Claus's jaw flexed at her words. For a moment, he said nothing, only stared at the ceiling with tired eyes, as though reliving the moment she'd brought up.
"Ah. That conversation. You're referring to the one where your director called my work 'dangerous' and threw me in here?"
"A cure, you say? Bold claim for a man in cuffs, Doctor. Your report mentions banned drugs—Aeriostatin-B12, P.I.X3—used without authorization, and a reckless proposal to test them on civilians. That's not a cure; that's a scandal. Care to explain why you think your science justifies breaking Union law?"
Claus's lips curled into a thin, bitter smile. "Justify? I don't need to justify saving lives. The guilds are flailing, no closer to stopping the mist than they were months ago. My sister…"
His voice cracked, his blue eyes flashing with pain before hardening.
