shackles

Dawn arrives quietly over the Pacific Ocean. Shao Wei stands on the deck of the research vessel, watching the deep blue waters shimmer with tiny golden glints in the morning light.

Behind him, the crew was busy loading diving equipment and detection instruments onto the boat. Everything looked like an ordinary marine scientific research activity, and no one could have imagined that their true target was 300 meters underwater.

"How is he?" Si Qi walked to Shao Wei and handed him a cup of hot coffee.

Shao Wei took the cup and sensed it through the still active link: "Still sleeping, but much calmer." He looked towards the cabin. "Li Wei said his brain waves have returned to normal, but that perception ability has been retained."

Over the past 48 hours, Shao Lin's condition had improved significantly. He was able to independently control the depth of his connection with Shao Wei and Si Qi, even using this ability to help them plan the assault on Omega Station. However, the price he paid was persistent headaches and occasional memory confusion—sometimes he would suddenly call the wrong name or react to memories that were not his own.

"We'll set off in ten minutes." Li Wei walked out of the command cabin, holding three miniature communicators. "The latest sonar scan confirms that the main structure of Omega Station is indeed underwater, connected to a larger submarine facility."

Siqi checked the underwater adapter of the pistol: "Defense?"

"Fewer than expected." Li Wei lowered her voice. "Only four heat signatures, probably from the technicians who stayed behind. But..." She hesitated, "The sonar also detected some unidentified moving objects, about the size of a human, but their movement patterns... are abnormal."

Shao Wei's stomach tightened. He remembered the documents he'd seen in the lab—Wei Lin had not only studied neural control but also experimented with genetic modification. There might not be only humans in Omega Station.

"The plan remains unchanged." Si Qi finished his coffee. "The three of us will go down, and you stay on the boat to provide support. If there's no signal returning within 72 hours—"

"I'll call Interpol's deep-sea rescue team." Li Wei finished his words and handed each person a small metal box. "Pheromone collector. Once you find the main control room, release your pheromone samples at the same time. That should unlock the 'Lullaby' protocol."

The hatch slid open, and Shao Lin emerged. He wore the same black diving suit as the others, his blond hair tied back. His face remained pale, but his eyes were sharp as ever. The most striking thing about him was the new electrode pad on the back of his neck—a makeshift device to monitor the connection status.

"Did you sleep well, Prince?" Si Qi teased, trying to ease the tension.

Shao Lin glanced at him coldly: "I dreamed that you were dragged away by a deep-sea octopus. It was a pleasant dream."

Shao Wei couldn't help but chuckle. This simple interaction would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago. Now, while Shao Lin remained aloof, he was at least beginning to participate in the harmless banter, even occasionally provoking him.

The boat carried them toward the target coordinates. As the distance closed, a strange sense of oppression began to build in Shao Wei's chest. At first, he thought it was just nervousness, but after seeing Shao Lin's equally uncomfortable expression, he realized it might be a side effect of the connection—they were sensing some kind of energy field from the underwater facility.

"Right here." The pilot turned off the engine and pointed at the large structure on the sonar screen. "The main entrance is on the upper platform. It'll take about five minutes to dive down."

The three checked their equipment and put on their masks. At the last moment before entering the water, Shao Lin grabbed Shao Wei's wrist and said, "Remember, no matter what you see, keep the connection stable. The water pressure will amplify our connection."

Then they fell into the deep blue.

The underwater world was eerily quiet. The sunlight faded rapidly as the dive deepened, leaving only the limited illumination of the helmet light. Shao Wei adjusted his ear pressure and followed Si Qi and Shao Lin downstream.

Suddenly, a massive dark figure emerged from below—Omega Station. This semicircular underwater structure, like a giant metallic turtle, lay crouched on the seafloor, its surface covered in algae and shellfish. Its main entrance, a protruding airlock, appeared to be functioning normally.

Si Qi swam to the control panel first and entered the access code provided by Li Wei. The airlock door slowly opened, spewing out a stream of silver bubbles. The three of them entered in turn and waited for the cabin to drain.

When the water drained, the inner door hissed open. They removed their diving gear and drew their weapons. Inside was a long, dark metal corridor, the walls gleaming with the blue glow of emergency lights.

"It's too quiet." Si Qi whispered, his pistol ready to fire at any time.

Shao Lin closed his eyes and sensed: "Four life signals... on the lower two floors. And..." He suddenly frowned, "Something else. Not human, but conscious."

