Unveiling the Forbidden

Chapter 14: Unveiling the Forbidden

When Magnus grasped the door handle firmly and turned it, the cold creak of metal filled the room. As the door slowly opened, a brief silence took hold of the space. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes scanned the room swiftly. The sternness dominating his face spread through the air like a thick mist.

Camille’s fingers clung tightly to the edge of the table as she discreetly tried to steady her breathing. The desk was cluttered with scattered documents, and the test tubes beside it trembled ever so slightly. However, the true anomaly in the room had already caught Magnus’s attention. His gaze locked onto Luca. At that moment, a cold weight settled in Luca’s stomach. Magnus’s piercing eyes bore into him as if peeling away his very soul. Luca tried to maintain a composed stance without tensing his body, but Magnus’s mere presence seemed to drain the oxygen from the room.

Camille quickly regained her composure and spoke. “Ah, Father, welcome. I was just explaining the work to the new intern,” she said with a slight smile. Her tone was light and cheerful, yet Luca caught the subtle tension flickering in her eyes. “It’s his first day, and he’s done quite well. Of course, there were some mistakes and lapses in focus, but I’m helping him correct them.”

Her voice remained natural and relaxed, but Luca noticed the faint strain in her smile. Magnus’s sudden intrusion had caught her off guard, but she had recovered swiftly. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, Magnus scrutinized Luca from head to toe. He took a deep breath, clasped his hands behind his back, and stepped forward. Each footstep echoed sharply against the hard floor, slicing through the silence.

“So, you’re Camille’s new apprentice,” he murmured. His voice was cold and measured. “To be working under someone as exceptional as Camille, you must be quite talented. Even on your first day, I’ve already heard the other scientists in the lab mentioning you. Congratulations.”

Luca loathed Magnus to his core. A storm raged within him, yet he kept his expression flawlessly respectful as he bowed his head. “Thank you, sir. It is an honor to meet you.”

Magnus’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes studied Luca’s face intently. Tilting his head slightly, he fixed a sharp gaze upon him. “I feel like I’ve seen you before,” he said slowly. “You seem familiar.”

Luca’s heartbeat quickened, but he could not afford a single misstep. “I don’t believe so, sir,” he replied, keeping his voice as controlled as possible. “I’ve never been here before.”

Magnus held his gaze for several more seconds as if trying to piece together a puzzle in his mind. His eyes drilled into Luca’s, searching for something just beyond his reach.

“Interesting,” Magnus said at last, his voice laced with curiosity. “You look strangely familiar. But I can’t quite place why…”

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Camille did her best to keep the invisible thread of tension from snapping, while Luca’s stomach twisted into knots, his palms growing slightly damp. As Magnus’s gaze roamed over him, even the air in his lungs felt poisoned. However, after a brief pause, Magnus gave a small nod.

“Well then, Selena,” he said abruptly, shifting his focus. “Come with me to my office. We have an important matter to discuss.”

Selena nodded, her eyes flickering briefly to Camille and Luca. As she followed Magnus out of the room, both Camille and Luca held their breath. The sound of Magnus’s footsteps echoed down the corridor, and Camille visibly relaxed. She let out a deep breath and shook her head slightly.

“That was really bad,” she muttered under her breath. “If we had been even a second slower, Luca, you might be somewhere very different right now.”

Luca recalled the way Magnus had stared at him. Without realizing it, he had clenched his fists. “He almost recognized me,” he said quietly. “Everything could have fallen apart from one tiny mistake. We need to be much more careful from now on.”

Meanwhile, Magnus and Selena continued toward his office in heavy silence. Neither spoke a word along the way. When they reached the office, Magnus opened the door, stepped inside, and Selena followed, shutting the door softly behind her. Magnus took a deep breath as he moved toward his desk, sinking into the leather chair while fixing his gaze on Selena.

“We’ve been in crisis for a while,” he said in an icy tone. “And for someone in your high position, failing to report to work is a serious problem. During a crisis like this, you should be in the lab, overseeing the others and ensuring perfection. A single misstep could lead to unnecessary casualties. Why weren’t you here today?”

Selena paused for a brief moment, processing Magnus’s words. "Unnecessary casualties." He had practically admitted it himself. Without breaking her expression, she inclined her head slightly. “I was searching for new materials for our experiments, sir. I came across some particular fungi that I thought might be useful in our research. However, I didn’t have my equipment with me to conduct a thorough analysis. I dropped them off at the lab this evening and am waiting for the results. I also sent you a report earlier today regarding my field research, but perhaps there was a delay in it reaching you. If I disrupted the workflow, I sincerely apologize, sir.”

Magnus considered her words for a moment, his face unreadable. Yet the air in the room grew heavier. His eyes never left Selena, his brows furrowing slightly. There was something unsettling in his gut, but Selena’s composure and logical explanation forced him to set aside his suspicions for now.

“Your report never reached me. I will have it checked immediately,” he finally said. Then, leaning back slightly, he added, “I hope the materials you found prove to be useful. Next time, if you disappear without informing me, it won’t just be a disruption to the workflow. Do you understand? Even a single day of your absence can result in significant losses.”

Selena inclined her head slightly. “Of course, sir.”

Magnus raised his hand, signaling the conversation was over. As Selena exited the room, she let out a quiet breath. A lingering unease remained within her, but at least for now, she had managed to divert Magnus’s attention.

When she arrived at Camille’s office, a wave of relief washed over her. Camille and Luca were waiting for her, eager to know what had been discussed. Without a word, Selena carefully pulled a small device from her pocket. “I took a risk to divert Magnus’s attention,” she said quietly. “I left a recording device in his office when I entered.”

Camille’s eyes widened in shock. “What?! When did you—?”

“When I walked in, I stuck it to the inside of the door where it wouldn’t be visible. If we’re lucky, we might gather some crucial information. But if it’s discovered, my life will be in danger. That’s why we need to retrieve it as soon as possible. Someone like Magnus will realize he’s being spied on sooner rather than later.”

Luca nodded, both anxious and excited. “Let’s listen to it right away. If we find something significant, we can use it to expose him and protect you. This risk you took must pay off.”

Selena activated the device, and a muffled voice crackled through the speaker. They lowered the volume to ensure no sound escaped the room. Magnus’s voice came through, crisp and clear:

“Listen carefully to my orders. Analyze these newly acquired materials immediately. If they prove useful, we may take a major step forward in the immortality project. Also, test their effects on Chronotoxin. If we find the right compound, we can refine it further. And that new boy… keep an eye on him. There’s something strange about him.”

When the recording stopped, an eerie silence filled the room. Camille, Luca, and Selena exchanged uneasy glances.

"Immortality? Chronotoxin?" Camille whispered. "And it's ridiculous how much he doubts you, Luca."

Luca's face hardened. "This is part of something bigger. It proves that Magnus isn't just killing people—he's trying to gain something from them. Our theory has been confirmed. He's truly after immortality. And I think it's not just Selena's life that's in danger, but mine as well."

Selena gestured toward the device with her chin. "We need to think carefully about what to do with this recording. If we can find evidence like security footage, we could show people Magnus's true face."

Camille nodded. "You're right, we can't take him down like this. We need more information. But this could be a major clue."

Luca knew they had to learn more if they wanted to bring Magnus down. They needed to investigate the place where he conducted his experiments. If they could get their hands on something this big, they might be able to end Magnus’s dictatorship. He couldn’t predict where this information would lead them, but there was one thing he knew for sure—he would not back down until Magnus was stopped.