BREAKTHROUGH

The lab was filled with an unbearable silence. It wasn't the kind of silence that came with peace; it was the kind that followed endless failures. The kind that felt suffocating, like a weight pressing down on everyone in the room.

Dr. Moreau stared at the data on her screen, her eyes burning from exhaustion. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, hesitant to run yet another simulation, knowing it would most likely fail like all the others. Across the room, Dr. Solis rubbed his temples while Dr. Voss drummed his fingers against the table impatiently.

"We've tried everything," Solis muttered. "Every possible variation, every combination, and every last bit of data we could scavenge."

"And yet, we're still here," Voss added, his voice laced with frustration. "No cure. No progress. Just delays."

Moreau exhaled, her patience running thin. "Complaining won't get us anywhere."

Voss scoffed. "Neither will this."

Solis leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. "We need a new approach."

Moreau tapped her fingers against the desk, deep in thought. Then, almost reluctantly, she spoke.

"There is one thing we haven't tried."

Voss raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

Moreau hesitated. "A direct fusion of the virus with a neutralizing agent—without modifying its structure first."

Solis narrowed his eyes. "That's insane. That could cause an even worse mutation."

"But what if it doesn't?" Moreau countered.

Voss leaned forward, intrigued. "Are you saying… we let the virus try to stabilize itself with the cure?"

Moreau nodded. "Exactly."

Solis sighed. "We'd need an insane amount of processing power to simulate that."

"We have it," Moreau replied. "Manav made sure of that."

The room fell into silence again as the three of them exchanged glances. It was risky. It could fail like every other attempt. But at this point, what did they have to lose?

"Fine," Solis finally muttered. "Let's do it."

Voss cracked his knuckles. "This better work."

They got to work immediately. Moreau entered the necessary calculations into the system while Solis adjusted the parameters for the simulation. Voss prepared the samples, carefully measuring each component. The tension in the room was thick, but there was also a flicker of something they hadn't felt in a long time—hope.

The moment everything was ready, Moreau took a deep breath and initiated the simulation.

The screen filled with complex patterns of data, shifting rapidly as the program processed the information. They watched in silence, their hearts pounding.

Seconds felt like hours.

Then—

A beep.

A green confirmation message appeared on the screen.

**Simulation Successful.**

For a moment, no one moved. No one even breathed.

Moreau's eyes widened. "Did… did we just…"

Voss leaned forward, rereading the results. "No errors. No failures. The virus is completely neutralized."

Solis exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Holy shit."

Moreau turned to them, her voice barely above a whisper. "We did it."

There was a long silence before Voss let out a breathless laugh. "We actually did it."

Solis shook his head in disbelief. "This changes everything."

Moreau quickly began running real-world tests, confirming the results. Every single one came back with the same outcome—the virus was eradicated. The cure was real.

They had won.

Voss fell back into his chair, exhaling. "I don't even know how to feel right now."

Solis chuckled, rubbing his face. "Relieved? Shocked? Like you need ten hours of sleep?"

Moreau wasn't laughing. She stared at the data, her mind racing. "We need to tell Manav."

Voss sighed. "Right. The fun part."

Solis nodded. "Let's go."

The three of them exited the lab, walking through the dimly lit halls of Goodie Hunters' headquarters. The weight of their discovery pressed down on them, making their footsteps feel heavier.

When they reached the command center, they found Manav standing near the large windows, his gaze fixed on the city below. The room was empty except for Priya, who stood a few steps behind him.

Moreau cleared her throat. "Sir."

Manav turned slightly, his face as unreadable as ever. "Speak."

Solis inhaled deeply. "The cure is ready."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Manav spoke in the same cold, emotionless voice as always.

"Good work."

That was it. No relief, no excitement, no praise. Just those two words.

Voss frowned. "That's it? 'Good work'?"

Manav didn't even look at him. "We need to release the cure to the world." He turned slightly, his dark eyes meeting theirs. "The Global Parliament meets the day after tomorrow. It will be done then."

Moreau shifted uncomfortably. "And what about you?"

Manav finally turned fully to face them. "I will go."

The words felt final. Moreau wasn't sure why, but they sent a chill down her spine.

Priya watched the exchange silently, her expression unreadable.

Solis hesitated before speaking. "And what happens after that?"

Manav's gaze didn't waver. "After that… we will see."

With that, he turned back to the window, signaling that the conversation was over.

Moreau wanted to say something. Anything. But she knew it wouldn't matter.

Voss sighed. "Alright. Guess we're done here."

Solis gave one last glance at Manav before turning away. "See you at the Global Parliament."

The three of them left the room, the sound of the door closing behind them echoing in the silence.

Priya remained, watching Manav. "You're not planning to just hand over the cure and leave, are you?"

Manav didn't answer.

Priya exhaled, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

Still, Manav remained silent. His gaze never left the city outside, as if he were seeing something no one else could.

And so, the chapter closed.

The cure was ready. The world was about to change.

But the real battle had yet to begin.