They advanced cautiously, weaving through a maze of corridors and chambers. The facility was far larger than it appeared, like some kind of underwater pyramid, each level leading to deeper depths. Signs on the wall indicated they were approaching the main laboratory.

Turning a corner, Shao Wei suddenly grabbed the others. Two bodies lay in the corridor ahead, wearing white lab coats and dead in strange ways. Their bodies were twisted into impossible angles, their faces frozen in expressions of extreme fear.

"It wasn't one of ours." Shao Lin squatted down to examine the area. "The time of death was more than 36 hours... The spine was broken by some immense force."

Si Qi looked around warily: "What could cause such damage?"

The answer came faster than expected. A dark figure swooped down from the ventilation duct, moving so fast it was almost invisible. Si Qi only had time to fire a shot before the thing collided with Shao Lin, slamming him against the wall.

Under the light, it finally revealed its true form—a humanoid figure with overly long limbs, webbed fingers, and skin a sickly grayish-white. The most terrifying thing was its head: no eyes, only a huge mouth full of fangs and two nostrils that trembled constantly, as if it was sniffing something.

"Experimental subject!" Shao Wei shouted, and at the same time felt a strong pheromone impact - that thing was releasing some kind of chemical signal!

Shao Lin seized the opportunity to break free, elbowing the creature in the throat. It let out a high-pitched scream, took a few steps back, and then suddenly turned towards Shao Wei, its nostrils quivering wildly.

"It's tracking pheromones!" Siqi understood. "Our link is confusing it!"

The three of them stood back to back, forming a defensive circle. The monsters circled around them, seemingly assessing which target would be easiest to attack. Just then, Shao Wei felt a strange connection surge—not from Shao Lin or Si Qi, but from... that creature?

"Wait..." he said incredulously, "it can access our link?"

A flash of understanding flashed in Shao Lin's eyes. "It's not access... it's attraction. Wei Lin must have experimented with our genetic samples." He moved slowly, protecting Shao Wei and Si Qi behind him. "It mistook us for... one of its kind."

This realization made Shao Wei's stomach churn. They weren't just dealing with experimental subjects; they might, in some ways, be their "offspring."

The monster suddenly attacked, aiming for Shao Lin. Si Qi fired three times, all hitting the chest, but it merely stumbled and continued forward. Shao Wei grabbed a fire axe from the wall and struck it hard on the back. Black blood spurted out, and the creature finally howled in pain and fled into the ventilation system.

"Let's go!" Si Qi urged, "Find the main control room before it returns with its companions!"

They sped up, finally arriving at a circular hall on the lower level. In the center was a massive holographic projection platform, surrounded by dozens of surveillance screens, most of which were black. This was clearly the core of the facility.

Shao Lin rushed to the control panel, his fingers dancing across the keyboard. "The system is still running... but most functions are locked." He pulled up an encrypted file. "A biometric key is required."

Following Li Wei's instructions, the three of them inserted the pheromone collectors into the designated ports. The machine hummed as it analyzed their genetic markers.

"Verification passed," the electronic female voice announced. "Welcome, Madam Candidate."

The screen flickered a few times, revealing a holographic video—a beautiful female Alpha standing in the same room, wearing a white lab coat. Shao Wei recognized her immediately: Si Qi's mother, Lin Lan.

"If you see this, it means Plan A has failed." Lin Lan's voice in the video was calm but tired. "Wei Lin is crazier than we thought. He has begun fusion experiments and created those... monsters."

She adjusted the camera, revealing a large cylindrical container behind her. The three of them gasped at the sight of something floating inside—a similar but more complete specimen of the creature that had attacked them, with a clear number on its chest: 7A.

"He's using your genes to crossbreed with deep-sea creatures," Lin Lan continued, "trying to create soldiers who can be controlled through pheromones and possess extraordinary physical qualities. 'Lullaby' is the only weapon that can stop this."

The footage cuts to a complex technical diagram showing some kind of signal network across the globe.

"Executing the protocol requires three parts: First, a pristine sample of pheromone markers—" She pointed to the red dot on the chart, "that's you three. Second, a relay station to amplify the signal enough to cover all the chips. Finally..."

The video suddenly distorted and the voice became intermittent: "...Voluntary sacrifice...Permanent link...Danger..."

The image disappeared, replaced by a line of flashing red text:

"Lullaby protocol ready. Please select a transfer station."

Si Qi frowned: "What do you mean? What transit station?"

Shao Lin's expression became unusually calm. "I understand." He pulled up a technical document. "The protocol requires an Alpha to volunteer to become a permanent pheromone converter. It will merge the three of our signals and broadcast them to all chips around the world."

