We were both quiet after they left. The silence had taken control of the room, savoring it. I took the moment to look at Varian, who looked different. He didn't look as Varian should, how he used to.

His face had been untouched. It had been considered near perfection by the lab coats, who had once discussed which surgeries he would need and which he wouldn't.

He had once told me eavesdropping was bad and I believed Him. Yet, I couldn't help but do so as the lab coats discussed Experiment Varian. He was the newest addition and considered almost as important as me. Almost.

The lab coats were talking amongst themselves while I waited for Him to finish gathering results. They were huddled together, both pair of eyes excitedly glued to the clipboard one of them held.

"Have you seen this yet? We're barely gonna need to do anything," one said, his voice pitched higher than usual. It tended to do that when something unusual happened, something they considered good.

"I know! He'll need a few things fixed, but overall the only major thing is his attitude. Physically, he's near perfect. He's probably going to need less surgeries than Experiment Arcelia," the other replied before they both glanced in my direction, smiling with their eyebrows furrowed in thought.

He then came out of the room and snapped at them for idly chatting before things resumed to normal.

Experiment Varian now had a scar. It almost wasn't noticeable, his hair covering a lot of it. But I could see it begin, or end, along his jawline before it slithered further up and disappeared. Even without the scar, this wasn't Experiment Varian's face. It looked rougher and more intimidating, like he couldn't remember how to smile. It looked less like Experiment Varian and more like a stranger.

My hand twitched and I clenched it, finding a desire to touch his face. I wanted to feel the difference and make sure it didn't hurt, but that was inappropriate. So instead, I questioned.

"What happened?" I asked, deciding it would be better than assuming. Assuming had led to punishments, whereas following rules had led to rewards.

I watched as his face twisted, a tangible dark cloud hiding him from me. His eyes stared at the wall behind me for a moment, and I glanced in the direction. All I could see was the pristine white wall, but nothing unusual.

"They weren't kind to me for leaving, Angel," he started before his eyes focus back on me, his expression softening slightly. "I don't want to frighten you with the details."

I tilt my head, curious as to how details could frighten me. They were words, both verbal and intangible. He had told me you could only be hurt by what you allowed and I had believed him. I still did.

I didn't press him further, deciding it wasn't relevant. If needed, I was sure he would tell me. I started to question him about whether things had changed or whether they were still normal, but the sound of the door opening stopped me.

Dimitri walked in, a smile on his face. He held his clipboard carelessly in comparison to the lab coats that clutched the words to their chest as if they were sacred. He was, as usual, dressed in abnormal clothing that I still couldn't understand.

"Hello, Leah. Varian. I hope you've enjoyed your reunion. Unfortunately, I need to take you back to your room for the day, Leah," he explained, his eyes trained on me. He stance was lazy but his eyes were just the opposite.

"My room?" I asked, wondering if we associated the words with the same thing.

"Ah, not the room you used to stay in. It's occupied at the moment. But we can recreate your room in the new one." I frowned, knowing better than to say it wasn't the same thing. Even I could realize that.

"Okay," I replied. He took a step back, his eyes expectantly on me. I started towards him to leave, but in the same second Varian stepped in front of me, my body hidden behind his own.

His chest began vibrating with a low, thunderous sound that I had forgotten about. But Dimitri hadn't and only looked at Varian.

"You touch her and I'll kill you," Varian said softly, but the words themselves still left an impact, coherent even through the growls.

Dimitri shook his head, tsking Varian. "I'm tired of giving you warning only for you to ignore them," he started before adding, "Shock is advised for Experiment Varian."

In the same moment, Varian's face tensed as his body crumpled to the floor. He began shaking as he quickly lost control of any possible movement.

Without thinking, I began moving towards him, kneeling by his shaking body. I found my own hands holding his, attempting to stop his pain.

Later I would analyze the situation and realize my eyes had widened while my pupils dilated, and that my own body had shook slightly. I would realize I was panicking, although I couldn't understand why.

When rules weren't obeyed, consequences were a result. I knew he would wake up as normal when after he passed out from the shocking. I knew this, yet all I could focus on was Varian and whether he was okay. My body was being irrational in the situation.

"It's a late reaction to the Red Virus, Lia," he explained when I looked over at him, as if he could fix this. But he simply stood and watched.

"Your feelings for him must have increased over the time you two were separated. I didn't think that would further the trial, but perhaps it's just what we needed," he thought out loud, staring at the two of us.

His eyes then focused on me again as he gently said, "He'll be fine. You know this, so let's go to your room and let him rest. The scientists will place him on a bed and make sure he's comfortable."

I listened after a moment, reluctantly tearing myself away from Varian before following Dimitri.