What Remains

Chapter 8: What Remains

Camille couldn't stop thinking about the conversation she had with her father the other night. The words echoing in her mind kept her awake, and even after a sleepless night, not a drop of sleep entered her eyes. She had stayed awake the entire night. His words floated through her thoughts like a ghost, refusing to fade away. As dawn approached, even though she felt as if she might collapse from exhaustion, somehow her alarm had gone off and she had woken up. Reluctantly, she got up, quickly got ready, and set off for work. She tried to wake herself up by drinking a few cups of coffee, then took a cold shower, but nothing changed. Her father's words still lingered in her mind.

"You're still chasing these simple thoughts. Only the elite, the evolving minds, those who can sacrifice for the sake of science should live. The others... The others are doomed to vanish," her father's words echoed in Camille's mind like a burst of sound.

After the dream, she set off for work. However, her mind was scattered. She was so absent-minded that she forgot her keys at home. The cold weather numbed her head even more. As she walked, it felt like each step was forced. The combination of fatigue and her scattered thoughts made her feel as if she might faint at any moment. Every step she took was filled with dark thoughts. From the outside, someone might have thought Camille was just a woman filled with hatred and suffering. There was no trace of the smile that once adorned her face; now, only a dark, empty expression remained.

When she arrived at the lab, Selena and her friend Sarah immediately noticed her exhausted state. Selena had been on a special mission for a while and had just returned. Seeing Camille like this surprised her. She immediately tried to approach her, but Sarah stopped her.

"If she feels ready, she'll come to us and tell us," Sarah said, respecting Camille’s need for solitude. However, Selena's eyes were filled with concern. Seeing Camille like this affected them both deeply. Things had really taken a turn for the worse in the past few days.

No one said anything further, and each focused on their work. Camille examined the new samples, but with the confusion in her mind and the lack of sleep, she couldn't fully concentrate.

Selena didn't want to ignore Camille's mood any longer and, shaking her head slightly, intervened. "What's going on today? If this keeps up, you'll burn yourself out in the lab instead of the test tube," she said in a sarcastic but worried tone. Everyone's attention was now on Camille’s condition. Selena tried to lighten the mood, but she could feel Camille needed a change.

Camille remained silent for a while, then put on a forced smile, but no one believed that smile was genuine. Even though she wanted to smile, she said in an emotionless way, "I'm just sleep-deprived," her words coming out hoarsely from exhaustion.

Selena took a deep breath, not taking her eyes off Camille's eyes. She couldn't find the joy she had once seen there. The missing sparkle in her eyes was a sign that something was wrong.

"No, this isn't just sleep deprivation," Selena said with slight suspicion. "Something's going on, Camille. What happened last night?"

Camille hesitated, wondering if she should start talking about her father. How much could she trust her? Would Selena want to help her, or would she hinder her? Informing her about the dangerous things her father was involved in might be the best option, but it also carried a lot of risks.

Selena noticed the doubt in Camille's eyes. "Camille, I know something's going on. You can't just shut yourself off," she said insistently. It was clear that she genuinely cared about Camille and wanted to support her.

These words began to stir something inside Camille. The mixture of fear, anger, and uncertainty inside her started to break down with Selena's words. For a moment, she wanted to push her away, but her skeptical gaze couldn't do anything else.

"Sometimes... sometimes knowing more can just lead to more fear," Camille said, her voice trembling slightly.

Selena, initially stunned, then nodded and took a deep breath. "Look, Camille, you can't just keep closing yourself off. Whatever happened, it happened, but you have a life. You've been through much worse and you got through it. How can you be in such a bad place now when you kept smiling through all those hardships?" she continued, with concern, sadness, and a bit of anger in her eyes. "It's time to pull yourself together!"

These words shook Camille. Selena's gaze was even harsher than her words. Camille turned her head without saying anything and avoided looking at her.

"When is it going to happen, Camille? When are things going to change for you? When will you take action?" Selena said, now expecting some kind of movement.

In that moment, a light appeared inside Camille. She was going to do something. Something had to change. She was determined to learn the truth behind her father's dark deeds. Was her father really chasing immortality? What was he trying to achieve, and more importantly, what was he willing to sacrifice? No matter how much danger it put her in, she needed to take a step.

Selena noticed the determination in Camille's eyes and smiled. "Camille has finally come to life. I think talking to Selena worked. It's nice to see you smile," Sarah added, joining the conversation with a hint of cheer in her eyes.

