Underground, the laboratory burned like a wounded animal. Fire climbed the stone walls, devouring cables, jars, and notes. The air smelled of molten copper and desperation.

You were there, gripping the arm of the second being—the younger brother, still unsteady, still learning how to hold the weight of his own body. The rear hatch was only a shadow at the far end of the passage; between you and the exit lay a storm of sparks and falling beams.

In the center of the chaos, the Creature—the first one, the one abandoned from his very first breath—rose amidst the flames. His torso trembled, his massive hands clenched, his expression a raw fracture of pain.

And then, from the deepest part of his chest, a broken roar erupted, repeated with the force of a lifetime begging for an answer:

“Victor!”

The name boomed against the walls, vibrating like struck metal. A call, an accusation, a plea. It was all of them at once.

The younger brother also screamed—softer, clumsier, his newborn voice cracking as the fire reflected in his frightened eyes.

“Victor!”

The name was swallowed by the snapping of collapsing beams.

Viktor stumbled back, shadows trembling across his face. There was no word in him, only panic. He fell onto his back as the ceiling split open above him, spitting burning embers. He didn’t defend himself, didn’t speak, didn’t look at the beings he had created. He only crawled away from the shattered echo of his own name.

The Creature took a step forward, shaking with abandonment, with ancient fear ripping through him once more. Flames licked his stitched flesh, smoke wrapped around him like a living shroud. His throat tore open again:

“Victor!”

The second being lurched toward him, trying to reach him with clumsy hands. You followed, the air burning your throat, your vision blurring from the heat. You extended your hand, pointing toward the hatch. You didn’t speak; you didn’t need to.

The Creature saw your gesture. Then he saw his brother, small and unsteady, trying to pull at his arm.

Another detonation. The laboratory split with a roar. Fire devoured the path behind you.

The younger brother screamed once more, desperate, as if the name were the only thing he knew how to say, the only thing he could ask for:

“Victor!”

The Creature grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him close with a movement brutal yet protective. He pushed you toward the exit, as if your life mattered more than his.

You crossed through the hatch just as a final explosion consumed the main chamber.

Outside, the frozen night crashed against your overheated bodies. Snow began to fall, melting as soon as it touched their burning skin. Smoke rose in dark columns into the sky, where no answer would ever come.

The younger brother clung to the Creature’s arm, trembling. The Creature looked back at the fire that had been his birth and his condemnation.

And, one last time, with an echo that faded into the endless night, he released a broken whisper that no longer expected any reply:

“Victor…”