"What will happen then?" Shao Wei asked vigilantly.

"This means that the Alpha's brain will be permanently connected to the chip network." Shao Lin's voice was almost gentle. "Unable to shield himself, unable to rest... until death."

A chill ran down Shao Wei's spine. He looked at Shao Lin and suddenly understood why he was so calm—he had already decided to be the sacrifice.

"No." Si Qi said firmly, "There must be another way."

"No." Shao Lin pulled up more data. "This is the only solution Mother devised. And..." He paused. "Technically, I'm the most suitable candidate. As twins, I have the deepest connection with Shao Wei. And through this period of fusion, I'm also compatible with Si Qi's pheromones."

Shao Wei grabbed his shoulders and said, "You've known this for a long time. Since when?"

"In the safe house, when I first saw the complete file," Shao Lin gave a rare genuine smile. "Don't look like that, brother. For me...it's almost a relief. Finally, for once, I can protect you, instead of the other way around."

The surveillance screen suddenly flickered to life, showing footage captured by external sensors – four figures in diving suits approaching the facility.

"Interpol?" Si Qi guessed.

Shao Lin shook his head. "The heat signature doesn't match. And..." He zoomed in on the image and pointed at the twin snake tattoos on the leader's wrist. "It's another Ouroboros."

Time was running out. Shao Lin quickly typed a series of commands into the console, then turned to Shao Wei and Si Qi. "The decision has been made. You have two choices: respect my decision and help me complete the agreement; or waste time arguing and die here together."

Shao Wei wanted to give a thousand reasons to object, but when he looked directly into Shao Lin's eyes, he saw something he had never seen in his brother's eyes before - calmness, even anticipation. This man who had been experimented on, controlled, and distorted his entire life finally found the opportunity to make his own choices, even if the price was his life.

"What needs to be done?" Si Qi finally asked in a hoarse voice.

Shao Lin pointed to the three circular platforms in the center of the room. "You stand at the ends and release pheromones. I'll be in the middle and establish the connection. It will be painful, but it should be quick."

They took their positions as instructed. When Shao Wei stepped onto the platform, a strange metal ring rose from the ground and secured his ankle. The same thing happened to Si Qi and Shao Lin.

"A safety measure," Shao Lin explained, "to prevent escape mid-flight."

The system began a countdown: "Lullaby Protocol activated. T-minus 60 seconds."

At this moment, hurried footsteps and Russian shouts were heard in the corridor. The four Ouroboros members had broken through the outer defenses.

"It's too late!" Si Qi struggled to break free from the fixed ring.

Shao Lin closed his eyes, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Suddenly, several screams came from the corridor, followed by wet tearing sounds and the crisp sound of broken bones.

"Experimental subjects... I awakened them through the link..." Shao Lin said with difficulty, "It can give us... a few minutes..."

The countdown reached 30 seconds. Three robotic arms descended from the ceiling, each with a needle-like device at the end, aimed at the back of their necks.

"Prepare to receive pheromone samples."

The moment the needle pierced the gland, Shao Wei felt a sharp pain, followed by an unprecedented burst of pheromones. Sandalwood, cedar, and that unique metallic scent intertwined in the air, forming a new complex. The lights in the room began to flicker with the rhythm of the three people's heartbeats, becoming increasingly synchronized.

A red glow shimmered around the edges of Shao Wei's vision. He felt himself exist in three places simultaneously—in his own body, within Si Qi's consciousness, and deep within Shao Lin's memory. Countless images flooded back: his childhood in the laboratory, the pain of separation, the lonely years abroad, his twisted desire to protect his brother...

The most powerful thing is the torrent of Shao Lin's emotions - that deep, unexpressed love, twisted by the experiment into possessiveness, and ultimately returning to a pure willingness to sacrifice. All these emotions hit Shao Wei without reservation through the connection, almost suffocating him.

"Transfer station selection confirmed. Sample number 9."

The sound of machinery brought Shao Wei back to reality. He saw a transparent cover rising from the central platform, completely enclosing Shao Lin. More needles descended from the ceiling, piercing various parts of Shao Lin's body. His body convulsed violently, but his expression remained calm, even with a hint of satisfaction.

"No! Stop!" Shao Wei struggled desperately. The fixation ring cut the skin of his ankle, but he did not move at all.

Shao Lin looked at them through the hood, his lips moving slightly. Although there was no sound, through the link, Shao Wei clearly heard the words:

"Let me finally be your protector, brother."

