Office of the Public Prosecutor – Upper Floor
Natalie sat behind her wide desk, surrounded by glowing screens casting a soft blue hue over her focused features. A heavy silence blanketed the room, disturbed only by the faint hum of the ventilation system and the rhythmic tapping of her fingers on the keyboard. She cautiously opened a paper file, as if unveiling a buried secret, and began taking meticulous notes on her computer, immersed in complex symbols and confusing codes that intertwined with her thoughts like a spider's web, difficult to unravel.
An agonizing hour and twenty-seven minutes passed. Every movement she made... the slight lean forward, the muffled murmurs, the idle twirling of a strand of hair... reaffirmed her complete immersion in the task at hand.
In another room, behind a wall of opaque glass, Lorian sat at her own desk in a surveillance unit equipped with small monitors above the table. The flickering light reflected harsh lines onto her stern face. Her eyes followed Natalie, sharp and unwavering. There was no visible concern... only a suspicious blend of cold analysis and cautious anticipation.
At 9:14, Lorian's hand froze on the armrest. A strange feeling... like a cold breeze rushing through her chest... crept deep inside her.
Lorian, in a doubtful whisper: "[Hmm... why hasn't she gone to the bathroom, despite drinking so much water…?]"
With renewed focus, she rewound the footage from the past few minutes, noticing Natalie's movements were almost mechanical... typing, writing, sipping water, then repeating the cycle. This wasn't natural work behavior... it was a performance.
Suddenly, her eyes widened in silent horror. A heavy sense of impending disaster washed over her. Her gaze remained fixed on the screen, searching for a thread to uncover the deception she now sensed.
Without warning, she sprang from her seat violently, the chair rolling back and slamming into the wall. Her hand trembled as she grabbed the phone, frantically dialing numbers, her voice laden with raw tension.
Lorian, in a strained, rough voice: "Bear! Get to Prosecutor Harper's office immediately! Confirm her presence... now!"
The response came quickly, Bear's voice as steady as ever:
Bear: "Understood."
The minutes dragged on with excruciating weight. Each second stabbed into Lorian's awareness like shrapnel. She stared at the clock, counting the seconds as if they were years.
After sixteen hellish minutes, her phone rang. She answered before the first ring ended.
Lorian, with desperate urgency: "Well? Did you find her?!"
On the other end, Bear appeared via a brief video call, standing in the quiet hallway. Behind him, the prosecutor's office door stood wide open... empty.
Bear, in a low, dangerous voice: "No. All staff members are inside... except for Prosecutor Harper and Deputy Attorney Liam."
The ground seemed to shatter beneath Lorian's feet. It felt as if the air had been ripped from her lungs. She stumbled back a few steps, her hand shaking violently, her breath breaking apart.
Then, with a sudden scream that pierced the silence.
Lorian: "Guard!"
A guard burst in, his face alarmed.
Guard: "Y-Yes, ma'am?!"
Lorian, with firm authority: "Bring Landon. Now!"
Guard: "R-Right away!"
The guard vanished, and within minutes, quick footsteps echoed outside. The door flung open, and Landon entered... tall, sharp-eyed, and confident despite the chaos that had swept through the place.
Landon: "Yes, my lady! What happened?!"
Lorian, quickly and urgently: "Harper! She tricked me. Looks like she solved the puzzle and went there... with her assistant!"
She stepped closer and shoved a folded paper into his hand.
Lorian: "There was a system disruption at 8:46. The footage resumed a few minutes later... which means she planted fake footage during that window... and escaped."
Landon, with intense focus: "If the destination is far... they may still be en route."
Lorian: "Exactly. Contact all our eyes in Raymar. Order them to search for two individuals matching the descriptions listed here."
Landon nodded and swiftly turned to leave.
He crossed the long corridor toward the operations room, where dozens of massive screens were stacked, flashing live surveillance data from cameras scattered across Raymar.
At the metal door, he pulled out his ID card and scanned it, triggering a sharp electronic beep that unlocked the door instantly. He entered with firm steps amid a storm of noise and flashing lights.
Standing at the center, he turned to address the room.
Landon, with a commanding voice: "Contact all of Noctis's eyes in Raymar! Instruct them to thoroughly scan the area, and report immediately if two individuals matching these specs are spotted!"
