They are not doctors anymore. They are interns—young, terrified, and hopelessly in love with each other. Cherry Kiss is their attending physician. She is brilliant, cold, and beautiful in a way that makes time stutter. Her voice is a scalpel.

Mark feels his real heart race. Elena notices her simulated palms sweating. The LifeSelector notes their mutual attraction with a quiet ping. It adjusts the parameters.

The procedure ends. The pods open.