6. Project Genesis

Alice couldn't sleep that night.

Even after returning home, her mind kept going back to her brief conversation with Jade on the terrace of the Black estate.

[“Tomorrow. Midnight. The old foundation archives. Come alone.”]

The words kept replaying in her head.

Alice sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her fingers slowly touched the pendant hanging around her neck. Sixty days, the outbreak.

Jade’s mother’s thesis and now Jade.

Everything seemed like pieces of a puzzle slowly falling into place. Yet the more pieces she found, the greater her fear became.

Alice was about to lie down when she heard footsteps outside her room. She immediately turned off the light. The door wasn't completely closed.

Jason's voice came from the hallway. “Mom, I already told you. Don't get involved too much.”

Alice held her breath. Evelyn's voice was quieter.

“I just want to make sure she didn't tell Jade anything.”

“She?”

“Who else?”

Alice tensed. Jason was silent for a few seconds.

“Did Alice talk to Jade tonight?”

Alice's heart began pounding faster.

“I saw them on the terrace,” Evelyn replied. “I didn't hear what they talked about.”

“Then find out.”

“Jason…”

“I don't want any trouble,” Jason cut her off, his voice cold. “If Jade starts getting involved, everything could fall apart.”

Alice covered her mouth to keep herself from making a sound. Their footsteps gradually faded away. She waited for a long time before opening the door slightly. The hallway was empty.

Alice returned to her bed. So they were afraid of Jade and more importantly, they were afraid that Alice might talk to him.

Her hand reached for the pendant again.

“What exactly are you hiding?” she whispered.

---

The next morning, Alice didn't say anything to Jason or Evelyn. She acted as if everything was normal. She had breakfast, smiled, and listened to Evelyn's comments about her clothes.

But her mind was somewhere else.

As soon as Jason left for work, Alice went into the small study on the second floor. She turned on her laptop and began searching for information about the Black Family Foundation.

At first, there was nothing unusual.

The foundation had a long history, funding various research projects, universities, hospitals, and even public health initiatives.

But when Alice searched for Jade's mother, the results changed. Alice found an old thesis: Environmental Mutation and Human Biological Adaptation.

It was written by Jade's mother.

Alice opened it. The first page was still available. So was the second. But when she tried to access the research findings, the screen suddenly changed.

ACCESS DENIED.

Alice frowned. She tried again. Nothing.

She searched for another copy. There was none.

Alice then opened the university library archives. The thesis was listed as having once been stored there. But its status read: WITHDRAWN.

“Why?” Alice zoomed in on the screen.

The thesis had been withdrawn six years ago. The same year she and Jade had stopped talking.

Alice swallowed hard. She continued digging. Until she finally found a name mentioned in an old document: PROJECT GENESIS.

Alice clicked on it. The page loaded for several seconds. Then —FILE DELETED.

Alice leaned back in her chair.

Project Genesis. The name felt strangely familiar. Not because she had heard it before, but because the pendant around her neck suddenly became hot.

“Ah!”

Alice instinctively grabbed it.

In an instant, the world before her changed. She was no longer in the study.

She saw an underground facility. Tall shelves were packed with documents. Several people wearing protective suits stood behind a glass wall. A woman rushed toward a table. Her face looked remarkably similar to Jade's.

Jade's mother.

“Don't continue this experiment!” the woman shouted.

A man answered in a cold voice. “We've come too far.”

“This is no longer research!”

Red lights flashed. An alarm blared.

Then everything changed.

Alice saw a city. Flames towered between the buildings. People were running. Some collapsed. Others chased them. Sirens wailed from every direction.

Then a voice whispered in her ear. “Day sixty.”

Alice jolted back to reality. The laptop crashed onto the floor. Her breathing was ragged. Her hands trembled.

“Sixty days…”

The vision wasn't a dream. She knew it. Just like before. The pendant was showing her the future.

~~

At exactly eleven fifty that night, Alice left the house. She wore simple clothes and carried a small bag. She made sure no one saw her. The car she had ordered stopped two blocks away from the house. Alice walked toward the old Black Family Foundation complex.

The archive building was located far behind the main complex. Its iron door was old, and parts of the walls were covered with overgrown vines.

Alice stopped in front of the entrance.

A figure stood beneath a dim light.

“You came,” said Jade.

“You told me to come alone,” replied Alice.

“I know.”

Jade pulled an old key from his pocket and unlocked the door. They stepped inside. The smell of dust and old paper immediately filled the air. Jade walked down a long corridor without turning on the main lights. Alice followed him.

“I want answers,” said Alice.

“For which question?” asked Jade.

“Project Genesis.”

Jade stopped walking. He turned toward her. “How did you hear that name?”

“I searched for it.”

Jade stared at her for a long moment. “And the pendant?”

Alice fell silent. Jade stepped closer. “I know you're carrying it.”

Alice pulled the pendant from beneath her clothes. The moment he saw it, Jade's expression changed. For the first time since they had met again, Alice saw fear in his eyes.

“Where did you get that?” asked Jade.

“An antique shop,” answered Alice.

“Impossible.”

“Why?”

Jade touched the pendant without actually taking it from her. “Because this isn't just a piece of jewelry.”

Alice stared at him sharply. “Then what is it?”

Jade took a breath. “It was once used in my mother's research.”

Alice froze. “What?”

“Research related to Project Genesis.”

Alice tightened her grip around the pendant. “So your mother knew about the outbreak?”

Jade didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned and walked toward an old metal cabinet.

“More than that.”

He inserted the key and turned it. Click!

The cabinet door opened. Jade took out a thick file. Dust scattered as he opened it.

Written across the first page were the words: PROJECT GENESIS — PHASE 1

Alice stepped closer. There were numerous names. Countless signatures. Several heavy redacted notes. Then Jade turned the page. A photograph fell onto the table. Alice picked it up. Her face immediately went pale.

She knew the man in the photograph. She knew him very well.

“Jason's father…” whispered Alice.

Jade nodded. “Yes.”

Alice stared at the photograph as if hoping the face would somehow change.

“Why is Jason's father in this?”

“Because the Cole family wasn't just an investor.”

Alice looked at Jade. “Then what were they?”

Jade didn't answer. He turned to the final page. A sentence was printed clearly across it: 60 DAYS BEFORE OUTBREAK.

Alice felt her entire body go numb. “Jade…” She pointed at the words. “What is going to happen in sixty days?”

Jade slowly closed the file. “It's not about what is going to happen, Alice,” said Jade, his gaze turning cold. “The question is what they've already prepared to happen.”

Alice couldn't say a word.

Suddenly, a sound came from outside the building. A car had stopped. Its headlights swept across the archive windows. Jade immediately turned off the lights. Alice held her breath, someone had arrived and they were no longer alone.