Mary stands alone in her vast kitchen, her reflection fragmented in the glossy marble. Her tall frame, accentuated by a silk robe, moves with mechanical grace as she pours coffee. Each sip is tasteless, swallowed in silence, as she gazes out onto manicured lawns that hold no meaning for her.
Mary strides down the corridor, her heels muffled by plush carpeting. She pauses, catching a snippet of hurried conversation about a breakthrough serum in the lab. Curiosity flickers in her eyes as she slows her steps, mind already calculating possibilities.
Mary slips inside, her heart pounding. She approaches an open display case, where a single vial rests—a small glass bottle filled with an electric blue liquid. She opens a nearby computer, fingers flying over keys as she searches for answers. "What are you?" she murmurs, scrolling rapidly. The whir of a printer signals her theft as she quickly stuffs the printed documents in her bag.
Mary freezes, adrenaline surging. She powers down the computer, her hands trembling, and darts towards the door. The vial catches her eye in a last, fateful glance. Acting on impulse, she snatches it, tucking it into her bag just as voices draw nearer. She slips into the north stairway, breaths shallow, heart racing as she escapes unseen.
Mary enters, heels echoing against marble. She drops her bag on a designer chair and stands in the foyer, the weight of the serum heavy in her pocket. The house, immaculate yet devoid of warmth, mirrors her own emptiness. She walks to a floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at her reflection, uncertainty and anticipation warring within her eyes.
Mary sits before it, the printed files spread around her. Her fingers trace the words: “Experimental. Purpose enhancement. Side effects unknown.” "Maybe this is what I’ve been searching for all along," she whispers, her voice trembling with hope and fear. The night deepens, and the mansion holds its breath, waiting for the choice that could change everything.
