Episode 17: The Truth Beneath the Skin

Talent Reborn – Season 2

Episode 17: The Truth Beneath the Skin

The bright lights of the operating room cast harsh shadows over the unconscious patient. Haruto stood at the table, scalpel in hand, Ayaka assisting him. The tension in the air was palpable. They weren't just fighting to save a life—they were uncovering a mystery.

Haruto took a deep breath. Focus. With precise movements, he made the first incision. Blood pooled, but something was wrong. The tissue beneath the skin looked… off.

Ayaka gasped. "What is that?"

Haruto's grip tightened. The muscle fibers looked unnatural, almost synthetic, as if something had altered them. He reached deeper, exposing the organs. His stomach twisted.

The heart was covered in thin, black web-like veins.

Renji, watching from behind the glass, muttered, "It's just like before…"

Haruto's pulse pounded. "This isn't normal. This isn't human physiology."

Ayaka swallowed hard. "Is it a mutation?"

Haruto shook his head. "No. This was done to him."

Renji stepped into the OR, fully scrubbed in. His expression was grim. "We need a sample of that tissue. If this is connected to Project Origin…"

Haruto didn't hesitate. He carefully extracted a piece of the black-veined tissue, sealing it in a sterile container. But as he did, the patient's vitals plummeted.

The monitors blared in alarm. Blood pressure dropping. Oxygen levels critical.

"Damn it!" Haruto cursed. The patient's body was rejecting the surgery itself.

Ayaka's eyes widened. "His body… it's fighting against us."

Haruto's mind raced. What if the black tissue wasn't just abnormal? What if it was a defense mechanism?

The patient seized violently. Haruto had no choice. He had to close him up—fast. But before he could finish, the patient's eyes snapped open.

Haruto froze.

The man's pupils had turned completely black.

Then, in a voice that wasn't his own, he whispered:

"You shouldn't have done that."

And then, his heart stopped.

To be continued…