clock until she dropped dead.

However, she'd long since developed an immunity to their overly dramatic goodbyes, only finding them more amusing than touching.

After leaving the room, she walked past an underwater tunnel. Above the aquaculture zone, a beautiful, ethereal, semi-transparent creature floated in the water. It was a massive jellyfish that seemed to eclipse the sky.

Its beautiful, silky tendrils looked as smooth and soft as pudding. They expanded and retracted as they floated toward Elara, tracing her features behind the glass.

Humans were always captivated by beautiful creatures. The jellyfish looked translucent and harmless, but the venom contained within its body was enough to kill instantly.

This jellyfish was the scariest, most venomous one currently known to mankind.

"I'm going home." Elara waved at the jellyfish. "Goodnight, No.4."

The beautiful tendrils grazed the glass, seemingly responding to her words.

…

After getting home and taking a short break, Elara stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows in her apartment and looked down.

The raging sea loomed menacingly, threatening to devour the edges of the land. Meanwhile, the sky unleashed a torrential downpour.

The research base's hotel-style apartments were 278 stories high, which would have made jaws drop a century ago. The 162nd floor, where she lived, once held the record for the world's tallest building. Now, it is just an average number.

Only 10% of the Earth's land remained, with continents no longer divided. People of all ethnicities and languages now lived together—the land was now mankind's final stronghold, their Aether Spire.

Legend had it that to avoid a flood that would wash out all life, mankind once worked together to build the Aether Spire, a tower that would lead them to heaven.

The planet had mutated several decades ago. The ocean's surface area had expanded incessantly, and the amount of land conquered by mankind had dwindled. 90% of the planet had turned into water.

The relentless downpour seemed to defy the law of conservation of matter. Ice caps melted, snowfields vanished, and with them came viruses, mutations, and strange, unpredictable evolutions.

And then—seemingly out of nowhere—terrifying, unknown alien creatures had appeared.

The Aether Spire Biological Research Base had thus been born.

Chapter 2

Elara showered and put on a soft bathrobe. Then, she got into bed, drifting off to sleep as the day's fatigue left her. She didn't have sweet dreams, though.

In her dream, she was taken back to that starless night ten years ago. Thick storm clouds had crackled with lightning, and thunderclaps assaulted their weak ears. The cruise ship had wandered helplessly on the sea after losing its ability to move, paralyzed by the turbulent waters.

Elara's family had died on that night. The enormous cruise ship had slowly sank to the bottom of the ocean amid cries of despair.

However, as death loomed, she was saved by a creature as mysterious and beautiful as the legends claimed. The creature had brought her to a deserted island, where they spent seven days. It had fed her, healed her, and awakened her from the throes of her high fever.

When Elara opened her eyes, she thought she'd died and gone to heaven. Why else would she be looking at such a beautiful creature?

It observed her with its jaw propped on one hand. Its golden-blond hair was damp as it rested on its shoulders, and its eyes were like gems soaked in the cold seawater. Its skin was pale, as was common for deep-sea creatures that rarely saw the sun.

What had truly stunned Elara was its lower body. Its iridescent scales shimmered, and its broad, ethereal tail swayed like a dream. It was a creature beyond the limits of her vocabulary—no words could truly describe it.

It was a breathtakingly gorgeous merman.

He seemed to adore her and tended to her with great care. However, when he dove into the ocean to search for food for her, she was saved by a rescue helicopter. Ten years had passed since then.

The seven days on that deserted island had seemed like nothing more than a dream. Elara's memories of that time had grown faint as the years passed. To this day, she'd never seen anything like the merman anymore.

…

Elara arrived at the research base early the following day after being tormented by nightmares throughout the night. She'd just started mixing a concoction of nutritional fluids when someone knocked on her office door.

Ashley entered the room, wearing her silver-white uniform. She sounded regretful as she said, "The memo's out. Your experimental subject No.17 will be taken away for a splitting experiment."

Elara frowned. Per its namesake, a splitting experiment meant that the experimental subjects would undergo constant tearing and ripping from weapons to test their regrowth ability.

Ashley couldn't help saying, "Don't form any attachments to the subjects, Elle."

"I know."

