Before that, I looked around. I never imagined I could be in a room said to belong to the leader of the Anti-Solaris organization. Located in the underground area of Helix City, hidden far behind an ordinary toy store. Honestly, I didn't see anything special about this place. A large table that I was sure belonged to the leader was situated in the corner of the room with one large chair. Meanwhile, in front of it was a long table with several chairs where I was now sitting.
It did look like a typical leader's room. But what caught my attention was the rocks and relics displayed on the walls or stored in the cabinets. Some of them looked beautiful but also foreign and eerie. I didn't know why I was here or why I had to deal with these strangers. I used to be an ordinary guy living a quiet and boring life.
"What? What do you mean? I'm a new member of the organization?"
I wasn't done being curious about this place, and then the bespectacled man's words, who knows who he is, made me jump again. I didn't feel like I received any offer or agreed to join any organization. But why did this man talk like I was already part of them?
Of course, I was surprised, but I tried to go with the flow, along with the gazes of the masked man, Chloe, and Alexandria, who were all fixed on me.
"So, is this bespectacled man the leader of the Anti-Solaris organization they mentioned?"
The tall, bespectacled man looked at me with caution, just like the others. He seemed to be dissecting me from head to toe, making it hard for me to swallow my saliva. There was something about his gaze that was intimidating. Cold and sharp.
However, it seemed everyone could sense my awkwardness. Which made the beautiful Chloe end up teasing me.
"Don't worry. We're not something you should be afraid of. On the contrary... I'm actually a bit curious about you. To me, you're different from any human I've ever met. Oh, and monsters, of course," Chloe said, still holding my hand.
Now my palms and temples were sweating. All the gazes fixed on me didn't make things any better. But Chloe seemed to enjoy teasing me.
"So, can you at least tell me your name? Don't be too mysterious. After all, we'll be partners from now on. We need to work together, and that can start with getting to know each other."
"Enough, Chloe! Don't bother him anymore. There are far more important and complicated things he needs to know today."
The man was the leader of the Anti-Solaris organization, often referred to as "The Owl." He was a Pseudo-Sovereign or Pseudo-Princeps who possessed power from the Core of Abyss, which was once defeated by the strongest Valkyrie to protect humanity from the Princeps of Abyss's attack. The man could manipulate black holes and create weapons from his power.
The bespectacled man, who I was sure was the leader of the organization, finally spoke up. For a moment, I felt relieved, but I was plunged back into darkness by the gaze behind the glasses. Full of mystery, it seemed like it could mislead me. Now, the bespectacled man turned to Alexandria. My eyes followed his gaze.
"Alexandria, don't you have an explanation for this situation?"
However, the person being addressed remained silent and chose not to answer directly. She just looked down, dejected, and glanced at me with an unreadable expression.
"Sorry," she said briefly.
"Sorry? Is that all you can say after brazenly violating the code of ethics in using the MANTARA project on a stranger whose origins we don't even know?" The man looked at me, making me realize that I was the subject being discussed. Of course, I was confused, but it was still too difficult to understand the situation.
"That night... during the attack, you were seriously injured and seemed to have no chance of survival. That's why I performed the MANTARA project on you. I thought it was the only way to save you."
"W-what? What did you do to me?" My throat felt constricted. My memories came back to the dreams that felt real and the persistent pain.
At that time, I was uncertain, thinking it was just a random memory. But now, thinking about it, maybe it was indeed related to the MANTARA project they were talking about.
"So... what happened at the hospital back then...?"
"Yes, they knew everything. They knew about the MANTARA project that had been applied to you. They also played an important role in ensuring your condition remained stable and didn't end up becoming a monster like other research subjects."
I was certainly shocked. The dark visions that had been bothering me for the past few days and the suspicions that kept arising were indeed true. I didn't know what I was anymore; I was no longer a whole human being. Even on the other hand, I was confused about what to call myself.
Anger peaked, especially when I saw Alexandria, who I thought was a kind-hearted soldier, had actually taken advantage of me in a desperate situation. I got even more annoyed when I saw Alexandria could only look down, like a thief caught red-handed. While I myself was lost in a new, confusing identity.
I stood up from my chair and pointed directly at her face. "I never thought you would do something so cruel to me like that. You deliberately lied to me, even with all the doctors and nurses at the hospital. If these people hadn't told me, how long would you have kept lying?"
"Enough," said the masked man. "Besides, you're still alive today. If it weren't for Alexandria performing the MANTARA project on you, you might have been dead a long time ago. Besides, we're gathered here today not to listen to your ramblings. We have a much more important task!"
"What? How can that be? This is my life. I have full rights to determine what should happen. I never agreed to become an object of the MANTARA project. I also never wanted to join this organization. This is all Alexandria's fault! You're the one who trapped me in this situation."
"You're really talking too much! We're here to listen to the leader's briefing. I don't like it when someone disrupts the proceedings today. And I especially hate people who deliberately ruin my mood like you."
I still wouldn't back down. I was angry and disappointed. I felt deceived and betrayed. I didn't know anything about the MANTARA project and why they would do it to me. I suddenly experienced an identity crisis that made me question my existence in this world on the brink of destruction.
"I won't stay silent. I just need an explanation. At least an apology. Why is Alexandria silent? She's the one who should speak, not this masked man whose name I don't even know. Speak, Alexandria! Explain it to me!"
Alexandria remained motionless in her chair, gazing at me straight and flat. Without expression, which made me wonder. Was I really worthless in this world? Was my life story completely irrelevant to them? Was the price of my life so cheap that it could be easily bartered for a horrific project?
"What's wrong? Why are you silent? I need an explanation, Alexandria! Why did you do that to me? Why did you dare to betray the trust I gave you? I thought you were different!"
"You really don't know how lucky you are. The fact that you're here among us should explain everything! Alexandria's efforts to save you were in vain."
The masked man seemed to be getting emotional. I could see his face reddening and his sharp gaze. It was as if he was ready to kill me right then and there. That made me take a step back slowly due to concern about sudden actions. And it was true, because before I could dodge, the masked man moved to punch me.
I tried my best to endure it, which reminded me of my dream fight with the monster. Back then, I needed to lose several times just to survive. The problem was that this was the real world, not a dream world. Even though I managed to dodge, one hard punch finally hit me right in the solar plexus. The masked man's strength was clearly not to be underestimated.
My body fell over, feeling immense pain in my stomach. I could only wince while enduring the pain in my stomach, mixed with embarrassment because now all eyes seemed to be on me. When the masked man was about to take another step, the bespectacled man's voice echoed throughout the room.
"Enough!"
My eyes immediately focused on the bespectacled man, who was still holding a cane. I didn't know his name for sure, but I could see him rotating the cane until all the blue-purple light started to emanate from it. The light shot straight between me and the masked man, forming a hole. The black hole slowly grew to the size of a portal.
For a moment, I could see others holding tightly onto their chairs. I also looked at the masked man, who clearly swallowed his saliva. Soon, my eyes returned to the black hole, which I could only call a black hole without knowing its true nature. The large black hole occasionally emitted flashes of light like lightning from within.
I tried to peek into the dark, seemingly endless black hole, which instantly made me fall silent. At that moment, I realized that my ramblings had disturbed the bespectacled man, and I was the one who had caused him to show his extraordinary strength. Now, I was still sitting on the floor, frozen, waiting for the man's next move.