The smell of disinfectant hit Lothe the moment he stepped into the medical building.
Seana walked ahead of him, her steps steady as she navigated the familiar halls.
The interior was a complete mess.
Shattered glass littered the floor, blood was splashed across the walls, tables had been overturned, shelves lay collapsed, and broken chemical containers had spilled their contents across the tiles.
Bodies were scattered everywhere. Some had crushed skulls, others were missing limbs, making the entire scene look like a slaughterhouse.
Judging from their torn white lab coats, Lothe could tell they had been the school’s researchers.
His gaze shifted to Seana.
She had stopped walking.
Her trembling eyes remained fixed on the lifeless bodies before her. They had once been the professors who taught and guided her.
Now they lay motionless on the cold floor.
She couldn’t help but imagine the desperate struggle they must have gone through before meeting their end.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Seana continued forward.
The deeper they ventured into the building, the more corpses they encountered.
Broken glasses lay inches away from several of the bodies, while dried blood painted the once spotless white floor.
Eventually, they arrived before a glass door.
Seana pushed it open.
The laboratory beyond was no better. The room was in complete disarray, and the strong scent of chemicals lingered heavily in the air.
Walking toward one of the white laboratory tables, she knelt beside it and pulled out a bag hidden underneath.
It was bright red, with a tiny fox plush attached to the zipper.
She quickly retrieved her phone and opened her contacts.
Her finger hovered over one name.
Dad.
Her expression tightened as she pressed the call button.
No Internet Connection.
The words appeared across the screen.
Seana bit her lip.
"It’s okay..." she whispered to herself before trying again.
No Internet Connection.
"No..."
Her breathing became uneven.
"Please..."
She pressed the call button again.
No Internet Connection.
Panic flooded her heart.
Frustration.
Fear.
Helplessness.
They all crashed into her at once. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her legs gave way beneath her.
She slumped onto the floor, her shoulders trembling violently.
One last time. She pressed the screen.
No Internet Connection.
"Ahhh!"
Crash!
The phone slammed against the tiled floor, breaking into several pieces.
Lothe silently watched everything unfold.
Even before coming here, he had already suspected that the internet had gone down along with the rest of civilization.
Still, he hadn’t wanted to shatter the small hope she was desperately clinging to.
Now... Reality had done it for him.
Nothing he said could change that.
They room was plunged into silence, as only Seana’s ragged breathing rang out.
"You know..." Seana suddenly spoke, her voice hoarse from crying.
"My name is Seana Salaze." She stared blankly at the floor.
"...The young heiress of the Salaze Family."
Lothe remained quiet.
His face showed little reaction, but his heart had already been thrown into turmoil.
The Salaze Family.
A family renowned across the world for producing the greatest medical scientists in history.
Several years ago, news of the family’s missing heiress had spread across every major media outlet.
Looking at the girl beside him...
So it had been her all along.
"Don’t look so shocked," Seana muttered.
"I wasn’t."
"You were."
She finally looked up, her red eyes meeting his.
"Your blood says otherwise."
"And I don’t like that reaction."
"What reaction?" Lothe asked.
"The one where people hear my family name and suddenly treat me like they’ve just met royalty."
Lothe nearly laughed. Was she serious?
He was already doing everything he could to remain calm.
"I’m not telling you all these because I want special treatment," Seana continued.
"I’m telling you because... after everything we’ve survived together..."
"...I think you deserve to know who I really am."
Lothe smiled.
"Wouldn’t that be a mistake?"
Seana frowned.
"What do you mean?"
He chuckled.
"From everything we’ve been through..."
"I don’t see some delicate princess."
He paused before grinning.
"I see a girl who’d probably choke someone to death with their own blood if they crossed the line."
Seana glared at him. She intended the look to be intimidating.
Instead...
Lothe simply found her adorable.
Walking over, he sat beside her.
"I know the family you come from," he said softly.
"If anyone can survive this apocalypse..."
"It’s your father."
"You just have to believe in them."
Seana lowered her head. "I’m just worried."
"And that’s okay." Lothe smiled faintly.
"Worrying means you still have someone worth fighting to see again."
"...So keep surviving." A faint smile slowly appeared on Seana’s face.
Seeing it, Lothe quietly let out a sigh of relief.
"Besides," he continued.
"Didn’t you come here to collect equipment for researching those mutated creatures?"
Seana blinked before laughing quietly.
"Yeah..."
"I got carried away."
"Thanks, Lothe."
"I think we should hurry before it gets completely dark."
He didn’t add the rest... And you need some rest.
Without wasting another second, they left the room.
There was nothing useful left inside anyway.
Seana adjusted her backpack before leading him into another white corridor.
As they turned the corner, another hallway came into view.
Five doors stood neatly aligned on either side.
Everything looked... Perfectly clean.
Too clean.
Lothe narrowed his eyes.
"Don’t you find this place suspicious?"
"Yeah..."
"So quiet."
Lothe froze. That wasn’t Seana’s voice.
He spun around.
Standing behind him wasn’t Seana.
Instead, a woman with her hair tied into a high ponytail stood there. Judging from her attire, she appeared to be one of the academy’s teachers.
"Where is she?" Lothe asked calmly.
"You should be more worried about yourself."
The instant she spoke, Lothe felt something invisible surround him.
It was like being trapped inside a transparent box.
He could still move, but every step felt subtly guided by an unseen force. He could feel a tiny wisp of power trying to enter his brain.
[Weak Point Analysis Activated.]
Purple light flashed across his vision.
Countless glowing lines spread over the invisible barrier.
Then...
One corner suddenly glowed bright red.
Without hesitation—
Lothe hurled his spear.
Crash!
The invisible prison shattered like broken glass.
The teacher’s eyes widened.
Shock. Disbelief. Horror.
"How...?"
"How did I escape your illusion?" Lothe calmly caught his returning spear.
"Well, for starters."
"I’ve never been someone who lives in dreams."
"Nor do I have an obsession capable of trapping me inside one."
The next instant—
He thrust his spear straight toward her.