Ashley was a bioengineer, while Elara focused on tending to the experimental subjects and observing their habits. The latter disagreed that the subjects were devoid of emotion—she could clearly sense how strongly they felt.

They displayed joy, sorrow, anger, and reluctance. They would cling to her like children, even using various methods to catch her attention.

Elara approached No.17's incubation chamber and said gently, "We've just received notice that you need to be taken away for an experiment, No.17."

When she approached, No.17 had surfaced. His long, thick lashes half-covered his eyes like feathers soaked in water. He stared intently at her, his exquisite, non-human face devoid of warmth. However, his arms trembled slightly as they rested by his sides.

He wanted to touch her but had to restrain himself. No one knew how excited he was. He couldn't be coquettish like No.11—he didn't know how to use his eyes to win Elara's sympathy and pity, nor could he use No.11's tactics to catch her attention.

All he could do was watch her in silence and loneliness, staying by her side day and night in hopes of getting a single glance from her.

Things would be different if he were taken away for experiments, though. Whenever that happened, Elara would pay more attention to him when he returned.

The agony of the experiments could win him her attention and care—that was enough to make him happy.

…

Experiment A-17 was taken to the experimentation zone at 1:00 pm. He was locked in a high-density water chamber, and the staff members transporting him were dressed in protective gear while holding laser weapons. It was almost as if the young man locked in the chamber was a perilous weapon.

With Elara by their side, No.17 was quieter and more settled than ever. The staff transporting him couldn't help feeling surprised. One said, "Your keeping skills truly live up to their reputation, Ms. Turner. It's always been difficult to transport other experimental subjects."

She didn't respond. Instead, she continued soothing No.17. She had to wait outside the experimentation zone as she wasn't authorized to witness the process.

Splitting experiments were cruel—it would involve repeatedly severing No.17's tentacles and exposing him to incessant attacks from biochemical weapons. The purpose was to test his agility and regrowth abilities.

When first discovered on Earth, these mutant creatures were weak. They mostly appeared in juvenile form or as embryos, and biotech companies and the military quickly retrieved them for breeding and containment.

Their DNA bore no resemblance to any known life forms, and some conspiracy theories hypothesized that they had come from alien worlds.

That hadn't stopped those in power from seeing the immense value they held, though.

Mankind wanted to take control of the planet, perhaps due to the confidence stemming from always being at the top of the food chain. However, they'd forgotten that in the legend, the Aether Spire had ultimately failed to come to fruition due to the heavens' interference.

…

The splitting experiments were paused for a break to tabulate the collected data. When the doors opened, Elara saw No.17 tied to a metal frame behind a protective glass wall. He looked weak.

A few drops of light blue blood were scattered across his face, and his moss-green hair fell over his forehead, covering his eyes.

He had a metal collar around his neck, and a silver-white chain bound his flawless body. There was a certain fragile beauty to the scene.

The researchers circled him, almost bursting with excitement and joy. The experiment had clearly been a success.

Elara stood in the distance. No.17 suddenly looked up and in her direction. The cold lights above him reflected off his moss-green eyes, making him seem like an abandoned kitten staring at its cruel owner.

His weak tentacles were stained with blue blood. They shifted slightly, the ends curling inward pitifully, seemingly waving at her.

This was how he always was—he never complained about the pain.

The doors shut again, signaling the beginning of the second round of experiments. No.17's face disappeared behind them.

Elara pursed her lips and slowly tightened her fists. Just then, everything changed.

A deafening crash erupted, attracting her attention. It had come from an area near the experimentation zone—it was so loud that even the lights above them flickered.

Many armed guards ran to the area, looking tense. They were followed by countless bioengineers who were ready to act.

Elara looked in the direction from which the noise had come—it was Zone S, the most mysterious and dangerous zone in the research base.

Behind the towering seamless walls lived the most terrifying creatures known to mankind—their level of danger was unimaginable.

After a moment, the doors leading to Zone S opened from within. Elara saw Stephen Shore, Aether Spire's most revered professor and researcher, hurry to the exit tunnel while surrounded by people.

His left arm seemed to have been ripped clear of his body by something. The medical personnel with him held gauze and bandages to the wound, but it still spurted blood.

