The old wine cellar had been gutted.
No dust between the bricks now—
only seamless white panels sealing every gap.
In the center, a spectrometer from Milan.
A high-speed centrifuge.
A reaction tank for compound synthesis.
The machines gleamed under fluorescent light,
their steel skins cold as the room itself.
Luca wore a white lab coat and latex gloves.
The binder lay open beside him,
its pages streaked with yellow highlighter.
Notes on dopamine receptor modulation.
Synaptic potential reinforcement in short-term memory sectors.
The heart of Dr. Nam's life's work—stolen, intact.
"Drop the voltage point-two.
Any higher and the proteins denature."
At his word, Elena turned the dial.
The machine hummed low.
Clear liquid in the glass tubing slowly bled into pale teal.
Phase One – α-4 Compound.
Increase focus.
Strengthen short-term recall.
Minimize side effects.
That was the first objective.
At the top of the stairs, Bianca stood in shadow.
No coat. No gloves.
Arms folded, eyes locked on the scene below.
Elena's fingers at the bench.
The glint of a reagent bottle. Luca's careful lean toward her—
all of it shading over into something she didn't like.
"How soon before it works?"
Elena asked without looking up.
"First dose—twelve hours.
Second—half that.
After that, you switch formulas.
Nothing lasts longer than its side effects."
His tone was clipped, final.
He capped the bottle,
traced a Roman numeral Ⅰ into the glass with his fingertip,
and slid it into the storage case.
Footsteps on the stairs.
Bianca descended slowly.
"Smells strong down here.
Keep this up without ventilation,
you'll both lose IQ points."
Luca glanced over.
She smiled faintly, eyes fixed on the machines.
"I'd like this to be our secret… yours and mine."
Elena gave a thin, polite laugh.
Luca said nothing. Picked up the next bottle.
The lights in the cellar burned until three a.m.
Three vials on the bench—Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ—lined like trophies.
Luca leaned back in his chair, turning a page.
Now the opportunity's mine.
And from the stairs,
Bianca's gaze—longer, deeper—
etched the moment into memory.