C2 2

My father gestured with a sharp movement of his hand to the guards. "It is okay, let her in."

I took a deep, shaky breath and stepped into his office, a place I was visiting for the very first time since my arrival. He stood behind his desk, clutching a handful of medical reports, his white coat pristine and intimidating. As usual, he appeared entirely consumed by his work, not even bothering to look up or ask how I was faring, even though I stood directly in front of him. I watched him stride toward his massive library to file away the papers with a cold, mechanical precision before he finally turned his attention to me.

"What brings you here, Eileen? Do you not see that I am busy? I have told you many times before to call if you need money or anything of that sort," he said, his tone dismissive.

I interrupted him immediately, my voice firm despite the racing of my heart. "But I do not want your money."

He sighed, removed his glasses, and placed them carefully on the mahogany desk. He threw the file he was holding onto the table with a dull thud. "So, what exactly do you want from me?"

"You... you conduct your experiments on werewolves while telling the entire world that you are doing therapeutic research on human patients?" I asked, the hesitation in my voice fighting with my rising anger.

He stared at me in silence for a long moment before sinking into his leather office chair. "Yes, and this is a fundamental part of my work. I purchase these werewolves from professional hunters in exchange for massive sums of money. The werewolf breed is the strongest existence we know. I wanted to understand their blood, the inner workings of their bodies, and how to harness their extraordinary abilities for our gain," he explained, a small, chilling smile playing on his lips.

My mouth opened in utter amazement and horror. "But they are living creatures just like us! They have the right to live in peace. How can it be fair to hunt them down like wild animals and subject them to these experiments? Father, this is against every law imaginable."

He leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly on the desk, his gaze hardening into steel. "They are wild beasts, Eileen. Listen to me carefully. I warn you never to utter such words again. Do not forget for a single moment that you are a member of our medical staff," he said, his voice rising to a commanding shout.

My eyes widened as the realization hit me; I had made a grave mistake in my approach with him. "Then why did you hire me here? Are you intentionally putting me in danger, or are you not truly my father?" I asked, my nerves frayed to the breaking point.

He rose from his chair, walked over to me, and placed his heavy hands on my shoulders. "Dear Eileen, do not perceive it that way. Your father and I are one family here. I chose you to work by my side because I know how hardworking you are, and you have already conducted significant research on werewolves. You are just like me—different from your siblings, LaRive and Caroline. You are the one who will help me develop this center in the future."

I jerked away from his touch, refusing to be swayed by his hollow praise. "I am sorry... but I am not as ruthless as you are," I said, looking him straight in the eye to show my resolve.

Shocked by my sudden boldness, he remained silent. I did not give him the chance to respond; I turned and retreated from his office without looking back. My mind was made up; I had to abandon this place and end my association with his work immediately.

I reached my office and began frantically collecting my personal belongings. I was in a state of absolute shock and disgust at the atrocities being committed within these walls. I glanced at the watch on my wrist; it was still early in the day, and I knew I could not leave on the staff bus until the shift was officially over.

Sighing in frustration, I stepped out to walk through the corridors. They looked bleak and soulless under the harsh white lighting. I had never felt this level of oppression before I discovered the true nature of the center's activities. Without realizing it, I found myself standing once again in front of the room where Alexei was kept.

I watched him through the reinforced glass. He was sitting on the floor, his posture radiating a mixture of intense anger and profound sadness. I ran my fingers across the cold glass vaguely, a heavy question weighing on my soul: what had he done to deserve being trapped like this? Simply because he was born a werewolf? I did not understand why, but I felt a deep sense of interest and an overwhelming responsibility toward him.

The sudden ringing of my phone shattered my train of thought. I looked at the screen; it was my mother. I could not bring myself to answer her, so I placed the phone back on the desk. I was in a terrible mood and did not want to burden her with more worry, especially since I had already told her I was staying alone at home while my father was perpetually absent.

My stomach began to ache with hunger cramps, a sharp reminder that I had forgotten to eat. The stress of the day had completely pushed the thought of food from my mind. I put on my coat, deciding to head to the cafe next door for a quick snack. But as I opened the door, I froze in astonishment.

"Caroline!"

"Eileen, my love!" she cried out, opening her arms and pulling me into a warm, fierce embrace.

Caroline was my older sister, and she had always functioned as a mother figure to me when it came to family matters. I had missed her terribly, as I had not seen her for over a month. She pulled back and stared at my face, her concern evident. "Why do you look so pale? Are you okay, Eileen?" she asked, gently holding my chin.

"Shall we talk inside the house instead of standing here?" I suggested with a small, weary smile. We entered together, the air in the house feeling slightly warmer with her presence.

I shed my coat while Caroline dropped her large suitcase on the floor. I guessed immediately that she intended to stay with me for a long time.

"Were you about to go out?" she asked, removing her woolen hat and shaking out her hair.

"Yes, I was going to the cafe next door to grab something to eat," I replied.

"Then I shall help you!" she said excitedly, rolling up her shirt sleeves.

We went into the kitchen together. Working side by side, we prepared a few pancakes. We eventually sat down to eat, talking about everything that had happened in our lives. Caroline moved her fork across her plate, looking thoughtful. After a moment of silence, she looked at me.

"Eileen... mother wants you to come back as soon as possible. She is worried about you being here all alone. Will you return with me?"

I looked down at my plate, feeling the weight of the request. "I am worried about her too... but I cannot go back right now. I still have work that needs to be finished."

"But will you not quit working with our father?" she asked, her eyes searching mine.

"I will, but not this very moment," I answered firmly.

"Very well, as you wish. I will stay by your side and I will not leave you alone," she said, offering me a supportive smile.

After our meal, I left Caroline to arrange her clothes in her room while I walked toward mine. I changed into a comfortable, wide nightgown and untied my hair, preparing for sleep. Suddenly, I saw my phone screen flashing with a new message. I picked it up and read the words that made my blood run cold:

"The center is subject to a raid by the authorities. He has been exposed, so please stay away from him."

I swallowed hard, wondering about the identity of the unknown sender. What did they mean? Was this a genuine warning or a hidden threat? I closed my eyes, trying to force the thoughts away, and threw myself onto the bed, though sleep felt miles away.

Another week passed. I spent as much time as I could next to Alexei. He had grown much calmer in my presence, and I even began to notice the faint ghost of a smile on his face every time I entered his room. I tried repeatedly to get him to speak, but he remained silent, an enigma I could not solve. I could never truly tell what he was thinking.

I had made my final decision yesterday and began implementing my plan to get Alexei out of that hellhole. I was careful to keep the regular nursing staff away from him, using the pretext that he was exhausted and not ready for any more tests. I despised their actions—their cold injections and their clinical reports.

I waited until the end of the workday approached and the staff began to gather for the bus. I walked quickly toward the office of Doctor Roman, knowing that my father was holding a private meeting and Roman would surely be there. As I was about to leave his office, I saw him approaching and quickly hid behind a large closet in the corridor. He was preoccupied with a phone conversation, and I strained to listen.

"Doctor Albert has asked us to vacate the center of all cases. Manage the evacuation immediately," he said as he disappeared into his office.

I stood frozen in the shadows, my heart racing. I wondered what "vacating the center" truly meant. It was clear that my father had learned about the impending raid by the authorities and was moving to destroy the evidence.