One of the staff handed him recent photos of Natalie and Liam.
And as breaths quickened... The chase had begun.
With Landon's first word, it was as if an electric shock had surged through the team's bodies. It wasn't a simple order... it was a silent declaration of a state of highest emergency within the organization.
In an instant, the room transformed into a tightly controlled beehive. Every movement was calculated, every heartbeat under command.
Hands rose to earpieces in perfect unison. Fingers tapped across keyboards at blinding speed. Eyes locked onto the massive screens covering the walls from floor to ceiling. City streets, alleys, back entrances, train stations… everything was under surveillance.
Voices overlapped with strict precision through the encrypted system:
"Unit 9, confirm your position in the eastern park."
"Unit 3, cover the sidewalks surrounding the central station. Use biometric facial recognition."
"'Eye-Trace' system is now active. We've sent the latest images through the internal network. Refresh every 30 seconds. Don't miss a single movement."
Outside, the invisible web of Noctis began to move... men and women in disguise, armed with false identities and precise missions.
A man posing as a donut vendor pushed his cart through the crowd, handing out warm smiles and offering a sweet to a child with a steady hand. But his other eye never strayed from the image of Natalie quietly taped under the tattered canopy of the cart. A miniature lens, hidden inside the small lamp above the canopy, streamed a live feed to the command center.
A sporty young woman jogged along the sidewalk, holding what looked like an ordinary smartphone... but in truth, it was an encrypted comms unit with instant facial scanning capabilities. Her eyes scanned the crowd with lethal precision.
An elderly man in ragged clothes sat quietly in a park, holding a seemingly torn newspaper. Beneath it, however, lay a micro-camera with dual thermal lenses, capturing the movement of every passerby.
On rooftops, snipers and spotters equipped with thermal scopes and motion sensors kept watch over the streets from strategic vantage points.
Tiny drones, barely visible to the naked eye, buzzed quietly above the alleys and plazas, streaming real-time footage to the operations center.
In shopping malls, beneath the glare of lights and the hum of shoppers, no one noticed the small cameras nestled in ceiling corners, behind decorative pillars, or inside fire alarms.
They weren't ordinary cameras. Each was equipped with AI-powered facial recognition, directly linked to Noctis servers.
The moment Natalie or Liam passed through the field of vision, the system began reconstructing facial features from every angle.
A monitor in the surveillance room displayed a thermal image of a suspicious figure in one of the stores. Within three seconds, the camera issued a silent alert, activating Protocol "Advanced Shadow."
The public remained unaware... but Noctis… saw everything.
In every hand, a photo. In every eye, a target. In every mind, one mission: to hunt down Natalie William and her companion, Liam.
Time decayed with deadly weight. Every passing second equaled a life. Every visible... or invisible... detail was assessed on the scale of threat.
There was no room for error. No room for mercy. No room for improvisation.
This was the true face of Noctis... the shadow army. Their own deep state. An influential network running beneath everyone's nose, unnoticed.
Landon stood in the command center, behind him a digital map shifting with each data update. His expression was tense but firm. He knew failure was not an option.
And any delay... would be unforgivable.
The atmosphere was tense inside the room.
Phones were ringing nonstop, and the staff was busy on their lines. Fingers tapped nervously on keyboards, the clatter echoing like a ticking clock counting down.
Every operative was pouring all their energy into chasing any lead... anything that could point to the whereabouts of Natalie and Liam.
Sweat dripped from some brows, and the air was thick with pressure.
Suddenly, a phone rang with an emergency tone. A young staff member nearly jumped from his seat, snatching the receiver.
Staff Member, eagerly: "Hello! Operations Room... go ahead!"
A rough, shaken voice came through the line.
Caller: "I saw them! They were on foot, running. The traffic jam you caused... it threw the whole street into chaos, but they used it! They're heading east... toward the city outskirts!"
The staffer looked up immediately toward Landon, who caught the glance and understood instantly.
Landon, sharply: "Give me the line!"
He grabbed the phone from the employee's hand with urgency.
Landon, commanding: "Follow them! Do not lose them... understood?!"
A brief silence followed, then a hesitant, anxious voice replied.
Caller, stammering: "Uh... about that... I'm sorry, sir... We lost them..."