Behind the wide-open doors leading to Zone S came wails and screams that made one's hair stand on end. Someone stopped a researcher who ran out of the zone and asked anxiously, "What happened in there?"

"T-The special-grade creatures are out of control!" he cried.

Chapter 3

Things were more severe than imagined—more and more explosions and violent tremors came from Zone S. Armed security personnel and guards arrived swiftly and ran to the doors.

Elara listened as the sharp blare of the security alarm escalated—Level 1, 2, then 3… Finally, for the first time ever, it hit Level 4.

Rumor had it that deep within Zone S was a high-density water chamber with a depth that reached several hundred feet. Aether Spire's most outstanding special-grade creature was sealed in there. The creature had recently responded to the outside world and displayed extreme aggression.

The alarm blared louder. The light outside experimentation zone No.17 turned yellow, and the doors opened. The bioengineers inside were hastily packing their equipment and computers.

Someone hurried out and said to Elara, "Please leave now. There's been an emergency."

"What about No.17?" she asked.

"He's a little out of control now. We've locked him in the observation zone."

The bioengineer didn't go into detail. Just then, there came a crash and some shouts from the other side of the experimentation zone.

The experimental subjects inside seemed to have suddenly lost control and gone on a rampage. It was as if they'd received some signal or summons—they assaulted the researchers with abandon.

A strong tremor came from beneath their feet as if a savage beast was about to erupt from the ground. An announcement to retreat was made over the PA system, and the alarms continued blaring.

Elara had never seen such a large-scale evacuation before. She'd just gotten to the escape passage when someone grabbed her and stuffed a metal briefcase into her arms.

"Take this and pour the fluid into the experimentation chamber with the red warning light!"

Elara frowned. She was about to reject the woman when she said fiercely, "This is an order!"

She revealed the badge on her shoulder—she was on the director level, putting her three grades above Elara. A superior's order was like a military order at Aether Spire, where things were run like a military base. One had no choice but to obey.

The woman tried hard to conceal the terror in her eyes as she shouted, "Hurry up and go!"

Elara was forced to take the briefcase. "Yes, ma'am."

As everyone else evacuated, water laced with the stench of blood gushed through the doors leading to Zone S. It soon reached Elara's ankles.

She heard blood-curdling screams for help coming from deep inside. Some people fled while others screamed and cried. She was the only one who headed deeper inside.

She'd never set foot in this world—the special-grade creatures zone.

The long, narrow corridor was like a tunnel leading to Hell. The metal walls gleamed starkly, their gleam so sharp that it was almost as if they wanted to slash those who saw them. Her footsteps were the only sound in the cold, dark space.

The experimentation chambers had been destroyed so thoroughly that it was hard to tell what they'd originally looked like. The silence was so thick that one couldn't help feeling on edge.

Elara approached the place the woman had mentioned. The door was ajar, and she pushed it softly, seemingly opening a crevice to the abyss.

She heard the sloshing of water in the darkness. It sounded like something had clambered out of the water.

The electrical circuits had been destroyed, so there weren't any lights. Elara kept a hand on the wall to guide her as she cautiously explored the place in darkness.

In the center of the vast darkness stood an enormous cylindrical water chamber. Behind the glass, an enchanting deep blue light shone.

Elara opened the briefcase and took the vial of fluid from inside. She stepped onto the staircase beside the chamber, her every move marked by caution and wariness.

Something was watching her in the dark. Its gaze was almost tangible as it glued to her back; she felt like she'd been licked by a serpent.

She suppressed her terror and looked around, trying hard to identify the dispensing hatch. When she found it, she pushed open the metal cover, making a soft sound. Then, she followed the woman's orders and poured the fluid into the glass.

Almost immediately, the chamber trembled violently, so much so that she couldn't even maintain her balance on the steps.

It felt like the ground was being torn apart. Elara was caught off guard, and she lost her grip on the railing. Her body toppled backward uncontrollably.

She was over 30 feet from the ground—she would die or be severely injured if she were to land on her back from this fall.

Elara squeezed her eyes shut, not even in time to try to defend herself. However, the agony she expected didn't come.

