The dining hall felt warmer than usual that night.
Soft chandelier lights reflected against polished marble floors. The long wooden table at the center was set with a lavish spread—steamed seafood, roasted meats, delicate desserts, and a bottle of wine Rex rarely opened.
For once, the mansion felt less like a laboratory.
And more like a home.
Erika was staring at the food like a predator assessing prey.
"You realize," she said flatly, "I skipped lunch because someone locked the main database for forty-three consecutive hours."
Rex calmly poured wine into four glasses. "You volunteered."
"I was coerced by intellectual curiosity."
"You're drooling," Nana whispered, barely holding back laughter.
"I am optimizing intake efficiency."
Alicia sat upright at her seat, posture straight even in informal settings. She wasn't dressed for combat tonight. Just a simple black shirt and trousers.
Still alert.
Always alert.
Rex finally placed his glass down.
"We should start eating," he said. "We can discuss while we do."
That was all the permission Erika needed.
The room softened as plates began to empty and tension dissolved into quiet satisfaction.
For a brief moment, it was peaceful.
Then Rex spoke.
"We have finally succeeded," he said calmly.
The utensils paused.
"In what?" Nana asked, though she already knew the direction of the answer.
"Synthetic blood."
Silence filled the room.
Rex continued, his tone steady.
"A complete replacement. It can be transfused in place of regular blood during trauma, surgery, or deficiency. No typing required. No rejection across tested profiles."
Erika slowly lowered her fork.
"Universal compatibility?" she asked carefully.
"Yes."
"That's impossible," she muttered.
"It was," Rex replied.
He folded his hands on the table.
"The base structure relies on an engineered microbial framework. Through genetic modification and integrated nanostructures, it replicates all primary functions of human blood. Oxygen transport. Immune response simulation. Coagulation. Cellular repair support."
Nana leaned forward, eyes wide.
"You're saying it behaves exactly like blood?"
"Yes."
"And degradation?"
"Minimal."
Her voice softened. "Does it remain after stabilizing the patient… or does it flush out?"
"It remains."
That answer shifted the atmosphere slightly.
"As a matter of fact," Rex added, "it enhances regenerative capacity."
The room fell silent again.
Erika's analytical mind was already racing.
"Enhanced… how?"
"Accelerated tissue repair. Improved metabolic efficiency. Increased cellular resilience."
Nana's fingers tightened slightly around her glass.
"That changes medicine entirely."
"Yes," Rex said quietly. "It does."
Alicia had not touched her wine.
Her eyes remained fixed on him.
"Sir," she said calmly, "have you considered the broader implications?"
Rex met her gaze.
"Explain."
"If this replaces blood and enhances human capability, it becomes more than medical advancement. It becomes a biological upgrade."
Erika looked between them.
"That's not the intention," she said quickly.
Rex did not respond immediately.
Then, gently, "The intention is to save lives."
Alicia didn't look away.
"And is it morally correct?"
The question lingered in the air.
Nana shifted slightly in her seat.
Erika stopped breathing for a moment.
Rex leaned back, his expression unreadable.
"Is preventing death immoral?" he asked quietly.
"That depends," Alicia replied, "on the consequences."
For the first time that evening, Rex went silent.
Not irritated.
Not defensive.
Just thoughtful.
Then he smiled faintly.
"I am not killing anyone," he said softly. "I am trying to save them. Isn't that right, Alice?"
Alicia held his gaze for a few seconds.
Then gave a small nod.
"For now."
That subtle addition went unnoticed by the others.
Dinner resumed.
But something invisible had shifted.
And then—
The lights went out.
Total darkness swallowed the mansion.
No flicker.
No warning.
Erika frowned immediately. "Backup power should engage automatically."
It didn't.
Alicia was already on her feet.
"Stay behind me."
Her hand moved to her waist.
Empty.
She had not brought her sidearm.
A rare lapse.
Footsteps echoed from somewhere beyond the hall.
Not hurried.
Not chaotic.
Measured.
Nana's breathing quickened. "Alice…?"
"Quiet," Alicia whispered.
She moved toward the hallway entrance, positioning herself between the others and the sound.
A sharp hiss cut through the silence.
Too soft to be mechanical failure.
Too controlled.
Gas.
"Cover your—"
The air shifted.
A faint odor spread rapidly.
Erika coughed first.
Nana staggered.
Alicia held her breath and lunged forward toward the corridor, but a shadow moved faster.
A masked figure emerged from the darkness.
She struck immediately—driving her fist into his jaw.
Solid impact.
Reinforced gear.
Two more appeared behind him.
Professional.
Trained.
Not random attackers.
Alicia managed to disable one, but her lungs began to burn.
Her vision blurred.
She tried to hold position.
Tried to stay standing.
Behind her, Nana collapsed to her knees.
Erika slumped against the table.
Rex—
Was still upright.
Watching.
Then even he swayed slightly.
Alicia forced herself toward him.
But her body betrayed her.
Her knees hit the floor.
The last thing she saw before darkness swallowed her was a figure stepping past her toward Rex.
And Rex did not look surprised.
Silence.
Cold.
Metal.
Alicia's eyes opened slowly.
Her head throbbed.
The first thing she noticed was restraint.
Her wrists were bound behind a metal chair.
Her ankles secured.
Industrial setting.
Concrete walls.
Dim overhead light.
She forced her breathing steady.
To her left—
Nana.
Unconscious but breathing.
To her right—
Erika, eyes fluttering awake.
Across from them—
Rex.
Also restrained.
But sitting upright.
Watching her.
When their eyes met, something flickered across his face.
Regret.
"I'm sorry, Alicia," he said quietly.
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"It seems," he continued, "we've been kidnapped."
Alicia stared at him in silence.
And for the first time since she met him—
She wasn't entirely sure what he was thinking.