The moment the liquid hit Ava's tongue, she knew.
This wasn't normal.
The taste was bitter—sharp, metallic, laced with something that shouldn't exist. It burned as it went down, like swallowing pure energy.
Then—heat.
Ava's veins ignited, her body going rigid as the compound spread through her system too fast, too violently.
[FOREIGN SUBSTANCE DETECTED]
[SYSTEM ADAPTATION IN PROGRESS…]
[BIOLOGICAL RESPONSE: UNSTABLE]
Ava swayed, her vision swimming.
Lucas was watching her. Smirking. Waiting.
"Breathe, Beauty." His voice was silk, low and knowing.
Ava gritted her teeth. "Shut. Up."
Lucas chuckled. "That's the spirit."
Then the pain hit.
Her Blueprint System flared, trying to process the changes, but the compound was too foreign, too fast. Every nerve in her body lit up at once.
Ava staggered, grabbing the edge of the table, fingers digging into the wood.
Too much. Too fast.
[WARNING: SYSTEM OVERLOAD]
[NEURAL ACTIVITY SPIKE]
[STABILIZATION REQUIRED]