At that critical juncture, she felt an ice-cold sensation at her waist. It felt like something had grabbed her by the waist, but the feeling was so fleeting that it was more like a hallucination.

The inertia made her head spin. Whatever had caught her flung her aside, making her fall to the floor. She was still alive!

Elara looked up and saw a flash of light blue from the reflection on the glass chamber. It was a fleeting glance, but it made her freeze. Whatever she'd seen had been slender, ethereal, and almost like a dream.

What was that?

She sat there in a daze for a long time as her brain short-circuited. What was it that had saved her?

At the same time, alarm bells rang in her mind. She saw a large hole in the chamber's glass; it was empty. The special-grade creature had escaped.

Elara felt deeply uneasy. Suddenly, she heard a sharp clanking sound—it sounded like a metal chain being dragged across the floor—and it seemed amplified in the darkness.

A chill ran down her spine. She could sense that a terrifying creature was watching her. Darkness surrounded her, and she felt like prey exposed to its predator's eyes.

Her breathing grew louder, but she still heard the faint sound of something heavy crunching over the shattered glass. It was alarmingly close to her—something was approaching.

Elara forced herself to calm down as she turned around to see what was behind her. She vaguely saw a slender silhouette amid the toppled equipment.

The dim blue hue from the water chamber barely illuminated the cold eyes hidden in the darkness. She held her breath, feeling like her blood flow was slowing.

She couldn't find the words to describe those eyes. She could only see half the person's head—the rest of their body was hidden in the darkness.

Those silver eyes looked like gems, their radiant glow evident even in the pitch-black surroundings. Then, Elara smelled the metallic scent of blood.

Nobody else was in the room, and she wasn't injured. That, coupled with the earlier sound of something crunching the glass, led her to conclude that this mysterious person was injured. They were probably bleeding profusely.

After some thought, she held up her hands. "I mean no harm; I won't hurt you."

Soothing and pacifying was what a keeper did best. She asked, "Are you injured?"

She kept her voice gentle. The person remained silent, but it hinted at a compliance that allowed her to approach them.

Elara got to her feet, keeping her hands in the air as she slowly approached the person. "Don't be scared. Look—my hands are empty."

The eyes were filled with vigilance as they followed her every movement.

She gasped when she got closer to the person—no, creature. It looked beautiful, even as it lay atop the shattered glass. Its soft, blonde hair rested on its shoulders, and its lips were rosy. Its skin was pale, which was characteristic of deep-sea creatures that barely saw the sun.

It was so gorgeous that it was almost like a figment of her imagination—its features were so exquisite that it couldn't be human.

"Are you injured?" Elara asked softly. She didn't want to scare the creature.

It merely looked at her quietly. Something swirled in its eyes, but the darkness concealed it.

She slowly reached out and told it that she meant no harm. "Don't be scared. I'm a keeper, so I can tend to your wounds and get you—"

She abruptly stopped when she saw the creature's Adam's apple. That caught her off guard.

Then, she saw its toned muscles and broad shoulders. Everything she saw made it clear to her that she was facing a man.

Something flickered iridescently in the darkness. Elara's gaze followed it, and her mind went blank.

It was a fishtail—long, slender, and huge as it spread over the floor.

This was a merman.

Chapter 4

Legend had it that merfolk were otherworldly creatures that had crossed dimensions and arrived from a cold, twisted world.

Elara had seen a merman when she was younger but had forgotten his appearance because she'd been delirious from her high fever. All she remembered was that he was beautiful.

That was the day her life had changed forever. The waves had overturned the cruise ship she and her family had taken.

She'd later heard that the sailors had heard an enchanting song right before the shipwreck. Everyone had fallen into a trance, their eyes staring at nothingness as they jumped into the water.

Some people had screamed, and some had shouted. Some had cried at the top of their lungs.

Elara had sunk into the icy depths of the water and watched as unknown creatures dragged the people around her deeper. She'd tasted the blood in the salty seawater, expecting herself to be the next victim. She had thought one of the savage predators would tear her to shreds and eat her up.

However, that was when she saw a beautiful figure shoot toward her from the distance. It had made a sound, sending the grotesque carnivores around her scattering.

