Chapter 2: The Lab and The Virus

Joy awoke to the hum of machinery and the sterile scent of chemicals. His head throbbed, and his vision was blurry. The cold surface beneath him sent shivers down his spine. He tried to move, but his limbs were strapped down.

A faint groan drew his attention. Turning his head with difficulty, he saw Tia on a table beside him, her wrists restrained. Her eyes fluttered open, panic immediately flashing across her face.

"Tia," Joy whispered, his voice hoarse. "Are you okay?"

"Joy," she murmured, struggling against the restraints. "What… what's happening? Where are we?"

Before Joy could respond, the door to the room hissed open. A group of scientists entered, led by a man in a lab coat. His face was expressionless as he approached Joy.

"Dr. Davidson," the man said coldly. "It's time to begin."

"Begin what?" Joy demanded, his voice rising. "Who are you? What do you want from us?"

The man ignored his questions, signaling to an assistant. A syringe filled with a glowing liquid was brought forward.

"This serum," the scientist began, "is based on your own research, Dr. Davidson. A cure, or so we hoped. But we need to see its full effects… on a human subject."

"No!" Joy yelled, thrashing against the restraints. "You can't do this!"

The scientist remained unfazed. "You don't have a choice."

The syringe pierced Joy's arm. He winced as the serum entered his bloodstream, a burning sensation spreading through his veins.

Joy's vision blurred again, and he could feel his heart pounding erratically. His body felt like it was on fire. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Tia's terrified face.

And then Joy was thrown to the jungle to die with the virus.

Scene shift: Jungle Awakening

Joy stirred, his senses sluggish as the damp earth pressed against his body. He groaned, his head throbbing and his limbs heavy. Four hours had passed since the darkness swallowed him whole at the restaurant. Now, he found himself lying on the cold, moss-covered ground.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, his vision adjusting to the dim light that filtered through a dense canopy of leaves. The air was humid and thick with the scent of wet earth and vegetation. Around him, unfamiliar bird calls echoed, mingling with the rustling of leaves in the faint breeze.

Panic began to creep in as fragmented memories from the date flashed before his eyes—Tia's smile, the clinking of glasses, the sharp wave of dizziness that had struck him out of nowhere. His fingers brushed against the coarse bark of a tree as he sat up, his body aching with every movement.

He remembered this feeling—this disorienting sense of displacement. A memory stirred from the recesses of his mind: a faint voice, distant yet haunting, speaking of a "lab" and "Congo Basin." The words clawed at his thoughts, refusing to settle into coherence.