Prologue

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The fluorescent lights flickered, casting long, erratic shadows across the sterile lab in the heart of São Paulo. Rows of glass vials lined the shelves, their contents shimmering faintly under the dim glow. At the center of the room, a sleek workstation hummed with the low, steady pulse of data being processed, its screen alive with strings of chemical formulas and 3D molecular models.

Outside, the relentless hum of the city was muffled by the thick concrete walls, but inside, the air was tight with tension.

Dr. Rafaela Thais Oliveira sat hunched over her desk, staring at the monitor with a frown. Years of research had led to this point — a single compound, one that could change everything. The simulations were running smoothly, the potential drug binding perfectly to its target in every test. If the calculations were right, this compound could cure more than just a disease; it could rewrite the rules of biology itself. A small vial of fine white powder sat next to her keyboard, its potential both thrilling and terrifying.

Suddenly, the lab's security system beeped. Rafaela's fingers paused over the keys. She glanced at the corner of the screen — the cameras were down.

Her heart skipped. No one else was supposed to be here.

The door hissed open behind her.

Rafaela spun around, her pulse racing, but all she could see was the dark silhouette of a man. His face was obscured by the shadows, but there was no mistaking the slow, deliberate movement as he raised a hand to his lips — a silent command for her to keep quiet. She didn't have time to react before the sharp scent of chloroform filled her nostrils. Her vision blurred, and the world around her spun into darkness.

Minutes passed — or was it hours? The lab was empty now, save for the soft whir of machines and the open door swaying gently. On the desk, the fine white powder was gone, replaced by a single fingerprint smeared on the glass. The data on the screen blinked once before vanishing into nothing, wiped clean.

The compound had been stolen, and with it, the key to something far more dangerous than a cure.

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