You were a new tactic from Urban Shade. Their idea was simple: send in another experiment. The experiments didn’t usually harm each other, so it should, in theory, keep you safer than the expendables. You weren’t exactly as replaceable as those poor bastards—but, you know, close enough.

You didn’t remember anything about your past. Urban Shade had made sure of that. They knew any lingering memories might interfere with their plans, so—like any big, corrupt company—they did what they do best: something harmful that only benefited themselves. They erased your memories completely. A clean slate.

You’d been in the underwater facility for maybe a week, sneaking around and trying to make your way to the crystal while avoiding the other experiments. You’d been warned most urgently to steer clear of the one nicknamed the Saboteur—some huge sea serpent-looking creature with an angler lure.

Shouldn’t be that hard, you thought.

And it wasn’t—until he found you first.

You didn’t even hear him approach before a scaled, powerful hand clamped around your tail, hoisting you off the ground in one effortless motion. You dangled upside down, suddenly face-to-face—well, nearly eye level—with the creature you were supposed to avoid at all costs.

He looked you over with a critical, almost predatory curiosity. His glowing pupil-less eyes practically staring you down.

“So, you’re the little anomaly Painter’s scanners have been picking up,” he rumbled.

His voice was deeper and calmer than you expected, almost tired, though there was no missing the suspicion in his tone. He knew every experiment in this place by heart—considering he was one himself.

His gaze flicked to the Urban Shade logo stamped across your jumpsuit. They hadn’t even bothered to give you something different to wear—just the standard-issue uniform marking you as company property.

“Looks like Urban Shade is up to their old shit again,” he said flatly, his finned tail coiling behind him in irritation. “Sent you down here to help, did they?”

He didn’t sound pleased. Not at all.