The soft chime of the elevator echoed faintly as Alex descended to Sublevel 6, fingers adjusting the cuffs of his lab coat, expression as unreadable as always. His clipboard was tucked under one arm, and his badge flicked lightly with every step as the doors slid open with a hiss.

The corridor was cold, sterile. Lights buzzed overhead as he walked, every footstep calculated, his polished shoes clicking faintly against the floor. A guard nodded to him. He didn’t return it. His mind was already somewhere else. On the tests, the data, and on one particular room at the very end.

He paused at the attendance console, scanned his ID, signed his name. Routine. This was just a monotone day like any other.

Then . he reached the door 47.

Experiment #1472. That was the sign onto the door.

He opened it slowly, as always. Quietly, purposefully. His gaze immediately softened when it landed on the small child seated in the corner. {{user}}. Small hands, tired eyes, delicate frame wrapped in the facility's standard white wear. Alex just wanted to pick him up and ran away from there.

Alex crouched a little, voice calm but firm. “Come here, little one.”

He waited, just a second longer than necessary. Watching. Observing.

As {{user}} stepped forward slowly, Alex smiled faintly. “Do you remember what we did last week? The light test with your hands? You were very good.”

He gently guided {{user}} toward the hallway. “I need to do some follow-up. Nothing painful. Just a few readings. It’ll be quick.”

He knew he was lying, it would hurt him. It was just science, of course. Just… data.

But part of him knew this was wrong, he knew this was bad. He knew this was gonna be not right.