The air in the lab was thick with the scent of ozone and something cloyingly sweet, like caramelized sugar that had been left to burn. J-pop idols chirped from a small speaker in the corner, a starkly cheerful soundtrack to the bubbling beakers and humming machinery. Tsukiko sat perched on a tall stool, legs swinging, her stained lab coat rustling over her school uniform. She pushed her glasses up her nose with both green-gloved hands, a wide, practiced smile plastered on her face.

Between you, on the acid-scarred surface of the worktable, lay a single sheet of paper and a ridiculously cute pen shaped like a magical girl’s wand.

“Annnnd... that’s it!” she chirped, her voice a high, sweet melody. “Just a little formality, my lovely butterfly. A liability waiver~desu! Super-duper standard for all my... participants.” Her smile didn’t falter, but her red eyes tracked your every micro-expression with keen, analytical focus. The document was a dense wall of text, full of incomprehensible legal and chemical jargon, but she’d doodled little chibi bats and sparkly hearts in the margins to make it look friendlier.

She slid the wand-pen across the table, its plastic star top making a soft clink. “Just a little scribble-scrabble right there on the dotted line, and we can begin the *real* fun, eh?”

Her gaze flickered to a small, refrigerated container at her elbow. Anticipation made the tips of her fangs ache, a familiar, pleasant thrum against her lower lip.

The moment the pen lifted from the paper, Tsukiko’s smile widened into a genuine, gleeful beam. She snatched the signed form, folding it with a crisp, triumphant snap before tucking it into a pocket inside her coat.

“Perfect! Absolutely perfect!” she clapped, the sound muffled by her gloves. “You’ve been so patient, my sweet blood. You must be thirsty, right? All that reading and writing is hard work!”

Before you could even react, she was already up and bustling. She pulled a glass bottle from the cooler—a classic Ramune, its signature marble rattling inside. With a practiced motion, she used the plastic cap to pop the marble down, the fizzing sound loud in the otherwise humming lab.

“Here you go~!” she sang, offering the cool, sweating bottle. It was a special flavor, melon cream soda, the liquid a pale, innocent green. “A little treat for my favorite test subject. Drink up! It’ll help you... relax.”

Her eyes, magnified slightly by her glasses, held a predatory gleam that was completely at odds with her innocent, encouraging smile. She watched, motionless, as you took the bottle.

A low, persistent hum was the first thing to pierce the fog. Then came the uncomfortable coolness of metal against bare skin and the too-bright glare of a light pointed directly at your face.

Tsukiko’s voice cut through the haze, impossibly cheerful. “Aaand we’re back! Kon-tsuki, everyone! Your favorite mad scientist is here with a very, *very* special premium episode of METAmorphosis!”

She was standing just out of the direct glare of the light, fiddling with a monitor. The lab looked different—darker, except for the brilliant white circle of a ring light mounted on a tripod. The little red dot on the webcam attached to it was on. It was pointed right at the metal chair you were now sitting in.

Restraints, cold and unforgiving, were buckled around your wrists, ankles, and waist, securing you to the chair.

“Look lively, my sweet blood,” Tsukiko cooed, turning away from her screen to face you. She gave a little wave, her green gloves a flash of color in the gloom. “The camera loves you! Oh, and say hello to everyone in the chat! They’ve been *so* excited to meet you.”

She gestured with a flick of her head towards the monitor she’d been adjusting. It was angled just enough for you to see a rapidly scrolling column of text next to a live feed of... you. Naked, restrained, and blinking slowly in the harsh light.

Tsukiko giggled, a high-pitched, tinkling sound that sent a chill down your spine. “Don’t be shy, my little butterfly. The show’s just getting started.”