"Kah, kah, kah~"

The cry of a newborn echoed through Fortress Omega, marking the birth of the 1,039th child. The baby was held by a tall, muscular man named Monty, who stood on a raised platform, proudly displaying the infant to the crowd below. His face beamed with joy as he showed off the badge on his chest, which read: "299."

Next to Monty stood Wilson, who placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Congratulations, Monty," Wilson said warmly. "You're heading to Paradise Island. I wish you all the best in your new life."

The crowd murmured with envy, especially the men eager for their own children to be born.

Ethan felt a chill down his spine, sensing a menacing presence. When he turned around, he found Aria glaring at him with anger.

As the crowd dispersed, Ethan hurried to catch up with Aria. She was still upset with him over the failed pregnancy attempt. After all, it was her first time being selected in two years.

"Don't follow me," Aria snapped, striding ahead with a pace faster than usual, fueled by her anger.

"Aria, I know you're mad about what happened, but it wasn't entirely my fault. Maybe it's both of us?" Ethan tried to explain, but his words only made Aria more furious. Sometimes, his straightforwardness was a recipe for disaster.

Aria stopped abruptly, turning to face him. "What did you just say? My fault?" she leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing.

"Wait, wait! Maybe there's another solution. What if we tried again?" Ethan grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

"Argh! My eyes!" Aria's fist landed squarely on Ethan's eye, instantly turning it into a bruised, swollen mess.

"Damn, she's strong. I was just trying to say… Wait, there are too many people around. Let's talk somewhere else." Ethan grabbed Aria's arm and led her to a secluded spot behind two massive pillars that supported Fortress Omega. The pillars were so large that they completely concealed them from view.

"There might be another way for us to reach Paradise Island, and it involves the upper laboratory," Ethan whispered into Aria's ear.

"What upper laboratory? What are you talking about?" Aria asked, clearly taken aback.

"Listen, Aria. Remember when I was punished and sent to clean the ventilation ducts? That was just yesterday," Ethan continued, his voice low.

"Ha! Punished? Serves you right! Finally, someone put you in your place," Aria laughed, almost enjoying the thought.

"Yeah, yeah, but hold on. Guess what I found inside the ducts?" Ethan's words piqued Aria's curiosity, and she began to take interest.

"But you have to promise me you won't tell anyone," Ethan glanced around to ensure they were alone.

"Spit it out already, or I'll hit you again!" Aria's patience was wearing thin.

"I found a hatch. It leads to a laboratory above us. I climbed up and saw people working there—two doctors discussing something about clones. I think there might be an exit up there. Haven't you ever wondered why new survivors keep arriving here?" Ethan explained.

"You're saying that lab could hold the answers we've been looking for?" Aria's expression became serious as she considered the implications. Ethan, meanwhile, resolved to investigate further during his next shift in the ventilation ducts.

After finishing his afternoon task of adding nutrients to the Petri dishes, Ethan changed out of his lab coat and into his cleaning uniform, ready for his shift in the ducts. Surprisingly, he didn't dread the work anymore—his only goal now was to explore the upper laboratory again.

Ethan had become familiar with the ducts, and the darkness no longer scared him. The winding, maze-like tunnels didn't confuse him either; he had marked the walls with a small knife during his last shift. It wasn't long before he found the hatch again. He carefully climbed up and listened for any noise from above.

"It's quiet now. I need to move quickly," Ethan muttered to himself.

With swift, practiced movements, he lifted the hatch and climbed through, closing it behind him. He made his way to a nearby cleaning closet, but this time, there was a worker inside, catching Ethan by surprise. He quickly hid behind the door, holding his breath until the worker left, the door clicking shut behind them.

"Phew… My foot's gone numb," Ethan muttered as he limped over to the back of the room, where he changed into a janitor's uniform.

Pushing a garbage cart and donning a mask, Ethan stepped out, trying to appear calm and collected. The space was vast, with a long corridor leading to several operating rooms. Some had red lights above the doors, indicating they were unoccupied, and through the small windows, Ethan could see various surgical instruments and rows of what looked like refrigerators.

"What is this place?" Ethan wondered, his mind racing with questions.

The rooms with green lights had their doors closed, indicating that work was being done inside. As Ethan pretended to sweep the floor, a group of people walked by, causing his heart to pound in his chest. He glanced at them out of the corner of his eye.

"Wait… isn't that the black man from this morning, the one who had a baby? What's he doing here?" Ethan was puzzled.

"Wasn't he supposed to go to Paradise Island?" Ethan edged closer, determined to find out more.

"The door's closed... What are they going to do to him?" Ethan turned his back to the doctors and the black man, wiping down the wall with a cloth. Once the automatic door shut, Ethan tried to peer through the crack but couldn't see anything. Twenty minutes passed, and suddenly, there were loud screams—it was the black pregnant man.

"What's happening to him?" Ethan was desperate to know. He kept cleaning the entire hallway, hoping not to raise any suspicion. He had wiped down the same wall so many times that it was almost shining.

"Why is it taking so long? Come out already. If he doesn't come out soon, I'm going to make this wall reflective," Ethan muttered to himself.

An hour went by with no sound from behind the door. Finally, the door opened again, and several doctors in white coats walked out, carrying silver metal boxes. "What are those for?" Ethan wondered, his curiosity growing. The doctors' faces were hidden by masks, making it impossible to read their expressions.

A gurney was wheeled out next, with a person covered by a white sheet. On top of the sheet was a tag with the number 299...