The man audibly gulped on the line, then added, his voice trembling:
Caller: "The streets were swarming with angry people... furious about the traffic collapse. They caught up with us and forced us to pull back..."
Landon's hand dropped heavily onto his face.
He let out a frustrated breath and ran his fingers through his hair.
Landon, muttering bitterly: "Damn it..."
The room fell into a heavy silence.
City Outskirts – Aria Bridge – Dusk
A cold breeze skimmed the narrow river's surface, and the water shimmered faintly beneath the dim glow of the moon.
An old man sat in a small wooden boat, pushing forward with a weary oar. In his other hand was an old phone, where he was flipping through images sent by the organization.
Old Man, muttering as he swiped: "Damn... how do they expect me to find them in all this ruin...?"
He sighed deeply, almost giving up, then lifted his gaze idly toward the creaky old bridge above.
Suddenly, his eyes froze.
He spotted two figures running across the bridge... Their silhouettes caught in the reflection of his stunned eyes.
Liam, panting, slows slightly: "Oi... N-Natalie! Slow down a bit... we've been running for like... half an hour!"
Natalie kept running, focused and relentless, her hair whipping behind her in the wind.
Old Man, trembling, quickly raising his phone: "Oh my God... that's them!"
He immediately dialed in, keeping his eyes on the pair as they vanished into the ruins.
Steel Hotel – Operations Room
Staff Member, shouting: "Sir! Incoming call... from the outskirts!"
Landon moved like lightning, snatching the phone from the worker's hand.
Landon: "Talk!"
The man on the other end was panting hard, trying to speak between breaths.
Caller: "Oh... hello! I found them! I found them, sir!"
Landon, sharply: "Where?! Location, now! Where are they heading?!"
Caller, catching his breath: "They crossed the Aria River! They turned left after the bridge... went into some abandoned buildings...
Oh! Second building on the left... I know it! It's an old factory. Hasn't been used in years..."
Landon gritted his teeth hard, then barked out his commands.
Landon: "Send the coordinates... now! Deploy the team! We're not letting them slip away this time!"
The staff rushed into action, orders flying across the radios.
From above, the room resembled a chaotic beehive... One that was about to explode.
Lorian's Office – Evening. The lighting is dim, and the air is thick with tension.
The door swings open suddenly.
Landon rushes in after a light knock. His steps are sharp, his breathing uneven. But the moment he enters, he freezes as if struck by an electric current.
His eyes meet the figure standing in front of Lorian's desk.
Nott.
A silent second passes, yet it feels saturated with meaning.
The ticking of the desk clock was the only sound brave enough to move within the charged silence.
Lorian, calmly but firmly: "Good work, Landon. The information has already reached me."
A heavy moment follows, during which Landon and Nott exchange a brief glance before Landon cautiously lowers his gaze.
Lorian continues, gesturing toward Nott: "Nott will take it from here. You may rest."
A few seconds echo with Landon's ragged breathing.
Landon, a quick glance at Nott, then he slightly lowers his head: "...Alright."
His words reverberate through the quiet room before he slowly steps back toward the door.
A moment of stillness, then Lorian turns back toward Nott.
Her long shadow stretches under the dim light toward him, as if tying him to her.
Lorian, in a low but clear voice: "As I was saying, the abandoned factory is located in 'Sierra'... a forgotten area on the outskirts of the city."
A short pause, filled with the faint hum of the air conditioner.
Lorian: "It used to be a thriving hub for heavy industries... but now... it's nothing more than rusted ruins among the trees, as if time itself decided to stop there."
She walks toward the digital map on the wall, her steps making a faint sound against the wooden floor.
Lorian: "The factory is located at the end of 'Larind Street'... a long road crowded with decaying industrial buildings. The area is surrounded by a small forest and bordered by a narrow river that can only be crossed via the Aria Bridge... an old, crumbling structure barely holding together."
She pauses for a moment, placing her hand on the map as if weighing her next words.
She turns to Nott.
Lorian: "You'll head straight for the bridge. After crossing it, go to the third building on the left. There, you'll find the 'Seth Factory.'"
Seconds pass slowly, their gazes locked in solid silence.
Lorian, with a practical tone: "Peter, tell us what we have on the factory."
