Female Novel
Chapter 1602
Astronia.
Maja scrolled through the endless barrage of online posts confirming that Wendy had been virtually
tarred and feathered by the unforgiving public. It was only then that she allowed herself a smidgen of
satisfaction.
She couldn't bring herself to call Zoey. She knew it would just be another round of apologies and all
that.
Right now it was better for anyone to disturb Zoey, who needed a little peace and quiet, some time to
rest up. Rubbing her tired eyes, Maja shut her laptop, only to be gently chided by the woman beside
her.
"You really should cut down on screen time, especially with the baby on the way."
Maja splashed some water on her face in the bathroom. When she returned, her eyes were still tinged
with red. There had been no word from Ian for a week, she hadn’t really had enough rest recently, and
her nights were riddled with nightmares.
After dealing with the online storm back home, all she felt was exhaustion. Another day passed without
a peep from Ian. Maja was growing impatient. She called Beck, hoping for a shred of news.
"Nothing yet, Maja. Don't get too worked up. The research base's layout is a maze; they might be out of
reach for now."
"And what about Forbidden Island?” Was Cynthia still giving everyone the silent treatment?
Beck's smile faded at the mention of Forbidden Island, "It's the same. She screams whenever anyonenovelbin
tries to approach. No way to communicate. The engineering department is working double-time, but the
basement's design is too clever. It'll take months to crack."
Feeling the weight of her concerns, Maja pressed her lip and ended the call. No matter how worried
she was for Ian, her only choice was to wait in the hotel.
Meanwhile, at the research base, Ian had spent days familiarizing himself with the layout, yet he still
couldn’t find Dylan’s location. His exchanges with Walter had been enlightening.
Night fell, he delivered another batch of medications near Test Chamber 8; Ian noticed the researchers
hadn’t slept for days and barely had the energy to greet as they saw him.
The teenage subject of Chamber 8 had gone berserk the previous night. The higher-ups had wanted to
parade him out like a showpiece, but the boy had gruesomely clawed two men before being sedated
and returned to his chamber. His fingernails still bore traces of blood, lending him an eerie aura.
Each time Ian delivered meds, their gazes would meet. These few nights when he went to the hatch,
he’d lock gaze with the boy’s. He knew well that the boy recognized him, yet he hadn't alerted anyone.
Ian wondered if the teen had ever spoken. During his time here, he hadn’t really heard the teen ever
speak. All he seemed capable of were roars and screams.
After completing his delivery, Ian returned to Sarah's core lab. Sarah was deeply engrossed in her
research, rarely initiating conversation unless discussing the effects of a new drug.
Ian needed to send meds near Chamber 8 tonight. He planned to create chaos so he could better
understand the area where the higher-ups were holed up.
He stood at the lab bench, methodically handing over reagents to the Doctor, but Sarah didn’t take
over, and furrowed her brows instead.
He noticed one of Sarah's hand was trembling. She switched on a device aside that projected the faces
of masked individuals through a small screen, save for one - the uniformed man from the lobby.
Legs crossed, the uniformed man was debating heatedly with the others, one hand propping against
his chin, his lips curled up. At the moment, the head of the table addressed Sarah.
"What are your thoughts, Sarah? After all, you are the one who created this weapon."
All seven core members sat at the table.
Lowering her lashes, Sarah glanced at the only unmasked man. Her image filled the central conference
screen, the lab behind her.
"If everyone wants it, then perhaps no one should have it. Let's keep him in the chamber a few more
days. Isn't the chairperson election just around the corner?"
The unmasked man raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips, "Indeed, just a few days left. Some
will be stepping down this term."