Elara had swallowed a few mouthfuls of seawater in her shock. Someone had grabbed her wrist when she was on the verge of death before pulling her into a cold embrace.

She remembered the blonde hair spreading before her like a veil flowing with the water's movements, dazing her. The creature had flicked its tail, looking like a shooting star that had descended into the ocean.

The merman had saved her life and kept her on a deserted island. They had spent seven cold yet beautiful days there.

He seemed to adore her. On her first day on the island, all Elara had done was cry. The merman had brought her food, but she was too overwhelmed by her fear to appreciate the gesture. She ignored his goodwill.

On the second day, Elara had fallen sick and developed a fever. The merman had kissed her like she was a precious treasure and fed her the food he'd brought after chewing it up.

The third, fourth, and fifth days passed in a delirium. Elara had barely been conscious. On the sixth day, she'd been awakened by a series of gentle, wet kisses.

The merman had kissed her ear while uttering love-filled words in a language she couldn't understand. His kisses had come with nibbles; his sharp teeth had pierced through the soft skin on her ear, making her tremble. She'd thought he wanted to eat her and had immediately burst into tears of fright.

The merman's kisses and bites had left several marks on her soft, supple skin—like a carnivore's teeth marks. He'd observed them, looking captivated. Then, he'd laughed in pleasure and wrapped his tail around her waist, dragging her into the water as if wanting to frolic with her.

He'd thought he was pleasing her and making her happy, but it only made her wail louder. She'd been terrified.

His adoration had spilled from his gemstone-like eyes, and he'd put his feelings into action. He'd clung to Elara and touched her, keeping her close as he kissed her. He was as beautiful as an angel, yet he terrified her as if he were a devil.

The merman didn't understand human social cues, or that one had to take things slowly when expressing their love for another. He'd kissed and bitten Elara based on his animal instinct, and he'd caressed her hair gently. He'd even stayed on land for long hours because of her; he'd held her like she was his precious toy.

For days, she'd been surrounded by iciness, wetness, and the fear of the unknown. The merman occasionally dragged Elara into the cold seawater and kissed her; other times, he would wrap his tail tightly around her. She was the toy he'd treasured.

The fear of death lingered in her mind, constantly keeping her on edge. She never stopped worrying that the merman's razor-sharp teeth would one day pierce her neck.

However, that never happened. The merman took good care of her, keeping her safe, save for the marks he left on her.

On the seventh day, Elara was saved by a military helicopter while asleep. The merman had saved her life, leaving her with memories she would never be able to erase. However, she had later developed a high fever, leading to her forgetting the merman's face.

…

Elara snapped out of her memories. The merman before her, Eryndor, had grabbed her sleeve and stared into her eyes, his gaze captivating. His fingers were cold and wet, and an almost translucent web formed between them. His skin was pale and flawless.

To her surprise, he could speak.

"Please save me." His voice was slightly husky, and it sounded like a haunting aria.

She immediately hurried forward and carefully helped him up. He took the opportunity to wrap an arm around her shoulders, his actions intimate and affectionate. He let out a soft, satisfied sigh.

His tail had been torn down the middle, and a broken chain had been cast aside nearby. It made it clear the nasty things the research base's engineers had done to him.

Elara was stunned. "Did they… did they pierce your tail with a chain?"

Eryndor leaned against her shoulder as if silently agreeing with her words. He seemed tired, yet his actions were gentle and affectionate. His wet hair clung to Elara's neck, which was an odd sensation.

She didn't resist him. Instead, she asked cautiously, "Are you okay? Are you injured anywhere else?"

He frowned slightly at her words. Then, he lifted his arm to show her a bone-deep wound.

She was shocked. "That's terrible!"

She was so panicked that she had no idea a surveillance camera hidden in the corner above her was recording everything she was doing.

Someone pointed at the surveillance monitor. "Who is she?"

No one in the observation room answered him. The special-grade bioengineers exchanged looks, stunned by how docile Eryndor acted around Elara. He was a terrifying creature, and he'd never acted like this before. What baffled them most was the fact that he'd injured himself.

He'd slashed himself deep enough to reveal his bone before showing it to Elara with a pitiful act. He seemed to be trying to win her sympathy. It was unbelievable.

