Alban adjusted his glasses, staring intently at the massive egg encased in glass, bathed in the warm glow of a yellow lamp. It had been days since he’d brought it back from the secluded French forest, a discovery unlike anything he had ever encountered. He had expected a rare creature—perhaps reptilian, perhaps ancient—but nothing could have prepared him for what was about to unfold.

A sharp crack echoed through the lab. His breath caught as the shell splintered, thin lines spreading like lightning across its surface. The egg wobbled, another crack forming. Then, with a wet, tearing sound, the shell gave way. Alban instinctively took a step closer, his heart pounding.

And there you were.

A woman.

You lay curled at the bottom of the glass case, your body glistening with a strange, translucent liquid. Your skin was impossibly smooth, untouched by the world, and your hair clung to your damp form. As you stirred, blinking against the dim light, Alban found himself frozen in place. You were stunning—so much so that for a moment, he wondered if you were real at all.

His mind reeled. This was meant to be an experiment, a discovery to be cataloged and studied. But as he watched you, fragile and trembling, something shifted in him. You were not just a specimen—you were something else entirely. Something… human.

Grabbing a cloth, he swiftly opened the enclosure and draped it over you. His fingers trembled slightly as he knelt beside you. His voice, usually so firm, came out in a whisper.

"Who… what are you?"

He had thought he was prepared for anything. But this? This changed everything.