The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead as Nila flipped through the archive drawers. Her fingers trembled, slick with sweat despite the air conditioning.
Project: Subject 04 – "Noir"
Age at Intake: 11
Parental Consent: FORGED
Status: UNSTABLE | Extremely Lethal | Not to be Released Under Any Condition
Her breath caught. The deeper she dug, the worse it got—torture reports, neurochemical scans, stress charts. There were photos too: broken bones, IVs strapped into arms too small, eyes hollow with rage.
A handwritten note was tucked into the corner of one report.
"Child shows extreme resistance to psychological breakdown. Recommend surgical memory wipe to ensure total obedience."
Her stomach twisted.
This wasn't science.
It was sadism.
A shadow moved in the doorway.
"What are you doing here?"
Nila's body went rigid.
President Ryuzaki entered slowly, brushing imaginary dust from his coat.
"N-nothing, sir," she stammered, hastily closing the drawer. "I was just… checking the records. Monitoring the experiment's progress."
He took a step closer. Then another.
Each one sounded like a countdown.
"You know the boy escaped," he said casually. "With his father."
She swallowed hard, keeping her face still.
"Were you involved in this?" he asked, his voice soft but venomous.
"Not at all!" she said quickly. "Why would I be?"
His eyes narrowed.
"Because I heard something interesting. That you were once a scientist. One who tried to shut this whole experiment down."
The silence between them thickened.
Then he leaned in, his breath brushing her ear.
"If you do anything stupid—if you even think about crossing me…"
"I'll kill you."
He straightened, his tone smooth again.
"Send SWAT on city patrol. I want that boy captured."
Nila nodded slowly.
"Y-yes, sir…"
But as he walked away, her knuckles whitened around the folder.
She wasn't done yet.
The city air was strangely calm.
Kael sat beside his father on a bench just outside the shopping plaza. Civilians laughed, vendors sold cheap trinkets, and somewhere nearby, a child cried over spilled popcorn.
"You forgot your real name?" Raegal asked quietly.
Noir didn't answer right away. His eyes scanned the crowd, watching for anything out of place.
"They called me Noir," he finally said. "They made me believe it."
Raegal nodded. "Your name is Kael. And mine is—"
"Raegal."
The word slipped out before Kael could stop it. His voice cracked.
"I remember."
Raegal smiled. Not the forced, fake smile he wore in meetings or missions. A real one. Worn but alive.
"It's been a long time. How about we do something normal?"
"Ice cream?"
Kael blinked.
"O-okay…"
They walked to a nearby stand. The smell of waffle cones and syrup hit Kael like a wave of nostalgia. He hadn't eaten sweets in years—not since the White Room killed his senses.
"Two chocolates, please," Raegal said.
"Sure thing," the vendor replied, handing them over.
Kael stared at his cone.
He touched it like it might break.
"You used to beg for this every weekend," Raegal said.
Kael took a bite. The cold hit his tongue hard.
"It's… good."
CRACK.
The sound of gunfire split the air like lightning.
Glass shattered above them. Civilians screamed and scattered.
SWAT operatives stormed into the plaza, rifles aimed, gas masks gleaming.
"ATTENTION EVERYONE!"
"WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A TERRORIST IN THIS AREA. STAY WHERE YOU ARE!"
Kael's blood went cold.
"They found us—"
Raegal tossed both cones and grabbed Kael's hand.
"Come on—this way!"
They sprinted through chaos—ducking under banners, leaping over food carts, weaving through stampeding civilians.
"Take this," Raegal muttered, shoving a pistol into Kael's hand.
"Don't shoot unless I tell you."
Kael nodded. The weight of the gun was familiar. Comforting. Dangerous.
"There!"
A soldier pointed.
"MOVE IN!"
"Shit—" Raegal yanked Kael behind a pillar just as bullets tore through a neon sign above them.
"Back exit!" Kael shouted, heart racing.
Bullets chased them down the stairwell. Concrete cracked. Screams echoed above.
"They injected a micro-transceiver into me," Kael panted.
Kael's breath was sharp as they tore through the dim stairwell. Boots hitting concrete. Bullets cracking stone.
"How long's the battery?" Raegal asked between gasps.
Kael didn't look back.
"Years. Maybe more."
Raegal cursed under his breath. "Where did they put it?"
"Jugular vein. Left side."
Raegal stopped short, gripping Kael's collar. "Show me."
