Chapter 57: Aftermath

The silence in Victor Cain’s office felt deliberate. Not the kind that followed calm.

The kind that followed truth.

Markus sat exactly where he had been before the memory pulled him under, but something about him had changed. His posture was straighter now, but not from confidence. It was control. Forced, measured control. His breathing was steady, but too precise, like he was holding something back beneath it.

The flashback still clung to him.

’The lab, the screams, the crystal spreading across skin that had never asked for it and Felix... walking away from it all.’

Across from him, Victor Cain remained still, composed, untouched by any of it. If the past had weight, it did not show on him.

"You remember clearly," Victor said.

Markus didn’t answer immediately instead his eyes lifted slowly to meet his father’s, "I remember enough," he replied.

Victor studied him, searching for something beneath the surface, "Then you understand," he said.

Markus shook his head slightly, "No," he said. "I understand what happened. That doesn’t mean I agree with it."

A faint pause.

Victor leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, "Agreement is irrelevant," he said. "Understanding is what matters."

Markus let out a slow breath, his jaw tightening, "People died."

"Yes." Victor replied

"They didn’t choose it." Markus said.

"No...They didn’t." Victor continued.

Markus stepped forward slightly, his voice sharpening, "And you still see it as progress."

Victor didn’t flinch, "I see it as inevitability," he said.

’That word again.’ Markus let it sit there for a moment before speaking, "You always say that," he muttered. "Like it makes everything acceptable."

"It makes it real," Victor replied.

Silence followed.

The snow outside continued to fall, blanketing the world in something quiet and cold.

Markus turned slightly, running a hand through his hair, "The Mark VIII wasn’t controlled," he said. "It wasn’t refined. It was just unleashed."

"And yet," Victor said calmly, "we learned from it."

Markus laughed quietly, though there was no humour in it, "At the cost of human lives."

"At the cost of progress," Victor corrected.

Markus turned back sharply, "That’s the same thing."

"No," Victor said, his voice lowering slightly. "It isn’t."

The weight of that difference settled between them.

Markus exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay composed, "The Mark VIII only affects humans," he said. "Nothing else, it doesn’t spread beyond us. It doesn’t mutate animals, it doesn’t change the environment. It targets us specifically."

Victor nodded once, "Yes."

"That’s not evolution," Markus said. "That’s extinction."

Another pause.

Victor rose from his seat, walking toward the window behind his desk. Snow stretched endlessly beyond the glass, a world untouched by what humanity had created.

"Extinction," Victor said quietly, "is simply evolution from a different perspective."

Markus stared at him, "That’s not how that works."

Victor turned slightly, his expression unchanged, "Humanity has always replaced itself," he said. "We discard the weak, elevate the strong, and redefine what it means to survive."

Markus’s hands curled slightly at his sides.

"This isn’t the same thing...this...," he said. "This is forced."

"And therefore," Victor replied, "more efficient."

That landed harder than Markus expected. He stepped closer, his voice tightening, "You’re talking about wiping out humanity and calling it efficiency."

"I’m talking about refining it." Markus shook his head immediately.

"No. You don’t refine something by destroying it." Markus said

Victor’s gaze sharpened, "You do if what replaces it is better."

Silence filled the room again.

Markus felt it pressing in on him, pushing him toward something he didn’t want to admit, "Felix saw it," he said quietly.

Victor didn’t respond.

"He knew what it was becoming," Markus continued. "That’s why he left."

"And ran," Victor added.

Markus shook his head again, "He didn’t run," he said. "He chose not to be part of it."

"Because he was afraid." Victor added

Markus’s eyes narrowed, "Because he was human."

The words lingered and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then...A knock broke the silence.

Three precise taps.

Victor didn’t turn, "Enter."

The door opened, and one of the senior aides stepped inside, her posture rigid, her expression carefully controlled.

"Sir," she said.

Markus glanced toward her, his focus sharpening, "What is it?"

She stepped forward slightly, "We’ve received confirmation," she said. "Felix Ainst has resurfaced."

The room shifted....Markus turned fully toward her, "Where?"

"His exact location is still unknown," she replied. "But we intercepted a communication."

Markus’s eyes narrowed, "With who?"

"A man named Abel." Markus exhaled slowly, "Hmmm really now."

Victor’s attention sharpened, "Track it," he said.

"We are," the aide replied. "However, the signal was brief. He’s moving frequently."

Markus folded his arms, "He knows we’re watching."

"Yes," Victor said quietly. "And he’s choosing not to hide."

Markus frowned slightly, "From what we observed of him and what i heard from Ash its unlike him."

"It is now," Victor replied.

Markus looked at him, "He’s changed."

That much was obvious not just physically but something deeper, something harder to predict.

"He left before full exposure to the Mark VIII," Markus said slowly. "But he was still there. He still inhaled it, still experienced it."

