Kisimoto stretched his arms, rolling his sore shoulders as he stepped back to admire the now-clean living room. The scent of soap and damp wood filled the air, replacing the musty, abandoned stench from before. Their home—though battered—finally felt like home again.
Serena sat cross-legged on the floor, absently twirling a pencil between her fingers. Her expression was distant, her eyes flickering between her usual warmth and that eerie emptiness Kisimoto had come to fear.
Roko, sprawled out on the couch, tapped his foot impatiently. "So, what now? We just… settle down like nothing happened?"
Kisimoto sighed. "No. But we do need to figure things out. Money, food, and most importantly—"
"Otouchan," their mother finished softly. She was seated on the floor, folding the last of the clean laundry. Her hands trembled, just slightly. "What really happened to him?"
Silence hung between them.
Serena, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly muttered, "There was something… at the lab."
Roko turned his head lazily. "You mean besides the part where we were nearly murdered?"
"No," Serena frowned, her voice hollow. "I mean—something important. Something we forgot."
Kisimoto frowned. "What do you mean?"
Serena didn't answer immediately. She glanced around the room as if searching for something. Then, suddenly, she stood up and walked toward the farthest corner.
Behind an old, dust-covered cabinet.
Something was there.
She knelt down, running her fingers along the edge of the wooden floorboards. A sharp click echoed as she pressed against an invisible panel.
A small compartment slid open.
Kisimoto's breath caught.
Inside, a stack of aged, half-burnt papers.
He reached for them hesitantly, his heart pounding in his ears. As he pulled them out, the faded letters practically screamed at him.
> PROJECT C-BOT: FILE 009
Subject: Clone-Bot Testing & Adaptation
Status: Classified
His hands trembled.
Roko, suddenly wide awake, snatched a page and scanned it.
His smirk vanished.
"Oi. This is…" He trailed off, his face darkening.
Their mother, now standing, covered her mouth. "No… it can't be…"
Kisimoto swallowed. His vision blurred as he read the words over and over, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Their Otouchan's name was listed.
Not as a scientist.
Not as a prisoner.
But as the project lead.
> Project: C-BOT (CLONE-BOT)
> Subject 05: Promoted to Project Lead
> Supervisor: Lee Jung-Hae
> Creator & Founder: Classified
Date: 30/8/2011
Serena's breath hitched. Her fingers clutched the edge of her pants, knuckles white.
"...Why?" she whispered.
No one had an answer.
But now—they had a new mystery.
And the truth was far from what they expected.
TO BE CONTINUED VERY SOON...