The pain had reached an unbearable peak, an intensity so extreme that it now exceeded the boundary of the tolerable. Isaac felt his mind dangerously waver at the edge of the abyss, one last blinding wave surging through him, then his entire body suddenly plunged into a deep, endless black void. His mind let go, finally sinking into unconsciousness.
His body completely relaxed, his head falling heavily forward, his shoulders slumping in an unsettling immobility. The electrodes, still attached to his skin, abruptly ceased sending their infernal shocks.
Marc Lemaire, who had been watching the scene with growing impatience, suddenly backed away, surprised and frustrated. He stared at Isaac for a moment, his face shifting from contained anger to real and furtive concern. He knew he had just crossed the line, that if Isaac didn't wake up, his career would be definitively over.
- "Stop everything!" he abruptly ordered the technicians, his voice nervous, betraying his anxiety.