Suddenly, the screen flickered and was swallowed by black-and-white static, as if the signal had been cut. Eryndor had noticed them. He'd always hated being monitored.

Only one man was dressed casually in the observation room. He said coldly, "Find out who was supposed to pour the sleep-inducing agent into the SP chamber today."

…

"I can't carry you." Elara gave up after a few attempts. The top half of Eryndor's torso was identical to a human's, but his tail was close to ten feet. That wasn't something she was capable of carrying.

He blinked, his eyes hinting at dazedness. Her heart softened at this, and she caressed his head. "I'll go get something to help. Wait here for me, okay?"

He was docile, unaggressive, and affectionate. However, he refused to let her go, even tightening his grip on her wrist.

Elara winced and said, "It hurts."

Eryndor immediately released her and looked down at her wrist, which was starting to turn red. He put on an innocent look.

She couldn't help laughing. She looked into his eyes and soothed him as she always did with her experimental subjects. "I'll be back soon, okay? Trust me."

He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at her doubtfully. She met his gaze head-on.

After a while, he backed down and said in a low voice, "You'd better not be lying to me."

"I'm not," she reassured.

Unfortunately, she didn't factor in the possibility of things later spiraling out of control.

Elara had promised Eryndor that she would find something to help him. However, when she left Zone S, she found that the area had been cordoned off.

As she walked out the doors, she turned a corner and bumped into the woman who'd told her to pour the fluid into the chamber.

The woman grabbed her and looked at her like she was a ghost. Her face twisted from her fear as she cried, "Didn't you go in there?"

Elara frowned. "I did."

"Why are you still alive, then?"

Chapter 5

The woman looked around in a panic. When she didn't see the metal briefcase, she asked, "Did you pour the fluid into the chamber?"

Elara nodded. "I did."

The woman raised her voice and asked shrilly, "Did you or did you not pour it in? Tell me the truth!"

Elara shook her off and said coldly, "I poured it in and discovered an injured merman beside the chamber. He requires treatment."

The women stiffened and staggered backward. "A merman… What did you just say?"

Horror didn't even begin to describe the look on her face. She looked like she'd seen a ghost. Her eyes widened in shock, and her lips trembled. She stared at Elara dazedly as she mumbled, "How's this possible? This can't be… How can you still be alive if you saw him?"

Just then, footsteps rang out, followed by a surprised shout. "What are you doing here, Elara?"

Elara turned to see Ashley run toward her from a distance. The latter threw her arms around the former. "I thought something had happened to you!"

A while later, Ashley finally noticed someone else standing beside Elara. She stiffened when she saw who it was and greeted politely, "Ms. Quill."

The woman, Sheila Quill, ignored Ashley. She had a hideous look on her face as she glared at Elara and threatened in a low voice, "Don't say a word about what happened today."

She was still holding onto Elara's wrist and tightened her grip, making pain shoot through the latter. Elara frowned.

In the distance, armed personnel surrounded Zone S and set up thick metal fences around it. It was as if there was some highly dangerous monster inside.

Elara stepped forward, but Ashley grabbed her and dragged her to the escape passage. "Don't go there. That's not a place we can stick our noses into."

Elara asked, "Who was that woman?"

"Sheila Quill, the special-grade director of Zone S. She's a dangerous character, so you'd better stay away from her." Ashley paused and gave her a complex look. "Many people died today, and the splitting experiment had to be stopped. No.17 has been transported back to your lab. A new memo will be out tomorrow."

Elara wanted to say something else, but Ashley gripped her shoulder tightly to stop her. There was the slightest hint of a tremor in her voice as she said, "We have to stay alive, Elle. Don't stick your nose into things that you shouldn't."

Elara silently looked into her eyes and swallowed her words. She shouldn't bother about things that she couldn't.

…

Elara returned to her apartment that night and was changing into clean clothes when something fell to the floor with a clatter. She picked it up to see it was a scale as thin as an ice sheet. It gleamed iridescently and looked like the stuff of dreams.

Ultimately, Zone S was a mysterious place that she would never step foot in.

