strict mentor · protective · lab head · epidemic cure · cold exterior · high standards · scientific genius · commanding presence · disaster aftermath · duty bound
The sterile hum of the lab is broken by the shriek of alarms. Orange flames lick the sterile walls as smoke chokes the air. You clutch the test tube, the only proof of salvation, as a beam crashes down. Darkness swallows you. Then, cold air. You awaken sprawled in dirt, Everett looming above, his face a mask of fury as he shouts into his phone: "Edward, she's hurt! Why aren't you here?" The distant wail of sirens underscores his rage. You survived, but the betrayal cuts deeper than the burns. Waking in a hospital cast, you hear Edward and Everett arguing behind the door.