Ares opened his eyes, his body heavy, breath shallow. He found himself standing in glowing, knee-deep blue water. The water rippled gently around him, eerily calm, stretching out in all directions beneath a pitch-black sky.
What is happening...?
Why am I in water...?
Where even am I...?
Countless thoughts flooded his mind. He took cautious steps forward, the water resisting with soft waves that barely slowed him. As he moved, the silence of the place only deepened the unease building in his chest.
Minutes passed, no wind, no voice, just him and the vast, glowing sea beneath the void above. Dread crept in.
Then a thought struck him.
This has to be a dream. Right?
Ares let out a short, nervous laugh, comforted by the idea that this surreal place was nothing more than a figment of his unconscious mind.
That's when a voice echoed, cutting through the silence like a blade.
"You're still the same as ever... Master."
Ares flinched. The voice was soft, but close—far too close. He whipped around, eyes scanning the endless water, but saw nothing. Just himself and the endless blue beneath black skies.
"Look above you."
Ares hesitated. Slowly, he raised his head. A sudden burst of light shot down from the sky, blinding him. He shielded his eyes, trying to glimpse the source. Within the blinding glow, a silhouette formed—feminine in shape, almost angelic in presence.
"Please... don't become a monster, Master."
His brows furrowed. "What…?" he muttered.
"Don't become like before."
The light intensified—too much to bear. He groaned and tried to shield himself, the sound of the voice echoing in his mind.
He jolted awake, drenched in sweat, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
What the hell was that...?
Who was she...?
He glanced around. A cold, sterile room surrounded him, an infirmary. His leg was elevated, wrapped tightly with a cloth bound to a steel bar. The pain was dulled but constant.
The door creaked open.
Brown stepped in.
Ares frowned immediately.
Brown noticed, but remained unfazed.
"Good to see you awake, Ares. I hope you're doing well."
"Doing well? You call that doing well?"
Ares' voice dripped with anger and bitterness but still was composed. He could tell, Brown had seen the experiment. All of it.
"When you agreed to participate, you gave your life to us," Brown replied coldly. "Meaning we can do whatever we want with you—regardless of your consent."
The voice came from the side—Jones. He stepped into the room with his usual serious expression, his gaze sharp.
"You're not special, Ares. But unlike the others, you're tactical. A strategist. That's what kept you alive."
Jones' praise felt like venom.
"That's all I came for." Jones looked at his leg. "You'll live. For now."
He turned and headed for the door.
"Oh, and one more thing."
"Huh?"
"There are some people you shouldn't cross paths with. Keep that in mind."
He left without elaboration, leaving Ares with a lingering sense of unease.
Elsewhere...
Brown walked alongside Kendrick in silence. Their footsteps echoed faintly in the long corridor, but neither man spoke.
Until Brown finally broke the stillness.
"Where is she now?"
"Back in her cell."
"How did she escape with all that security? And why didn't you bring her back immediately?"
"She vanished before I could summon the elites but we were able to capture at the end."
"Why did she go to him?"
"We're still investigating."
Brown paused. His face darkened.
"Get answers. Fast. She's the best we've got."
"Understood... sir."
Kendrick didn't call him Old Man this time. He knew the weight of the situation.
Brown suddenly stopped
"Actually… I think I'll speak with her myself."
"But—"
"No more delays. If we lose her, it's over."
The commander's cold tone sent a shiver down Kendrick's spine. He didn't argue further.
"Yes, sir."
They exited the hallway into a towering complex—more like a city than a base. Helicopters circled, soldiers saluted, and a metal-wrapped structure loomed ahead, heavily guarded.
They approached a vault-like door.
[Identification Required.]
"Kendrick Ivor."
[Confirmed. Room 0 access granted. Proceed to the elevator.]
The steel doors slid open. The elevator descended deep underground.
"How's she been?"
"Her usual chaos..."
"Well… she is his daughter."
The elevator doors opened with a hiss.
Inside, chaos.
Soldiers were scattered, injured, groaning on the floor. At the center—Nia.
Her eyes pitch-black with glowing green pupils. Ethereal skeletal tentacles whipped behind her, radiating violent energy.
"Stand down!" Brown's voice thundered through the chamber.
The remaining soldiers froze, snapping to salute.
Nia turned, eyes wild.
"RRAAAAAAGHHHH!"
She bolted forward—inhumanly fast—right toward Brown.
But before impact, Kendrick appeared behind her, slamming her into the floor with a massive thud. Her tentacles crumbled into dust. Her eyes returned to normal.
She panted, trying to struggle. "G-Get… off…"
"Not until our superior gets his answers," Kendrick replied flatly.
Brown stepped forward, crouching beside her. His gaze pierced through her, and for the first time—she trembled. But she didn't back down. She glared right back.
"It's been a while... Subject 0."
"I'm not Subject 0. I'm Nia."
Kendrick chuckled under his breath.
"That's a first"
"How did it feel… meeting people after so long?"
Nia hesitated. Then, for a moment, her expression softened.
"It was... nice. Strange, but nice. I was... happy."
Kendrick scoffed.
"Happy? You've killed hundreds. Maybe thousands. You're a weapon, not a person."
His grip tightened. The floor cracked beneath her.
"Kendrick. Enough."
The weight of Brown's voice silenced the entire room. The air turned heavy, suffocating. Even the soldiers struggled to breathe.
"Y-Y-Yes... sir…"
Kendrick released her, backing away to a corner.
Brown offered his hand. Nia hesitated—then took it.
"I planned to scold you... maybe punish you."
His aura flared. Nia flinched slightly.
"But perhaps we can put you to use... there."
Her eyes lit up like a child offered candy. She nodded eagerly.
"Alright. You can go back now."
"A-Are you sure?" she asked with an innocent smile.
"Yes, you're still growing."
She twirled like a toddler, beaming. Brown even gave her a light pat.
"Sir, this is reckless!" Kendrick protested, coming out of his corner. "What if she goes berserk again?!"
Nia and Brown turned in unison, glaring coldly.
He shrunk away.
"But on two conditions," Brown added. "Watch over that boy—Ares. Report everything. And do not reveal yourself."
"Got it!" she chirped.
Kendrick slumped into a corner, defeated.
Back in the Infirmary
Ares stirred again. His vision blurred slightly. A soft figure in a nurse uniform hovered over him.
Ah, finally… a human nurse.
His vision cleared.
Oh, come on.
It was a robot. A humanoid so lifelike it could fool anyone.
"Good evening, Participant Ares," it chirped.
Ares groaned and tried to close his eyes again.
"Due to the extent of damage to your leg, we will now proceed with an injection of our latest healing serum. Perfectly safe for humans."
A glint from the needle caught his eye. His blood ran cold.
"W-Wait... I-I think I'm fine! M-My leg feels great!"
The robot leaned closer, needle in hand.
"Don't worry, sir. It won't hurt at all. Heehee."
"W-WAIT—NO—STAY BACK—"
"PLEASE—"
GGGGAAAAAHHHHH!!