Victor nodded once, "Which means he adapted."

Markus’s jaw tightened, "Or just survived normally."

"Those are not mutually exclusive," Victor said.

The aide remained silent, waiting. Markus turned back to her, "Anything else?"

She hesitated briefly, "Yes."

Markus’s eyes sharpened, "Say it."

"There have been additional cases," she said carefully. "Human subjects and uncontrolled environments."

Markus went still, "What do you mean?"

"Symptoms consistent with Mark VIII exposure," she continued. "Crystallization patterns, rapid onset and fatal progression in most cases."

Markus’s expression darkened, "That’s not possible," he said. "It was contained to the facility."

"It was," she replied. "But not entirely."

The implication settled slowly.

Markus looked at Viktor, "You told me it was secured."

"It was," Victor said calmly.

Markus shook his head, "Clearly not."

The aide continued, "Only humans are affected. There is no cross-species interaction and no environmental mutation. It remains specific to human biology."

Markus let out a slow breath, "So it spreads through us....are we sure this is not a virus unlike what you said about it being a parasite."

"Yes." Victor said

"How?" Markus questioned.

"We’re still determining that." Victor said.

Markus looked down briefly, his mind racing, ’This isn’t contained, It isn’t controlled.

It is moving through people, rhrough systems we had never accounted for.’

"This gets out on a larger scale..." he muttered.

"It already has," Victor said.

Markus looked up sharply, "And you’re still talking about understanding it?"

Victor’s gaze didn’t waver, "Yes."

Markustook a step forward, "What are we going to do about the ones who got infected."

Victor smiled, "well since it’s still in Russia its not a problem..."

Markus with confusion asked, " What do you mean."

Victor answered, " The Russian government is basically in our control...this much would be nothing....these are the wonders of money Markus."

"We should be stopping it." Markus said.

"And how do you propose we do that?" Victor asked.

Markus opened his mouth then stopped because he didn’t have an answer.

Not one that worked. The silence that followed said everything.

Victor stepped closer, "This is beyond containment now," he said. "We are no longer dealing with an isolated incident....Russia might just be the first if many to get contaminated."

Markus clenched his jaw, "Then we minimize damage."

"We maximize knowledge," Victor corrected.

Markus shook his head again, "You haven’t changed."

"No," Victor said. "I haven’t."

Another pause.

Markus exhaled slowly, forcing himself back into control, "To Felix," he said.

Victor tilted his head slightly, "Yes."

Markus’s eyes hardened, "You were always fascinated by his intelligence that’s why you had him replaced Darius as the head researcher....he might know more."

"Which makes him valuable," Victor replied.

Markus held his gaze, "Or dangerous."

"Both," Victor said.

The truth of that settled between them.

Markus nodded once, "Then we bring him in."

Victor didn’t respond immediately. When he did, his voice was quieter, "We attempt to."

Markus frowned, "That doesn’t sound confident."

"It isn’t meant to be." Victor replied.

Markus stared at him, "You think he’ll resist."

"I know he will...plus he is a smart guy...he won’t get caught so easily."

Markus’s expression tightened, "And if he does?"

Viktor’s gaze remained steady, "Then we evaluate."

Markus didn’t like the way he said that, "Evaluate what?"

Victor didn’t hesitate, "Whether he is still worth preserving."

The words landed cold.

Markus looked away briefly because he understood exactly what that meant.

He ran a hand through his hair again, his thoughts moving too fast.

’Felix....the Mark VIII.

The spread.

None of this was under control anymore, nothing about it ever had been.’

"I’ll go," Markus said.

Victor watched him, "You?"

Markus nodded."Yes."

A pause.

"Why?" Victor asked.

Markus met his gaze, "Because I know someone he will talk to."

Victor studied him for a long moment.

Then a slight nod, "Very well."

The aide stepped back slightly, awaiting further instruction.

"Prepare a team," Victor said without looking at her. "Minimal personnel with high adaptability."

"Yes, sir." the aid replied.

"And no unnecessary engagement," he added. "We are not hunting him."

Markus let out a quiet breath, "We’re approaching him."

Victor’s eyes shifted back to him, "Carefully."

The aide nodded and exited the room, the door closing softly behind her.

Silence returned once more.

Markus stood there, unmoving, then he turned toward the door.

Each step measured and controlled but as he reached for the handle...

He paused just for a second because something lingered in his mind.

A memory.

’Felix standing in that lab...Watching everything fall apart and choosing to walk away.’

Markus’s grip tightened slightly on the handle, ’If he’s right...’ he muttered quietly.

He didn’t finish the thought, he didn’t need to.

He opened the door and stepped out and somewhere beyond the reach of the Cain Foundation...

Felix Ainst was already moving not as prey, not as a survivor but as something the world had not yet decided how to face.

At the end of the flashback.