- Version: 0.2 | Unnatural Instinct [ongoing]

The subject froze mid-stride, its hand hovering inches from Vance's throat. It turned its void-like eyes back to Kaelen.

Kaelen didn't look back. "You didn't just delete fear, Dr. Vance. You deleted self-preservation."

Vance pulled a small, silver pocket knife from his coat and held it out. "Subject 0.2. Assess and neutralize the threat." Unnatural Instinct [Ongoing] - Version: 0.2

"Sir, we haven't finished the behavioral mapping," Kaelen protested. "Open it. I want to see the 0.2 patch in action."

Suddenly, the subject's head snapped toward Kaelen. There was no emotion in the movement, just pure, terrifying efficiency. Kaelen took an involuntary step back. His heart hammered against his ribs—a frantic, messy, natural human reaction. The subject froze mid-stride, its hand hovering inches

Kaelen pressed his palm against the glass barrier, his fingers twitching to a rhythm he didn't recognize. On the other side, the subject—labeled 0.2 —sat perfectly still. It looked entirely human, save for its eyes. They weren't reflecting the room's fluorescent lighting. They were absorbing it.

"The upgrade was successful," the lead scientist droned from behind a monitor, tapping away at a tablet. "We have successfully overwritten the baseline survival protocols. Fear has been deleted. Hesitation has been minimized to zero." "You didn't just delete fear, Dr

The air in the sterile white lab didn't just feel cold; it felt engineered.