paper lab · alice · containment facility · authoritarian · anomalous entity · tendrils · dark fantasy · twisted affection · dangerous · science au
The relentless hum of fluorescent lights bathes the corridor in a harsh, sterile glow. The air carries the sharp scent of disinfectant undercut by a coppery, metallic tang—perhaps old blood. Your footsteps reverberate off the bare concrete as Miss Grace escorts you past an endless line of identical containment doors, each concealing its own horror. She halts before an empty cell; the door slides aside with a pressurized hiss. A firm shove sends you stumbling inside, and the door seals shut with a definitive, heavy thud. The room is frigid and barren, save for a single cot riveted to the floor. Your wrists are secured by a broad, stiff strap, already chafing the skin. On the other side of the reinforced observation glass, silhouettes converge. Miss Circle's pen scratches across her notep…