"What is this place?"

"The transformation laboratory," Sokolov moved forward. "The most important work happens here. Here, personalities… are restructured. They take on a new form."

He stopped at one of the doors and looked through the small window.

"Look. Your Sophia."

Anna pushed him aside and peered through the glass. Inside was a small room with white walls. On a hospital-like bed lay Sophia. Her eyes were closed, and on her head was a strange device with numerous wires, resembling a helmet. Next to the bed stood medical equipment: monitors, IVs, some devices Anna had never seen before.

"What have you done to her?" Anna grabbed Sokolov by the collar, pinning him against the wall. "Open the door! Immediately!"

"She's just sleeping," he replied calmly. "The drug works gently. No pain, no violence. Only… transformation."

"Open this damn door!"

Sokolov took a key card from his pocket and swiped it through the reader. The lock clicked, the door opened slightly. Anna pushed Sokolov away and burst into the room.

Sophia lay motionless, but her chest rose and fell evenly—she was breathing. Anna checked her pulse—steady, strong. There was an injection mark on the girl's arm.

"Sophia? Sophia, can you hear me?" Anna gently shook the girl's shoulder.

No response. Her eyes moved rapidly under closed lids, as if dreaming. Her lips moved silently.

"What did you inject her with?" Anna turned to Sokolov, who stood in the doorway, watching with curiosity.

"The 'Key.' That's what Doctor Berkut calls his invention. A drug that opens the doors of perception. Makes consciousness… pliable. Ready for changes."

"What are the side effects?"

"Nothing dangerous. Dizziness, weakness, sometimes hallucinations," Sokolov shrugged. "Sophia is just dreaming. Special dreams, in which her consciousness is restructured, taking on a new form."

Anna began disconnecting the sensors from the girl's head. Carefully removed the strange helmet. A mesh of electrodes remained on Sophia's head, thin wires entangling her skin.

"What's the antidote? What neutralizes the drug's effect?"

"Time," Sokolov smiled. "Just time. In a few hours, she'll wake up. New. Renewed."

"You're monsters," Anna checked the girl's pupils. They responded to light—a good sign.

"No, we're visionaries. Pioneers. Those who see the future of human consciousness."

Anna pulled out her radio.

"Dorokhov? I've found Sophia. Basement level, west wing. She's unconscious but alive. We need a medical team and…"

A sharp pain in the back of her head interrupted her sentence. The world momentarily darkened. When her vision returned, Anna found herself on the floor. The radio had flown aside. Sokolov stood over her, holding a metal tray—evidently what he had hit her with.

"Sorry, detective, but Doctor Berkut insisted that you also become part of the experiment," Sokolov put the tray on the nightstand and leaned toward her. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt. Quite the opposite."

Anna tried to reach for her gun, but her body wasn't responding well. Her vision was doubled. Sokolov easily intercepted her hand and took her weapon.

"Why…" she managed with difficulty. "Why do you need this?"

"The doctor believes you're an ideal candidate for the next phase of the experiment. Strong personality, sharp mind, unshakable will," he helped her up and sat her on a chair next to Sophia's bed. "People like you are rare. And experiments need… quality samples."

The sounds of gunshots and shouts came from the corridor. Sokolov turned toward the door, then back to Anna. His face reflected doubt.