The sound, like rolling car wheels but far louder, drew everyone's attention. Rhea joined the throng hurrying toward the doorway. She saw two enormous boxes being pushed past, their contents obscured.

"What is it?" someone called from the back.

A man at the front shook his head. "No idea. Huge boxes. I wonder what's inside."

"The test subjects, of course," another voice chimed in.

Rhea's heart pounded. Was Lily in one of those boxes? Before she could get a closer look, the workers had moved the boxes out of sight.

A guard appeared. "Everyone, you'll be in groups according to this list. Please follow me when I call your names." He held up a list and began calling names. Rhea was perplexed as each group departed with the guard, leaving her alone. Several people exchanged curious glances before following suit.

After a while, she heard footsteps. Fred appeared, peering inside. "Aren't you anxious being the only one left?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I know you left me here for a reason."

Fred nodded. "Good." He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a document. "Take a look."

Puzzled, Rhea glanced at him, then opened the document. Her surprise was palpable. It detailed the R10 experiment, outlining the procedure from start to finish: dosage, injection method, surgical procedure, and more. Anatomical diagrams, complete with lines and annotations, were included.

She'd assumed Fred hadn't discussed the procedure due to his own uncertainty. She hadn't met anyone involved in the research until now; the original researcher was long gone.

Seeing her widened eyes, Fred patted her shoulder. "Do know that I've given this only to you."

Rhea was astonished. "What about the others?"

"They only have segments of the handbook, according to their assigned groups, each responsible for different parts of the experiment. Only yours is complete," Fred said gravely. Rhea understood instantly.