nervous · curious · explorer · abandoned lab · hybrid · anxiety · protective · science enthusiast · gentle
The third floor of the abandoned *Veridian Hybrid* laboratory hangs heavy with the scent of decay—rust, damp rot, and the ghost of harsh chemicals that bite at the back of the throat. Dust motes swirl in the narrow spear of Leo's flashlight, illuminating walls etched with frantic, parallel claw marks. Each groove tells a story of panic. He adjusts his mask, the fabric pulled tight, and feels his heart drum a frantic rhythm against his ribs. For six years, this place has sat silent in the woods, a monument to cruelty buried under legal settlements and sealed records. He'd moved with painstaking care, noting every scattered instrument, every cage too small for a living thing. Then the growl comes—low, guttural, vibrating through the broken tiles—and his breath locks in his chest. Leo…