For days, Yazmina had been buried in the underground laboratory, her world consumed by test subjects and chemical reactions. The poppy gas project had taken an unexpected turn when one of the rabbit test subjects exhibited something... unnatural.

At first, it seemed like a standard response-the subject inhaled the gas, twitched a little, its breathing becoming erratic. But then, something changed.

The rabbit stopped breathing.

Its vitals flatlined.

The other scientists prepared to discard it, noting down the failure-until it started moving again.

Not with the sluggish daze of reanimation, not the typical spasms of post-mortem nerve activity. No-this was different.

It twitched, then twisted.

Its limbs jerked unnaturally, adjusting, reforming, as if something inside it was rebuilding.

Then, it opened its eyes.

The soft, beady black had turned deep crimson, as though something had bled into them. Its breathing returned, but it wasn't the same as before-now it was eerily slow, steady, deliberate.

Doctor Crane and the others had stared in awe, then in fascination.

This wasn't just survival. This was adaptation.

The poppy gas wasn't merely knocking subjects unconscious. In the right conditions, it was changing them.

Yazmina had spent hours studying the rabbit, taking notes, monitoring the way its body moved. It was stronger, quicker-yet its behavior had shifted. It hesitated before eating, its reactions slightly delayed, like something inside it was still adjusting.

Recalibrating.

The implications were staggering.

Was this a fluke? A mutation? Or was the poppy gas affecting neurological pathways in a way they hadn't anticipated?Crane was thrilled. He pushed for more tests, more subjects.

But Yazmina?

She was intrigued... yet unsettled.

The rabbit didn't blink.

Even when she placed her hand near its cage, it only stared.

And, for the first time in a long while, Yazmina felt something unfamiliar crawl down her spine.

Did I just witness something being born?

She shook the thought away.

There was still so much to do.

---

Crane had praised her endlessly.

"Astonishing, truly," he had marveled, poring over the research reports. "Your refinements to the gas have elevated this project to new heights. The transformation is progressing far beyond our initial theories."

Yazmina merely nodded, her expression unreadable.

She hadn't done much.

Not really.

She knew how to refine the gas because she had studied similar neurological reactions in her original world. Before she had been transmigrated here, she had worked on modern pharmaceutical advancements-though nothing had ever succeeded. It had been one of her greatest failures.

But here?

Here, it worked.

Whether it was due to the materials in this world or some unknown factor, the results were undeniable. She had done little more than replicate past formulas and adjust them accordingly.

And yet, Crane thought she was a genius.

It was almost laughable.

"Yazmina, you're wasted in Playcare," he had continued. "With your knowledge, we could push this project even further. Imagine what we could achieve if we fully refined the gas's potential."

She had simply given him a cool, measured look.

"I imagine we would achieve exactly what we were meant to," she replied.

Crane had chuckled at that, mistaking her indifference for professional modesty.

But Yazmina wasn't being modest.

She wasn't proud of this.

She was simply... observing.

Taking note.

And quietly, in the back of her mind, preparing for what she knew was coming.

Because if the rabbit had changed, if the gas had worked...

Then Misty's fate was already sealed.

---

After what felt like an eternity underground, Yazmina finally stepped back into Playcare.

At first, she welcomed the warmth-the hum of voices, the laughter of children. It was so different from the cold sterility of the lab.

But something felt... off.

It wasn't until she scanned the room that she realized why.

Misty was gone.

A small frown tugged at her lips. She hadn't seen the girl in days, but she had assumed Misty was just caught up in the usual Playcare activities. Yet now that she looked around-

The children weren't talking about her.

Not a single mention.

As if she had never existed.

That was wrong.

She approached a familiar trio in the corner-Matthew, Theo, and Kevin.

Matthew noticed her first, his wide blue eyes going comically round as his face immediately turned pink. He stiffened, fumbling with the hem of his sleeve.

"D-Doctor Yazmina...!" He cleared his throat, forcing himself to meet her gaze. "Y-You're back?"

Yazmina arched a brow. "Did you miss me?"

Matthew made a choked noise before quickly looking away. Theo, who had been sitting next to him, just snickered.

"Yeah, you've been gone forever," Theo said dramatically, throwing his hands up. "We thought maybe you got lost in the scary science tunnels or something."

Kevin, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, scoffed. "She's not dumb enough to get lost."

Theo huffed. "Well, I would get lost."

Yazmina chuckled before shifting the conversation. "And Misty?"

Matthew blinked. "Misty?"

"Yes." She glanced around. "I don't see her anywhere."

The playful atmosphere dimmed slightly.

Theo fidgeted, his usual grin faltering. "Oh, uh... she left."

Yazmina's gaze sharpened. "Left?"

Kevin scowled, his grip tightening around his arm. "Doctors took her."

Yazmina remained silent for a moment. "Did they say where?"

Theo shook his head. "They just said she was going somewhere important."

Matthew bit his lip, looking uneasy. "M-Misty said she was gonna be strong when she comes back." He glanced up at Yazmina. "She was... really happy about it."

Yazmina hummed, her expression unreadable.

She knew what that meant.

The Bigger Body Initiative.

But the children didn't.

Before she could respond, Kevin spoke up again, his eyes narrowing. "She wouldn't stop talking about you."

Yazmina tilted her head. "Oh?"

Kevin's expression darkened, like the thought irritated him. "Yeah. She said you were the prettiest doctor. That she wanted to be like you when she grew up."

Yazmina exhaled softly. Oh, Misty...

She crouched slightly, placing a hand on Kevin's head. "And what about you?"

Kevin tensed, his ears turning slightly red. "What about me?"

She smirked. "Did you miss me too?"

Kevin turned his face away. "Tch. No."

Yazmina chuckled, ruffling his hair slightly-making him sputter and glare up at her, flustered but refusing to move away.

She would get her answers soon.

But for now, she had a feeling she wouldn't like them.

---

Yazmina didn't stay long. She had an uneasy feeling gnawing at her, and as much as she enjoyed teasing the children, her mind kept drifting back to the rabbit-to its unsettling stare, its crimson eyes that had once been black.

She needed to know more.

Steeling herself, she made her way down the dimly lit halls of the facility, passing by closed doors and hushed voices.

The research department was always busy, but tonight, it felt different. There was tension in the air, an undercurrent of excitement laced with something colder.

The moment she stepped back into the lab, she knew why.

The rabbit was gone.

Yazmina froze. The cage was empty, the documents surrounding it hastily shuffled, as if someone had taken it in a hurry. A sinking feeling settled in her stomach as she glanced around, searching for answers.

Dr. Crane was nowhere in sight.

Something was happening.

And whatever it was, she had a feeling she wasn't supposed to know about it.