As the ancient, shattered walls of the cavern loomed around the newly christened Kim, she could hardly believe the transformation she had wrought upon this forlorn place. Gone was the dank, suffocating darkness that had once festered within its depths, replaced with a luminous radiance that refracted from sculptures and machines of her own design.

She had retooled the lab, transforming it from a twisted monument to her former mentor's obsession into a space where she could help others find their true potential.

"This is where the magic happens," she said, as she turned to face her protégé, Lila, a young woman with fiery red hair and a vivacious smile.

Lila was dressed in a similar, albeit less ornate, latex dress, her own figure curvaceous and fit. Her deep green eyes twinkled with curiosity and admiration as she gazed at her mentor.

"I still can't believe this place is mine," Kim said, gesturing to the room. "But I don't want to keep it all to myself. I want to help others find their own beauty, their own power. That's why I've been working on this new formula - it enhances the body, rather than controlling it."

Lila's eyes widened in excitement. "I had always hoped we would change that. When I worked in the bowels of the lab..." She paused, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." Lila lowered her gaze, her fiery mane cascading over her shoulders.

Kim waved off her apology, a reassuring smile curving her lips, "Don't worry about it. I know what you meant. I wanted the same thing." She sighed, "The late Doctor was a brilliant man, but he lost his way. He became obsessed with perfection and wanted to control everything, even people's thoughts. But that's not what beauty is about. It's about embracing yourself, flaws and all, and becoming the best version of you. That's what I want to focus on now. And with this new formula, I can help people do just that."

As they walked through the lab, Kim ran her hand along the sleek surface of her latest creation, a machine that would apply the SKNN formula to individuals, in the form of a spray tan. She explained how the machine worked, and how she had ensured that it would respect the user's autonomy, unlike her former mentor's creations.

"It sounds so perfect," Lila said, her voice filled with awe.

"Again, it's not about perfection. Perfection like mine was always unattainable," Kim replied, gesturing to her own form. "That's why Michael failed with his previous experiments."

"So, uh. Are we finally getting rid of the template?" Lila asked as they entered a high-security vault within the lair.

"No, the template still serves a purpose," Kim said as both stopped in front of a gargantuan glass container that reached the ceiling. Inside, the remains of a petite Japanese woman, with striking, almost otherworldly features, was sealed within a metallic fluid that preserved her fragile body.

As Kim explained the template’s origin, Lila listened in rapt attention. The tale of how Kim and Michael had discovered the template in an ancient ruin, and brought her back to the lair to study, was enthralling. It was a strange, beautiful and enigmatic discovery, but also one filled with pain and loss.

Michael had attempted to utilize the template to replicate her perfect features for his beauty treatments but had failed immensely.

The once vibrant woman with her dark pools of sclera-less eyes, and her lips painted with blood red lipstick, had been transformed into a grotesque figure, twisted and disfigured.

Kim continued, "Michael's attempts to replicate her beauty were misguided. Using the template as a guide, I want to use it to help us find our own paths, not dictate them."

"And the formula will help us do that?" Lila asked, gazing at the lifeless body of the template.

"The formula will change everything, Lila." Kim ran her hand along the exterior of the glass container, careful not to disturb the metallic fluid that preserved the template. "With this formula, we'll be able to bring out people's unique qualities and attributes, to help them feel comfortable in their own skin..."

Lila began to squirm, "Well, I have some errands to run. To be honest, this room unsettles me quite a bit. I swear she's always looking at me, those dark, soulless eyes staring right into my soul. It's unnerving." Lila shuddered, breaking the heavy silence that enveloped the room. Despite her apprehensions, Lila quickly composed herself and flashed a confident grin at Kim, her hands fidgeting nervously by her side. "So, I'll see you later."

Kim smiled back at her protégé as she exited the vault.

Turning back to the container, staring deep into the eyes of the template, "Yes, the new formula will help people feel comfortable in their OWN skin; because there can be only one."

The template peered back at Kim, her expression unchanged, as if challenging Kim to prove herself. Kim couldn't help but feel a shiver crawling up her spine. Never had she felt such an intense connection to an inanimate object.

Without thinking, she slammed her hand against the glass, "And I am that one!" Kim snapped her fingers as she sauntered out of the vault, leaving the ancient remains alone within the darkness.

In that darkness, a grin could be seen, as the clink of braking glass echoed softly within the vault.