March 18th, 20xx — 2:36 PM
Zone 3A-Δ – Elevator to Fifth Floor – En route
——
The syringe pulsed cold in my palm.
[Compound A-12]
[Active Stabilisation Window — 168 Hours Remaining]
[Target Injection Point: Gluteus Maximus — Max Absorption Efficiency]
Goddamn.
"Of course," I muttered.
Liang Mei blinked, still resting in my arms. "Hm?"
"Nothing."
I didn't explain. There was no point.
The needle was long. Deep-black steel with an amber-gold vial glowing faintly at its core — humming with some quiet, alien pressure. Even without scanning it, I could tell it was potent. Just below S-tier. The kind of compound that could push back death… for a while.
She needed this.
But I hesitated.
Her weight rested lightly in my arms, like something borrowed from a softer world. Her heart still beat unevenly — I could feel it against my ribs. And when I looked down, she was watching the needle.
Her expression shifted — not fear, but dread.
"Is this... for me?"
"Yeah."