Aether Spire was sealed off for two days due to the incident. Elara returned to work on the third day and had just started bustling around when Ashley came to her with coffee. She also informed Elara that No.17 would be undergoing his second splitting experiment at 1:00 pm that day.

As Elara took the coffee, Ashley said, "Many people were punished for what happened. Rumor has it that the special-grade creature in Zone S rebelled, almost causing the whole zone to fall prey to it."

"That bad?" Elara couldn't help asking, "What's locked in there?"

"I don't know. I heard Professor Shore is looking for someone, though. He's also asking whether anyone entered the special-grade creatures zone yesterday."

Elara was taken aback. "Has something gone wrong?"

"No idea. Mr. Gray was fired after he said he'd been in there… Why are you suddenly so concerned about this?" Ashley asked.

Elara didn't answer.

At 1:00 pm, No.17 was transported to the experimentation zone by armed personnel. He looked at Elara, his moss-green eyes entirely focused on her. He wanted her to soothe him.

She touched his hair and said softly, "Don't be scared. It'll be over soon."

The transportation staff watched them with curiosity, intrigued by this rare dynamic.

The people at Aether Spire firmly believed that these mysterious creatures held the key to human evolution—this had become an obsession that drove their research to the brink of madness.

Splitting experiments required vast amounts of military-grade weaponry; they were horrific and cruel. Even those outside the experimentation zone had to wear heavy protective gear—they would be affected by the powerful radiation without it.

Ashley stayed with Elara outside the experimentation zone and started talking to her about genetic programming. "The first batch of genetically programmed humans have been tested. After fixing their genes, those born with hereditary illnesses no longer have them. They're perfect humans now."

Elara asked, "Can they use their secondary respiratory systems?"

"Yeah. They were tested in the water yesterday. It's been confirmed that these genetically programmed humans can breathe underwater. The experiment was a success," Ashley said.

Elara fell into a daze upon hearing that. Perfect humans?

Aether Spire had created humans with two respiratory systems. The bioengineers in charge of the experiments had, in a way, become mankind's creators. They'd gone from being intelligent people to gods. They wanted to control everything and forever remain at the top of the pyramid—they wanted to conquer this planet, which was slowly spiraling out of control.

"They did notice something odd, though. The people started losing control about 30 minutes after entering the water. They started swimming toward the deepest parts of the oceans. When they were taken out of the water, they claimed to have heard odd noises down there," Ashley said.

"Noises?"

"The weird part is that none of our receptors picked up on abnormal soundwaves. The people said they heard singing, though."

"Singing?"

"Yeah. Apparently, it sounded glorious and seemed to be summoning them…" Ashley trailed off.

As they chatted, they didn't realize their topic of conversation would one day transform the whole of mankind. They merely touched on the subject and moved on, oblivious to the change it would bring in the future.

About four hours later, the splitting experiment ended. The thick doors opened, and No.17 was wheeled out. His once striking, bluish-hued face now seemed almost translucent. His lashes clumped with moisture as they covered his eyes.

"You've been through a lot." Elara approached and rubbed his head. "Does it hurt?"

The armed security personnel exchanged looks when they saw this. They found it novel to see her boldly touching the experimental subject without any protection.

No.17 lowered his gaze compliantly, avoiding her eyes. He didn't want to make her heart ache for him, but he was too tired to put on an energetic act. He fell deeply asleep just like that.

A researcher exclaimed, "This is amazing! Other experimental subjects would have passed out in the middle of the experiment—it's rare to find one who can make it through the whole experiment, let alone one who still has the consciousness to defend itself."

Elara looked at him coldly. "No one told me this experiment would put his life at risk."

The researcher was taken aback. Then, his gaze turned contemptuous. "The danger levels of experiments have always been confidential information because the presence of some soft-hearted keepers will affect things. I hope you understand that."

He seemed to be mocking Elara for being too soft. In the next second, he froze. He saw No.17 watch him with a dark, threatening look in his eyes. Even a single glance was enough to make his blood run cold.

No.17 had already been wheeled away when he returned to his senses. The person beside him nudged him. "What's on your mind?"

An odd look crossed the researcher's face as he mumbled, "Do you think… these cold-blooded creatures have emotions?"