"Alive?"
Siren clumsily rose to her feet, staring at her hands. Scales covered the backs of her hands, but her palms remained human.
Different from Subject 002, the deep-sea diver, Siren's scales shimmered, reflecting a blue-purple light.
She attempted to stand, but her fish tail behind her couldn't support her, leaving her crawling on the ground.
A fish tail?
Siren looked at Chen Ye, who had pulled up a chair from somewhere and was sitting with legs crossed, observing her.
"Although you're a failed specimen, we can't just ignore you. Let's study your abilities carefully and see if you can stand," Chen Ye said.
At his words, Siren tried to stand again but failed.
Seeing this, Chen Ye shook his head. Just as he was about to intervene, a burst of heat evaporated from Siren's body.
As the white smoke cleared, Siren reverted back to her human form.
"What's this?" Siren and Chen Ye exchanged puzzled looks. Siren examined her hands and legs.
"I just... imagined having legs, and they appeared," she said.
Hmm...
This seems easier to control than Subject 002, the deep-sea diver.
Perhaps I can extract some blood from Subject 007, Siren, and develop a completely controllable fish-human serum for Subject 002.
Well, this time wasn't a complete failure after all.
"Stand up," Chen Ye ordered.
Without hesitation, Siren stood up.
Her body moved on its own...
"Who... what are you?" Siren suddenly felt Chen Ye's figure looming over her, like a towering mountain casting its shadow.
Terrifying...
Chen Ye's eyes under the mask flashed, his pupils splitting into eighteen.
"Do you believe in fate?" he asked.
"I..." Siren's heart pounded faster as she looked at Chen Ye's split pupils.
Because of the mask, she couldn't see Chen Ye's face clearly, which only heightened her fear.
She didn't know if there was a human face behind that mask, and seeing those split pupils, Siren could only imagine the face of a monster.
The unknown was terrifying.
"...I believe," she finally answered.
Chen Ye pulled out a thread with a wave of his hand. "But sometimes, there's no such thing as fate. Suppose one person can decide another's life or death. Whose fate is that?"
"Is it the fate of the deceased, or the fate bestowed upon them? If it's the fate of the deceased, then who holds the fate of those who bestow death?"
"From this, it's clear that most people's so-called fate is just a result of human actions."
"But sometimes, I feel that fate does exist in this world."
"Was our meeting a coincidence? I don't think so. Just like this thread, even though you can't see it, it connects you and me invisibly."
With that said, Chen Ye flicked his finger, and Siren's arm suddenly lifted.
But Siren didn't move; at that moment, she lost control of her body again.
This action undoubtedly deepened Siren's fear.
"Although I don't know who controls my fate, I know that your fate is now in my hands."
"Of course, it's not just you. I control the fate of many people. Some may split off onto a different path in life because of my presence, while others may try to return to their original path but find themselves on a path of monsters, unable to turn back."
"So, for them, I am the Weaver of Fate."
Chen Ye retracted the thread, returning control to Siren.
She tried to understand Chen Ye's words, but under the influence of fear, she only understood one thing.
"I am fate."
After calming down, Siren thought deeply about this.
Strictly speaking, if today's fate was her original death, then Chen Ye's appearance changed fate.
Her original self was already dead. It was Chen Ye who forcefully tore open a path at the end of fate and led her into it.
Since then, Chen Ye had become her fate.
Or perhaps, her fate had been controlled by Chen Ye from the beginning.
From losing her voice to suicide, from falling from a height to hitting rock bottom, from death to rebirth, none of it was accidental.
It was all planned by that person.
Weaving fate, changing fate, determining fate, is that what a Weaver of Fate does?
Thinking of this, Siren suddenly felt like a puppet on a string.
She had been pulled onto the stage by someone without her knowledge.
Of course, she wasn't the only one on this stage.
They were all puppets on the stage, and the one pulling the strings, without much thought, could only be Chen Ye.
Seeing the girl's reverent expression, Chen Ye raised an eyebrow.
Could she have misunderstood something?
Oh well, whatever.
Siren suddenly bent down. "May I ask, where does fate lead me next?"
"Wherever."
Wherever?
Chen Ye's reply was indeed casual, but Siren thought that this "wherever" must have a deeper meaning.
Could it be!
Siren suddenly brightened up, realizing something!
Her voice had actually returned!
Doesn't "wherever" mean she can go back to being a singer?
This must be a gift from fate!
"But remember, don't let anyone know your secret."
"And also, once you've adapted to your new body, write me a daily report detailing any changes and abilities you discover."
Because she wasn't the main target, Chen Ye couldn't be bothered to observe her himself.
Let Subject 007 observe herself.
"Yes."
After receiving Siren's reply, Chen Ye disappeared in an instant before her eyes.
As for how he disappeared, has Spider-Man seen it?
Next, Chen Ye would continue to wander around, maybe even pick up a few experimental materials.
Experiment 1 failed, so let's try Experiment 2. If that fails too, then it's back to the drawing board.
After Chen Ye left, Siren returned to her room alone.
During this time, she encountered an orange cat in the hallway. She knew this cat belonged to her neighbor across the hall.
Siren usually fed it slices of ham, and today, feeling good, she intended to pet the orange cat as usual.
But the cat, upon seeing her, bristled up!
It extended its claws and began to growl menacingly, showing none of its usual gentleness.
Siren was scratched by its claws and was momentarily stunned.
What she didn't know was that, in the cat's eyes, she no longer looked human.
She appeared as a creature covered in tentacles and viscous fluid.
Soon after, the neighbor next door heard the commotion and hurried out.
Seeing the scratched Siren, the neighbor quickly apologized and then took the cat away, but even as it was being carried off, the cat continued to bare its teeth and glare at Siren.
"It seems things have changed a bit."
...