Chapter 9

"No! That's not true!" Nathan cried out, his voice raw with anguish. "You're back now, aren't you? The research at the lab is complete. We've managed to purge Eveline from the system—" I cut him off with a sharp, derisive laugh. "That research you speak of is just an excuse. It was a justification for cruelty. A way to inflict pain on others while using self-harm to numb your own guilt, I'd say." Just then, the door was flung open. With a blade raised high, a figure threw itself at me. "This is all your fault, Caroline! Look at what you've made me become!" It was Eveline, though I barely recognized her. Her face was a map of grotesque scars. Having lost an eye, the sight of that empty, hollow socket was enough to make anyone's blood run cold. Nathan was the quickest to move. As she sprang forward, he kicked her hard in the chest. Eveline shrieked as she was hurled backward. She hit the ground with a dull thud. Sprawled on the floor, the blood pooled from her mouth as she gaspe