After a while, it was time for a meal break. Camille was heading to the changing room to quickly change her clothes. Selena called her to have a meal together after a long break, and Camille nodded in agreement.

But something was off. Sarah, who would usually run to see Camille, wasn’t around. She would always rush after Camille to hear about how her night went, what she did with Luca, but this time, Camille couldn’t see her anywhere. Camille looked around in confusion but soon realized there were more important things to think about.

She needed to go to the changing room, so she set off to change her clothes, but as she was walking, she saw Luca. She quickly checked around to make sure no one else was around, then rushed over to Luca. She told him that he needed to hide at home. No one should see him.

"Luca, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at home?" she started to say, but her sentence was suddenly cut off.

Luca, with a worried expression on his face, said, "Something’s not right here, be careful. You’re not safe, everyone’s eyes are on you. I have a bad feeling," and quickly walked away.

Camille was left stunned. She had gone to warn Luca, but before she could say a word, she was told to leave. The Rare genocide incident had been covered up, and no one talked about it anymore. But there were still people who believed that it was wrong, a group called "The Altruists," aiming to preserve societal values and humanity. This group, founded by an older, non-noble teacher named Nathalie Grius, was growing in influence. It had been formed in the wake of the Rare genocide and had attracted a lot of attention. When Magnus’s identity was revealed, the agenda shifted, and the Rare genocide was swept under the rug. There was no doubt that this was Magnus’s goal, and he had succeeded.

Unable to make sense of the strange moment she had just experienced, Camille continued with what she was doing. After a while, Camille and Selena began eating together. As she had been in recent days, Camille had lost her appetite, but she still ate a little. Her body wasn’t used to the coffee, so fatigue was increasing with each passing minute. However, the thoughts of her father and the actions she needed to take were making her stronger day by day. Since Camille and Selena hadn’t spoken much since they started eating, just as Selena was about to speak, Dr. Selene Myr and Professor Lionel Krane entered the laboratory.

Both of them were businessmen and scientists filled with dark intentions, ready to risk everything for their own gain, who envied Camille’s work. Although their main rival was Magnus, Camille was Magnus’s brightest star. She had won the people's hearts, achieved great success at a young age, and shone with her intelligence and determination, making her a threat not only to Magnus but to the entire scientific community. Camille's qualities deeply disturbed her rivals. She was highly respected not only in the scientific world but also among the public. However, other scientists and businessmen were tired of being in the shadow of this shining star. Failing to obtain Camille’s success fueled their ambition and anger.

Professor Lionel Krane was a ruthless businessman who was associated with dark dealings and watched Camille’s every move. He envied the success of others and secretly felt satisfaction when they failed. His narcissistic personality deepened the unease he felt towards Camille’s achievements. Krane saw Camille’s rise not only as a threat to his interests but also as an opportunity to diminish her in the eyes of others.

Dr. Selene Myr, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Professor Krane. She placed great value on ethics and morality, advocating for what was best for humanity. Born to a noble father and a peasant mother, she had a special sensitivity towards social injustices. However, Camille’s significant progress on biomutation left Selene deeply uncomfortable. She believed that anything that violated the boundaries of biology and nature disrupted the natural balance of the universe. Therefore, Camille’s work was more than just a threat to her; it conflicted with Selene’s ethical values.

When Camille encountered these two figures suddenly, a kind of reluctance and lifeless smile appeared on her face. "Hello," she said, her voice devoid of any liveliness. She didn’t mind Krane’s disgusted looks or Selene’s complicated expression. Both of them noticed Camille’s indifferent attitude, but they did not react to it. The tension between them hung heavily in the air.

Silently, without making eye contact, they passed by Camille and headed toward Magnus's office. At that moment, something started to stir within Camille. Perhaps things were beginning to get ugly in ways she hadn’t expected. Her father’s identity being exposed—and the dark secrets of Magnus's past coming to light—was making everything more complicated. Luca’s warning to her, just moments ago, now seemed more accurate. Was Camille going to have to pay the price for her father’s actions?

With each passing second, a thousand questions swirled in Camille’s mind. Her father’s past now weighed on her more than ever. But what were these dark dealings? Should Camille discover Magnus’s old secrets, or would it be safer not to know them at all? Could the truths awaiting her tarnish the bright future she once saw ahead?

These were all interconnected mysteries waiting to emerge. And Camille would have to venture deeper into this labyrinth. But no matter how much she resisted, the line between right and wrong would continue to blur. However, Camille was now determined to do whatever it took to learn the truth.