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Aiko
The office was dimly lit, the only source of illumination coming from the glowing screen of Aiko's laptop and the soft light of the microscope. Her face was taut with concentration as she moved carefully between the equipment. She adjusted the sample beneath the lens and peered into the microscope again, holding her breath.
There it was.
The virus. Destroyed.
Aiko blinked, her heart racing as she pulled back and double-checked the results. "No way," she muttered, grabbing her notebook and scribbling furiously. She repeated the test to make sure, extracting another sample of her blood, mixing it with a live culture of the virus, and letting the solution incubate for a few minutes.
When she checked again, the same result stared back at her.
"It's killing it," she whispered in awe, her voice trembling with excitement. Her fingers fumbled to set up her phone and start recording.
"This is Aiko Nakamura," she said into the camera, her voice hushed but urgent. "November 6th. 2:17 a.m. I've isolated a component in my blood that is actively destroying the virus. The reaction is... it's rapid and effective. I think this could be it. This could be the cure."
She recorded a few more close-ups of the microscope slides, narrating her findings. Her exhaustion was evident, but adrenaline kept her going. For the first time, she felt hope.
That hope was short-lived, as the door to the office creaked open.
"Aiko."
Her mother's voice was cold, stern, and cutting through the quiet room like a knife. Aiko didn't look up.
"What are you doing in here?" Dr. Nakamura demanded, stepping into the lab. "You should be resting."
Aiko continued working, her hands trembling as she reached for another vial. "I'm doing what you should have done a long time ago. I'm fixing this."
Dr. Nakamura crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "Aiko, you don't understand what you're playing with. The process of producing enough of that protein to create a cure will kill you. Your body won't survive the extraction."
Aiko froze for a moment before turning to face her mother, her eyes blazing with anger. "You mean like how Yeji didn't survive? Like how you drained her until she died?"
Her mother's lips pressed into a thin line, but her gaze didn't waver. "That was a mistake. One I won't let happen to you."
"Spare me your concern," Aiko snapped, standing from her chair. "You don't get to act like you care about my well-being after everything you've done. I don't want your help, and I sure as hell don't want your approval."
"You're being reckless!" Dr. Nakamura's voice rose, uncharacteristically frantic. "This isn't about revenge or proving yourself. This is about your life, Aiko."
