Embers of the Dead

The lab that Dr. Thorne led Alina into smelled sterile, but there was an underlying scent of decay that lingered in the air. Shelves were lined with jars containing various preserved body parts. Some were unidentifiable, others, like arms, legs, and hearts, were neatly suspended in clear liquids. It felt like walking into a tomb of experimentation, where the dead were revered not for their finality, but for their potential.

"This is my workspace," Dr. Thorne said, her voice sharp and unbothered. "I work here. Alone. There's no one else." She gestured to the monstrous creature at the center of the room.

Alina's eyes widened as she saw it—a hulking beast, its chest cavity gaping wide, its organs spilling out in an unnatural way. Tubes ran from its still-beating heart, feeding into machines that hummed with low energy. But the creature's body was wrong—it didn't belong in the room. And yet, it was alive.

"What is it?" Alina asked, her voice cracking slightly at the sight.

"This... creature," Dr. Thorne said, pausing as though choosing her words carefully, "was once a small puppy. It was the result of an experiment to create a creature capable of endless regeneration. I wanted to see if I could engineer a being whose cells could regenerate indefinitely without becoming cancerous. The idea was to create something—something capable of adapting, of healing, without limitations. What you see now is the result of that work."

Alina blinked, trying to process the explanation. "But... it looks like it's been torn apart."

Dr. Thorne gave her a patient look. "It was never meant to look like this. It started as a small creature, and I tried to manipulate its regenerative abilities. But the results... they're unpredictable. It's alive, but it's not functional in the way I hoped."

Alina looked at the tubes connecting to the creature's heart. "Why keep it alive like this?"

"Because it's important," Dr. Thorne replied firmly. "Its regeneration is a proof of concept. And although it's not perfect, it's necessary for my studies."

Alina felt uneasy, but the woman's explanation was clear: the creature's regeneration was a means to an end. It had failed, yes—but it was still a source of valuable knowledge.

"So why did the dead start coming to life here?" Alina asked, her curiosity piqued despite the grotesque nature of the scene.

Dr. Thorne's eyes darkened, a hint of something approaching emotion in her expression. "When I began my work here, I didn't realize that the land had... memories. The ancient conflicts, the bloodshed—it affected the energy here. Corpses... awakened."

Alina's heart thudded in her chest. Corpses—like her.

Dr. Thorne's gaze softened. "You're the first I've seen who can think, who can remember. That is what makes you interesting. The rest... They're just shells."