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.