Three months later.

Ada moved silently through the corridors, her steps as light as feathers on the cold floor. The continuous days on the run had made her agile and stealthy, capable of slipping through the shadows as if she was part of them. Soon, her daily apathy had transformed into resilience and cautious attention. Her senses had sharpened and she had become more astute.

A young feline in adolescence.

Her breathing was controlled, almost imperceptible, as she approached a dim light that filtered from under a half-open door.

Soft voices caught her attention. The demigoddess pressed herself against the wall, her heart pounding in her chest as she strained her ears to listen. She recognized the clinical, detached tone of the doctors and researchers she had learned to fear.

“Subject 37 continues to progress, however it has not yet proven itself as a carrier,” a male voice said, full of frustration. “We have exhausted virtually all standard protocols.”

“We can't go on like this forever,” a woman replied, her tone as sharp as a scalpel. “The resources we are investing in this experiment could be better used elsewhere.”

Ada held her breath. She was the only one left in the white rooms, no one else had been brought.

They were talking about her.

Subject 37, Ada Bonaventura.

A number, not a person.

An experiment, not a little girl.

“She’s not showing any power,” the male voice continued. “She doesn't fail the tests, but she doesn't pass them either. The lion plays with her, he doesn't kill her, why should she be different from the others?”

“It's the only reason she's still alive. It has to be a carrier.”

The lion.

The one who chased her day after day.

He wasn't just a torturer, he was an enforcer. And everyone else... they had to be dead. Her mind whirled, trying to make sense of this terrifying new reality.

The months of experience created fell apart in a single instant. Young Ada began to tremble.

She thought she had become strong, but she was wrong.

She was weak, she was a prey.

“Maybe we miscalculated,” suggested a third voice, younger and more uncertain. “Her genealogy suggested exceptional potential. A demigoddess, Rutia's daughter should be able to manifest occult abilities.”

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Rutia’s daughter? A demigoddess? The goddess of the occult? Was it possible that this was true? Or was it just another cruel lie? Her mother was a deity.

She concentrated in an attempt to bring back some memories related to her, but he failed.

“Genealogy or not,” the woman snapped, “We can't ignore the facts. Weeks of testing, and not even a hint of power. The higher-ups are losing patience.”

“And what do you propose?”

There was a moment of heavy silence. Ada held her breath, her heart pounding so loudly she feared it might betray her presence.

“I think it's time to end the experiment,” the woman said finally, her voice cold and emotionless.

“Let's get ready. The lion is hungry, let him devour her.”

Silence.

There was no need for further explanation.

The lion was hungry.

He wouldn't chase her anymore. He would kill her.

A wave of panic washed over her, threatening to overwhelm her. Her breathing became labored, and she had to bite her lip until she tasted blood to keep from letting out a moan. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, images of death and destruction that followed one another without stopping.

She was having a panic attack.

As the voices in the room continued to discuss procedures and protocols, Ada felt something shift within her. It was as if a switch had been flipped, awakening something ancient and powerful that lay dormant deep within her being.

For a moment, she seemed to see the world differently. The shadows around her became denser, almost tangible. He could feel the energy pulsating in the walls, in the floor, in the very air. It was as if the darkness was whispering an answer to his desperate plea.

But the moment passed quickly.

The voices in the room were moving, getting closer to the door.

The girl slipped, but managed to get up in time to resume a less silent escape than she had hoped.

She turned a corner and was forced to stop as her breath struggled to travel through her lungs due to fear. The doctors were immediately on her, immobilizing her in a few moments.

She closed her eyes as the pain of a sting in her neck forced her to rest.

Shuuush.

The sound of something moving made her perk up the senses.

Her eyes shot open and he struggled to her feet, her mind working to process where she was.

Two golden eyes looked at her in silence.

“Come on,” he whispered into the darkness as adrenaline surged through his system.

The demigoddess prepared to face her fate, like a victim now devoid of all hope. If she had to die, then she would.

She began running through the dark corridors, her breathing labored and her heart beating frantically in her chest. The sound of the lion's footsteps behind her was closer, more urgent. She could almost feel the beast's warm breath on the back of her neck, a constant reminder of its presence.

She turned a corner sharply, it was a dead end.

Ada felt pure, uncontrolled panic threatening to overwhelm her.

The lion's roar sounded behind her, so close that Ada could feel the vibrations in the floor beneath her bare feet. She didn't turn around, but she suspected he had reached her.

There was no more time, no more space to escape.

She had reached the end of the line.

With her back against the wall, Ada decided to turn around, ready to finally see the figure of her hunter. The lion's yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, fixed on her with a predatory intensity that chilled the blood in her veins. The beast advanced slowly, as its dark skin began to glow in the darkness, outlining its figure.

He was enjoying the last moments of the hunt.

He had captured his prey.

Ada felt a tangle of emotions explode within her: fear, panic, desperation, and fierce suffering. She was the daughter of a goddess, dammit! She couldn't end up like this, she didn't want to die like a mouse trapped in that labyrinth of horrors.

She shouted at the top of his lungs.

It was at that moment, on the edge of the abyss, that something broke inside her chest.

Or maybe, she woke up.