I woke up wet.
Not the sweaty, groggy, 7 a.m.-alarm-snoozed-again kind of wet. No, this was soaked—submerged in a warm, glowing liquid inside a glass chamber the size of a coffin. I blinked, heart racing, watching bubbles rise past my cheeks. The thick fluid smelled faintly like citrus and sex.
A shadow passed outside the tank. A man in a lab coat. He turned slowly, clipboard in hand, peering through the glass like he was inspecting a particularly interesting lab rat. Our eyes met.
He dropped the clipboard.
Alarms started screaming.
I smirked.
"She's awake," someone shouted. "Contain her—now! Her vitals are spiking—pheromone levels are off the charts!"
Pheromone levels? What, did I smell too good?
A hiss sounded at the base of the tank, followed by a slow drain. The fluid swirled around me, lowering in a golden spiral. My body, slick and bare, was revealed inch by inch, glowing faintly under the bio-lights. I stretched like a cat, because if they were going to stare, might as well make it worth their while.
The glass rose.
The room's cold air met my skin like a lover's breath—sharp, intimate, electric.
Ten men stood frozen around me. Scientists. Guards. Observers. Some in armor, some in awe. All with wide eyes and shallow breaths. One of them—tall, silver-haired, tense jaw—was gripping his gun like it might shoot by itself.
I stepped out slowly. The floor was freezing. My foot left a wet print. Another step. Another print.
They weren't breathing anymore.
I tilted my head. "Hi."
Silence.
Then—
"She can talk?" one of them gasped.
"Well, yeah," I said sweetly, brushing wet hair back from my face. "Not just a pretty body, you know."
A few of them turned red.
"Get her covered," Silver-Hair barked. "Before she—"
Too late.
His eyes dropped as I shifted my weight and everything jiggled in just the right way. I didn't do it on purpose, but it happened, and his pupils dilated so fast it was almost adorable.
"I need your help," I said, voice lower now, honey-laced. "I'm cold. Will you warm me up, Commander?"
He flinched.
So did something in his pants.
Bingo.
"Sedative. Now," he ordered, breaking the spell and backing up like I had grown fangs. Or worse—a vagina.
One of the guards rushed forward with a needle. I stepped aside. He missed. I smiled.
"Easy now," I whispered, grabbing his wrist and pulling him close. "That's not where you stick it."
He collapsed in seconds.
Fainted.
Dead faint. Eyes rolled up, lips parted, breathing shallow. His pulse fluttered under my fingers like a butterfly on caffeine.
The room broke into chaos.
I didn't run. I didn't need to.
Instead, I walked slowly to a mirror mounted across the room.
I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
And damn, they weren't exaggerating.
Long dark lashes, kiss-swollen lips, skin like sun-drenched cream. Curves that would make statues weep. And my eyes—gold-ringed, burning faintly with something… wrong. Like someone had spliced starlight into my DNA.
I looked like a goddess.
No wonder they were terrified.
A woman in a world where women no longer existed.
I was their first. Their last. Their only.
The room cleared out, one by one. Some ran. Some stumbled. Others stayed rooted, hypnotized, sweating through their uniforms.
The Commander remained.
He stepped forward cautiously, a syringe in hand. But his voice betrayed him.
"You're not supposed to be like this."
"Like what?" I asked, spinning slowly, naked, unbothered. "Breathing? Wet? Moaning in your dreams?"
His grip on the syringe tightened.
I walked toward him, stopping inches from his chest.
"You're scared," I murmured, fingers brushing his uniform. "You've studied me for eighteen years, but now I'm real. Touch me, Commander. Tell me what you feel."
He didn't move.
But his eyes devoured me.
"I was designed to save your species," I whispered, mouth near his ear. "Every inch of me—optimized. My fluids can purify water. My blood can regrow crops. My milk can cure disease. Even a drop of my sweat can restore virility."
"Don't—"
"But you don't care about that, do you?" I said, voice turning into silk. "You're just wondering what my other fluids can do."
He shoved me back.
Big mistake.
My hand caught his belt.
Unintentional, I swear.
It clattered to the floor, and his pants followed half an inch before he yanked them up with a strangled growl.
"I'm not like them," he spat. "I won't fall."
"Mm," I purred. "Then why are you trembling?"
He stormed out.
I watched him go with a grin.
That one will be fun to break.
As the doors sealed behind him, I was left alone with the hum of machines and the scent of drying hormones.
I wasn't scared. I wasn't confused.
I was hungry.
They built me to be a savior.
They didn't realize they'd created a queen.
---
[==== SYSTEM NOTICE ====]
Subject 9-F (Codename: Solara) has activated Awakening Protocol. Pheromone output exceeds safe limits. Recommend immediate containment.
Warning:
Subject displays seductive dominance, tactical manipulation, and extreme biochemical control. Do not engage physically.
Admin Note:
"...We made her too well."
[==== SYSTEM NOTICE END ====]