The records in a thin leather book and a rolled-up map was in Andrew's hands. He looked clueless on what to do while he watched back and forth between us.

It was the book that took the girl in a lab coat's interest, snatched the item as fast as she could that only empty air was remained in his left hand.

"You know that I can hand it to you, right?" Andrew said in annoyance. She ignored him and dismissed him.

"Mind explaining to us what's inside, Linda?" He sighed heavily.

She quietly started to read.

"This research was based on X-01 experiment."

She then looked towards Tyler.

"That is what the book says in the beginning. It was based on modified human research, much like what happened to Tyler."

I was about to comment before stopping myself. Tyler stiffened up on his feet.

"What is it? Something wrong?" The boy shook his head quickly.

"Alright, then. I'm gonna explain it once so listen closely."

Linda headed to the center and took a seat before opening the next page. She could see words written on there besides the date and test's name.

𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁’𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 : 𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗮𝗰 --

𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 : 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁

=> 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟱 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝗫𝗫 -- 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹.

Linda started to read these things that she somehow intently focused to the book, slowly as she explained what's written on the book and didn't try to read the scratchy part on the last name of the patient and the year it was conducted.

=> 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 : 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴,

"Wait, that means it was a failure?" I gazed to her eyes but Linda explained to me patiently.

"There's no such thing as failure just because of one subject. A lot of things are considered when researching something. Time, place, subject's current condition and other things that could affect the results."

Linda closed her eyes for a moment before opening them back.

"I can conclude three things from this record. First, the subject is still alive. He must not be let off for any reason if it's alive for further observation. Second, the X-02 product research is in progress because there's no results shown in the subject. Lastly..."

She stopped for a moment to look at Tyler. She already explained a whole lot about what's in the record and the detailed diagnosis but nobody said a thing especially Tyler. It made her worried for the little boy as she looked at him.

Her worry was correct, seeing Tyler lowered his head.

The incessant word "X-01 Experiment" triggered a memory which Tyler tried to forget since he ran away from home. At first he brushed it aside as a word he was familiar with but the records that Linda read it aloud was somehow making him remembered.

The time he felt crimson liquid sliding down his arms and making his palms slick. A metallic stench of blood and liquid he never know its name mingled in the air that weighed heavily on his already tired body.

"No more, please..."

He could hear himself begged to the woman with a white lab coat but she ignored him.

"Hush, child."

"It hurts..." His vision was clouded with tears which he tried to hold back.

He cried as he watched her pick up another needle. She was ignoring him and bring the needle closer and holding his arm in a tight grip. His head felt like it was gonna explode from pain coursing through his whole body.

Days after days, upon a year of endurance, he lashed out and ran away from those awful place filled with thick smell and grabbing hands trying to catch him.

He ended in a back alley of some old building which was well kept as he cringed further into the corner. He was found by the orphanage and adopted by his new father.

He shook his head and trying to hold back his soft sobs whilst his mind kept going back to the past, unwilling to let go of the memories resurfaced after all the years he been through.

Linda didn't want to tell them further but needed to say the truth. No matter how hard it is.

"Lastly, any subject related to X-01 experiment had the possibility of being exposed to an infection just like what happen to X-02 subject."