A blinding white light erupted from the central platform, sweeping across the room. Shao Wei felt his consciousness being torn to pieces and then reassembled. For a few seconds, he was Shao Wei, Si Qi, and Shao Lin simultaneously, their memories and emotions completely fused.

Then, darkness.

When Shao Wei opened his eyes again, the retaining ring had loosened. The cover of the central platform slowly rose, revealing Shao Lin within—still alive, but his eyes had turned an unnatural silver-white, and a faint blue light path was pulsing beneath his skin.

"Shao Lin...?" Shao Wei approached cautiously.

Shao Lin turned his head, his movements mechanical but precise. When he spoke, his voice had a synthesized quality: "Protocol complete. The global chip network has received the lullaby signal. All experimental subjects have entered a dormant state."

Si Qi checked the surveillance screen and confirmed it—marked "sleepers" from around the world had collapsed one after another, their vital signs stable but their consciousness temporarily shut down. Even the experimental subjects in the corridor had ceased moving, curled up in the corner as if asleep.

"What's the price?" Shao Wei asked softly, afraid to hear the answer.

Shao Lin—or rather, the being that had once been Shao Lin—tilted his head, a gesture that still retained a shred of humanity. "Original personality preservation rate... 37.6%. Major cognitive functions intact. Emotional module... damaged."

A tear rolled down Shao Wei's face. Shao Lin had sacrificed most of his humanity to become something between man and machine.

"Can it be reversed?" Si Qi asked.

"Insufficient data," Shao Lin replied, "but the probability is less than 2.3%."

More footsteps were heard in the distance—this time, they were from the Interpol rescue team. But just as they breathed a sigh of relief, a piercing alarm suddenly rang out from the main console. The screen flickered a few times, displaying a message from a remote terminal:

"You've dealt with Wei Lin. Now face the real Ouroboros."

Then, a video automatically played: a tall, thin, middle-aged man stood on Red Square, surrounded by fallen "sleepers." His sleeves were rolled up, revealing a clear double snake tattoo.

"I'm Victor Lebedev," he said in heavily accented English. "Wei Lin's... significant other. You're great, but the game has only just begun."

Before the video ended, Lebedev made a gesture, and the data on the screen suddenly began to be deleted rapidly.

"Self-destruct sequence activated," Shao Lin announced calmly, "Immediate evacuation recommended."

The Interpol team burst into the room, led by a tall Alpha female. "The facility will explode in ten minutes! Follow us!"

They hurriedly gathered what hard drives and data they could take away, then followed the rescue team out. Before leaving, Shao Wei took one last look at the central platform—Shao ​​Lin was still standing there, his silvery eyes gazing at them.

"Aren't you going with us?" Shao Wei asked.

"My position is here." Shao Lin replied, "Maintaining the signal requires a continuous relay station. I will... wait."

The word held so much unfinished business. Shao Wei wanted to say something, but Si Qi held his hand. "Give him this dignity. We can come back later."

They exchanged one last glance before rushing out into the hallway. Behind them, Shao Lin's voice softly came through the link: "Goodbye, brother."

The sound of water rushing into the facility was like distant thunder. When they finally surfaced and climbed into the rescue boat, the ocean behind them suddenly lit up with an eerie blue light, then fell silent. Omega Station had vanished, taking with it all its secrets and sacrifices.

Back on the research vessel, Li Wei came up to him eagerly, "Success! Global reports show that all 'Sleepers' have entered a dormant state! The medical team is assessing whether their chips can be safely removed."

Si Qi nodded and sat down tiredly: "What's the price?"

Li Wei's expression darkened. "Interpol's Moscow branch has confirmed Viktor Lebedev's identity. He's a former Soviet neuroscientist and co-founder of Ouroboros. According to intelligence, he possesses control technology completely different from Wei Lin's."

"Twin snakes." Shao Wei thought of the tattoo, "One controls with pain, the other controls with..."

"Pleasure." Li Wei finished his words. "Lebedev's research is about achieving control through stimulation of pleasure centers. It's more covert and more dangerous."

Si Qi looked at the gradually calming sea: "So this is not over yet."

"No." Shao Wei said softly, feeling the weak but persistent connection signal in his mind - Shao Lin's presence from the deep sea, "But this is the beginning."

The sun set, dyeing the sea blood-red. The research vessel turned course, heading for land, for the next battle. Three thousand kilometers away in Moscow, a tall, thin man turned off the surveillance screen, smiled, and turned to the dozens of figures in the shadows behind him—each with a twin snake symbol on his wrist.

"Prepare for phase two," Viktor Lebedev ordered. "Awaken the Legion of Joy."