Kael hesitated, then pulled down his collar. A faint scar ran down his neck, just beneath the skin — no bigger than a splinter.
Raegal pulled a small device from his coat. Looked like an old remote, but when he pressed a button, it emitted a low-frequency pulse. A green light blinked once. Then silence.
Kael blinked. "What was that?"
"A signal disruptor. Military-grade. Prototype. Won't disable the transceiver—but it'll jam its location for a few days."
Kael nodded.
Raegal pocketed the device and drew his pistol again. "I know a doctor. A real one. Not some back-alley patch job."
Kael opened his mouth to speak—
Raegal's eyes widened.
"DUCK!"
Kael dove to the side just as a bullet punched through the railing behind him, sparks flying.
"Where's the car?!"
"B3. Parking level."
Raegal pointed to a window.
"Jump!"
"Are you crazy?! That's a two-story drop—"
"There are cushions. Just jump!"
Together, they leapt.
"AHHH—"
They landed hard, but the cushions broke their fall.
"Okay. That hurt less than I thought," Kael muttered.
"Don't stop—just run!"
They burst into the garage. The car was close.
"I'LL DRIVE," Kael shouted.
"WHAT?! NO—"
He was already inside.
The engine roared to life. SWAT units appeared, guns raised.
"Move, NOW!"
The car screeched as they peeled out, dodging bullets that bounced off the reinforced hood.
"Didn't know you were a good driver, Kael!"
"Shut up—"
"Hey, c'mon!"
Raegal leaned back in his seat, eyes half-lidded.
"I know a kid who was in the White Room."
Kael snapped his head toward him.
"Where is he?"
Raegal smirked.
"She's at my place."
Kael blinked.
"She?"
"Yeah," Raegal nodded. "Girls were in it too. Don't look so surprised."
Kael swore under his breath.
"Damn."
"Control yourself!," Raegal said, raising an eyebrow.
"My bad."
Raegal grinned, tapping the dashboard.
"I'll take you to her."
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"What the hell was that smirk for?"
Raegal chuckled.
"Haha. Just messing with you."
Kael sighed.
Kael stepped through the door, eyes scanning the unfamiliar home.
Warm lights. Wooden floors. Framed photographs. A strange feeling washed over him — normalcy.
Then a voice.
"Father! Father!"
It was a girl's voice. Young. Playful.
A few moments later, she appeared at the hallway's end. Her eyes landed on Kael and narrowed immediately.
"Who's this moron?"
Kael blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Control yourself, Aira," Raegal said sternly.
"Hey! What did I do?" Kael raised his hands defensively. "Is it that time of the mo—"
"AHEM." Raegal cleared his throat loudly. "Both of you — inside. Now."
As they sat down, Kael muttered, "Father… since when did she start calling you father?"
Raegal sighed.
"She's an orphan. I... I get lonely sometimes, Kael. So I adopted her."
Kael looked down. His voice grew quiet.
"Speaking of her.. where's sister?"
Silence.
The room went still.
Raegal looked away.
"You see, Kael... she—she died. In an accident."
Kael didn't flinch. He just stared at the table.
"I see…"
"I'm sorry—"
"No, no. It's alright," Raegal interrupted, forcing a weak smile. "Let's have a good dinner."
Raegal raised his glass. "Cheers."
> "Cheers," Aira echoed.
"Cheers…" Kael whispered.
He smiled on the outside. But inside, he was caving in.
He's pretending to be fine... but he's broken, Kael thought.
I can relate.
---
Later that night…
Raegal opened the door to a small room.
"Here's your room. You both can share it."
"Don't get carried away. It's a bunk bed."
"Fatherrr!" Aira groaned.
"Haha — my bad," Raegal chuckled."
---
The lights dimmed. Silence settled in.
Kael lay on the bottom bunk, staring at the ceiling. He heard a voice from above.
"Hey, Kael… what was your sister like?"
He didn't respond immediately.
"She… she was so cheerful. So alive," he finally said.
"I didn't even get to attend her funeral…"
His voice cracked.
His pillow was wet. His fingers brushed his cheeks.
I... I'm crying?
He clutched the blanket tighter.
Aira's voice came soft from above.
"It's okay."
"It's okay to cry."
"I cried a lot when I was there too."
A pause.
"I always admired you for being so strong. But in the end… we're all human."
"You..know I think your sister would be proud of you."
"I am sorry..Lily.." Kael muttered while sobbing quietly.