A brief moment of silence before the sound of keyboard typing rises from a corner of the room.
Peter lifts his head from his laptop screen. He presses a few keys, then begins to read, his eyes never leaving the screen.
Peter, in a calm but heavy voice: "Oh, yeah, Umm... 'Seth Factory' used to be one of the city's pillars of heavy industry. Massive machines, constant noise, dozens of workers. But suddenly, it was shut down without warning. No reasons were given. Since then, it's been abandoned... and has become known as the 'Iron Phantoms.'"
He pauses for a second, swallowing hard, then continues in a hushed tone as if recounting an old legend:
Peter: "It's said that strange machine noises can still be heard within its walls at night. No one knows their source. Locals avoid going near it."
Silence creeps back into the room, heavier than before.
Lorian remains quiet, her eyes fixed on the map as if seeing beyond its lines. Then she almost whispers to herself: "...Strange machine noises...?"
A second... or maybe two... passes before her expression gradually changes.
The shadows deepen across her face, and her eyes narrow slightly, as if realizing something dangerous.
Lorian, her voice darker: "Nott..."
She moves slowly toward the center of the room, standing face-to-face with Nott.
Lorian: "Take Natalie and her team, and bring them here. We already have a squad on the way, but... since the factory is near the river on the city's edge, it'll take time to reach them."
A moment passes... barely longer than a heartbeat... before their eyes lock heavily.
Lorian: "During that time... they could be in danger."
Nott, in a cold, confident tone, unwavering: "Understood."
A few seconds pass... light in time, heavy in meaning.
Lorian, sharpening her tone as if trying to carve her words into his mind: "Remember, Nott... no matter what happens, your mission is to bring them back. Do not engage in any confrontations. Do not take any individual initiatives. Is that clear?!"
Another moment of silence, longer than the previous ones, then Nott looked at her with a blank expression.
Nott: "…Alright. I'll make sure to bring them as soon as possible."
In the blink of an eye, Nott teleported from his place.
He vanished suddenly, as if the very air had swallowed his body, leaving behind an emptiness radiating with tension.
Lorian remained standing in place, her eyes still fixed on the spot where he had been, as if lost in thought, contemplating something she feared.
That moment was filled with emptiness, as if time itself had frozen in place; everything around her became still, deep, and submerged in a state of suspense.
Sierra Area – Aria Bridge
Nott walked across the bridge, his steps slow, his eyes focused on the third building, where the name "Seth" was carved into an old, time-worn sign. After a brief moment of reflection, Nott took a deep breath, sensing the air around him, then with a single step, teleported inside the building.
Each step echoed in the abandoned surroundings. The place was dark, the air saturated with the smell of rust and mold. Sounds were nearly nonexistent; everything was silent except for the whispers of ancient, long-dead machines. Nott moved cautiously through a long corridor, his sharp eyes scanning the shattered environment around him. Ahead of him were three paths: one directly ahead, but it was blocked; another to the right, and another to the left. He chose the left path, which led him to an old staircase ascending upward. The higher he climbed, the thicker the darkness became.
Upon reaching the end of the staircase, Nott slowly turned around, pausing for a brief moment to breathe deeply. Then he noticed a faint light seeping from beneath the door of a room. Nott walked towards it, his steps becoming more careful, a slight tension running through his body, though he maintained a calm exterior. He opened the door very quietly, scanning the room with his sharp gaze... and there he saw a young man, with orange hair and a grim face, eagerly rummaging through papers on an old desk.
Nott pulled a photograph from his pocket... it matched the young man before him. He approached slowly, closing the distance between them.
Nott, in a low voice: "What are you doing here...?"
Suddenly, the young man jumped as if electrocuted, a cry of fear escaping his lips as he hit his head against the desk, trying to move away.
Liam, trembling: "W...W-Who are you?! How did you get in?!"
Nott stared at him coldly, then stepped even closer, leaving no room for escape.
Nott, calmly: "That's not important... You must come with me immediately. Where's your partner?"
Liam swallowed hard, realizing that Nott was not an ordinary person. Nott sighed slowly, the tension slightly loosening from his face as he sensed the situation getting more complicated. He cast a quick glance at the still-shaken Liam.
