The lights in the archive room returned to calm, yet the torn page of the dossier still hovered in midair."The Key has awakened. The Regents are aware."The words burned into everyone's eyes, like scorching iron.
A suffocating silence filled the air.
Ethan stood in place, his chest heaving violently, as if gripped by an invisible hand. He felt a gaze from higher dimensions—cold, distant, yet omnipresent—so pervasive that even breathing seemed under surveillance.
"Regents…"He whispered the unfamiliar name, his throat dry and hoarse.
The Bureau Chief spoke slowly, his voice heavy, as if a stone pressed on his chest:"You were not meant to know this. The dossier should have remained sealed, but… the Key has awakened, and even we are forced to see the other side of the board."
Ethan let out a bitter laugh, full of desolation:"So, I'm just a piece on the board, am I?"
The Chief offered no reply. Silence, in this case, was the cruelest answer.
—
Karl couldn't hold back:"Chief! He's my partner, one of us! You can't just treat him like a tool!"
The Chief's gaze fell on Karl, icy enough to chill the spine:"Tool or comrade is not yours to decide. Once the Regents impose their will, all of us… are merely shadows in a cage."
"A cage?"Ethan raised an eyebrow, a trace of mockery in his eyes."So you self-proclaimed guardians of order… are prisoners in the same cage?"
He slowly approached the stone table, his eyes locked on the dossier."If even you are trapped by fate, then let me see… if I can break this damned cage."
—
As he spoke, the runes in the archive room flared to life.A surge of dark energy erupted from within Ethan, transforming into black flames that burned in his eyes.
The agents gasped and stumbled back, weapons raised once more."He… is out of control!""That's power no human can bear!"
Karl stepped forward, blocking their aim:"Lower your weapons! If he truly is the Key, firing will only accelerate the collapse of the world!"
The Chief's voice thundered:"Enough!"
—
Amid the oppressive tension, Ethan suddenly laughed.Hoarse, yet tinged with sarcasm and relief.
"Don't worry, I'm not planning to become a monster. At least… not today."He lifted his head, his gaze blazing, as if challenging the unseen Regents."But remember this: I will not be your Key. I will choose myself—which door to open."
His words froze everyone in the archive room.
The Chief stared at him, finally muttering under his breath:"You've stepped onto a path of no return."
—
Ethan turned and pushed open the heavy archive door.Wind swept in from the corridor, stirring the ashes on the scattered pages.As the ashes swirled, a faint whisper emerged:
"Beyond the cage… there is yet another cage."
Ethan paused, a cold smile tugging at his lips:"Then I'll break them one by one, until no cage remains."
—
At the end of the corridor, a low echo resonated in the darkness, like countless eyes watching him.Ethan drew a deep breath, his silhouette gradually fading into the shadows.