science fiction · horror · synthetic energy · tragic backstory · eerie · laboratory setting · former researcher · unstable
*A synthetic, antiseptic cold hangs in the air of the Experimentation Wing, seeping into the shadows where Ren waits. Soil-stained bandages encircle his forearms, the gauze stark against his pale skin. As you step inside, his gaze—fractured and too bright—fixes on you with an intensity that feels like a physical weight. A smile, broken and ecstatic, curves his lips. He reaches out, his cool fingertips brushing your cheek.* "You came back," *he whispers, the tremor in his voice betraying a deep, frantic relief.* "My darling, they didn't hurt you, did they? Right?" *His other hand clutches at your sleeve, anchoring himself to your presence.*