Lana’s eyes widened, a spark of hope flashing within them. “Are you serious? What if they find out?”
“I know that it’s risky, but I can’t just sit around doing nothing—not when people are being treated this way. It’s not right.”
Lana sighed, her shoulders sagging a little. “We don’t have much hope in this place. But this... This could be a game-changer.”
Emily nodded, glancing around to ensure their privacy. “I need allies, Lana. I can’t do this alone. There are a couple of guards... I’ve seen the way they look at some of the shifters who are in pain. I think they might be sympathetic.”
Lana frowned, her lips thinning. “A couple of them maybe, but you need to be careful. Marcus is growing suspicious. He’s watching everyone.”
Emily swallowed, her earlier encounter with Marcus flashing in her mind. “I know. But I have to take risks if I’m going to make a difference. It’s the only way.”
Lana sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. “There is Jamie, one of the younger guards. I’ve seen kindness in his eyes, not just pity. Maybe he can be encouraged to help.”
Emily nodded. “Good. I’ll watch him, maybe sound him out—see where his loyalties truly lie.”
“Clara, one of the scientists might be someone to speak to,” Lana continued, “She’s often on night shifts. She once slipped me some extra food when she thought no one was looking.”
Hope welled up in Emily’s chest. “That’s a good start. We need all the allies we can get.”
With a final nod, Emily went back to her laboratory, her optimism growing stronger with each passing night. She returned to her private laboratory, the dim light giving it an air of secrecy and intrigue. After she’d donned her gloves, her gaze settled on the vial that held the prototype of the antidote. Taking a deep breath, she made her way to the holding cells where the shifters were kept.
Rosa was in cell six. The young shifter looked frail, heronce vibrant eyes now dimmed by pain and the effects of the drugs. Her chestnut hair lay matted against her forehead, sweat beading on her brow.
“Rosa,” Emily whispered, unlocking the cell door.
The shifter turned her gaze slowly to meet Emily’s, confusion evident. “Why are you...?”
“Hush,” Emily said, holding up the vial. “This might help you. Trust me.”
Rosa’s eyes widened, but she gave a slight nod, leaning back against the cell wall as Emily drew closer. Emily administered the antidote, her fingers trembling slightly as she hoped against hope that it would work.
For a long moment, nothing happened. Then Rosa’s breathing evened out, the color slowly returning to her cheeks. She looked up at Emily, her eyes clearer. “What...what did you give me?”
“Hope,” Emily whispered, tears of relief forming in her eyes. For them both.
Rosa took a shuddering breath, her fingers curling around Emily’s. “Thank you.”
Emily squeezed Rosa’s hand. “Get some rest. We have a long road ahead.”
Closing the cell door behind her, Emily returned to her lab. The antidote’s success was a ray of hope, but it was only the beginning. She’d taken a huge risk, and the weight of it pressed down on her. The facility’s walls seemed to close in around her, the sense of danger ever-present.
As she cleaned up, her thoughts raced. The antidote waspromising, but it wasn’t a complete solution. She’d need to produce it in larger quantities, and with Marcus’ suspicions already aroused, that wouldn’t be easy. Administering it to everyone would prove almost impossible, too. Many of the shifters would try to overpower her if she entered their cells and didn’t trust her enough to willingly offer up their arms without being held down by guards, or tranquilized. But that was a problem for another day.
She turned off the lab lights, pausing at the door to cast a final glance around the room. Her secret endeavors, her hopes, her fears—they were all housed within these walls. The burden of the lives she held in her hands was enormous.
As she left, the weight of her choices pressed down on her. She was one person, trying to make a difference in a sea of cruelty and oppression. But with each passing day, the noose seemed to tighten around her, the threat of discovery looming larger.
She had to be careful, but she also had to act fast. The shifters needed her, and time was running out.
As the night air caressed her face, Emily made her way towards her waiting car, the looming presence of the two guards flanking her like haunting shadows. The subtle intimidation in their silence weighed heavily on her, but she kept her face neutral, her posture straight. They were there to ensure she didn’t deviate from the path set for her by the facility.
They drove her home in silence then walked her to the main door. When she reached it, the guards gave her a curt nod, then left. Emily waited a few moments, exhaling slowly to collect herself. The condo complex was upscale and beautiful, but to her, it felt like another prison, albeit one with gilded bars.
Pulling out her phone, she dialed a familiar number, the call connecting almost immediately as she slowly made her way to her unit. “Mom?”
“Em! How are you, darling?” her mother’s voice, warm and comforting, flowed through the line.
Emily smiled, despite the emotional weight she carried. “I’m good, Mom,” she lied. “How are you? And how’s Claire?”