Nott, calmly, trying to ease the tension: "Don't worry, I'm here for you. Just tell me what..."
But before he could finish his sentence, the silence was shattered by a loud scream from downstairs... a scream that shook the entire building.
Liam, in terror: "Natalie!!"
Nott, immediately springing into action: "Stay here! Don't move!"
Nott moved swiftly, grabbing the flashlight from Liam's hand without hesitation, and rushed out of the room with quick, decisive steps. He stood at the edge of the staircase and pointed the beam downward, only to find that the previously sealed path was now open, and the screams echoed from within it. Nott quickly teleported, reaching Natalie who was sprawled on the ground, her eyes wide with terror, staring into something hidden before her. Nott inhaled sharply and moved toward her.
Nott: "Hey! Are you okay? What's happening?"
Natalie was trembling, barely able to speak. She stared at something within the darkness.
Natalie: "It's... it's... i-i-it's..."
Focusing, Nott directed the flashlight toward where Natalie was looking. In a terrifying instant, the light revealed a massive capsule, its inner walls frozen, and inside... a horribly deformed corpse.
Nott, stunned, stumbled a step back: "W-What is that!!?"
Before he could process what he was seeing, the corpse inside the capsule began to move. Unexpectedly, it struck the glass with great force, forcing Nott to leap backward, his eyes widening in fear. He quickly turned around... only to collide with another capsule behind him, which now also started to rattle violently, the corpse inside pounding on the glass.
The capsule doors began opening one after another.
Nott stood frozen, feeling his heart racing unnaturally. The atmosphere grew unbearably suffocating. Darkness consumed the area, the only light coming from the trembling flashlight in Nott's hand. The sounds of opening capsules, the shattering glass... it was as if the entire place was collapsing from within. Each capsule emitted a disturbing noise, one after another, like a warning from the depths of hell. Nott was paralyzed, his body frozen, cold sweat dripping down his forehead with every passing second.
Terror flooded him... but something far more horrifying soon seized the scene. He felt a cold breath on the back of his neck, so chilling it made his skin crawl. Nott stopped breathing for a moment, as if fear itself had gripped his soul. Gathering his courage with immense difficulty, he slowly turned his head... a movement that felt as heavy as a thousand tons.
There... right behind him... was a completely deformed corpse, its face smeared with dried blood over decayed skin, its eyes devoid of life, yet filled with a deadly, enigmatic mystery. The corpse stared directly into his eyes, its disfigured mouth moving slightly, as if trying to speak... but what Nott heard was nothing but incomprehensible whispers, echoes of terrifying words reverberating in his mind.
Time stopped completely at that moment. Nott felt his heart pounding so fiercely that he couldn't breathe properly. Terror dominated him; his legs trembled so badly he could barely stand. The horrific corpse was so close he could feel the warmth of its rotten breath nearing his face, and as its deformed hand reached out toward him, Nott could no longer move.
In a moment brimming with horror, one of the corpses' hands suddenly clutched Natalie's foot, dragging her rapidly into the darkness. Her scream echoed throughout the place.
Natalie: "N-Noooooooo!!!!"
Nott sprinted at full speed in a desperate attempt to save her, but before he could reach her, more corpses emerged from their capsules... moving with a terrifying slowness... surrounding him from every direction.
He was trapped, unable to move, unable even to use his teleportation ability.
The darkness, the deadly silence, the hollow gazes of those corpses inching closer, brushing against his body... they were crushing his will and clouding his mind.
Then, breaking the silence, one of the corpses approached Nott and whispered with a voice full of sorrow and suffering:
Corpse: "H...e...l...p... u...s..."
Terror and shock seized Nott. His words came out broken, mixed with confusion and fear:
Nott: "W-What...?"
The corpse repeated its fragmented plea:
Corpse: "H...e...l...p... u...s..."
Something inside Nott exploded with bewilderment. What he was witnessing, what he was experiencing... it was incomprehensible.
Before he could grasp the situation, all the surrounding corpses began to echo the same phrase, mixed with their gasps and sobs:
Corpses: "H-e-l-p us... Help us..."
The scene turned into a horrifying tragedy.
They were all drowning in their tears and screams, pleading with him for help.
Nott was trapped in fear and tension, his mind desperately clinging to any coherent thought, trying hard to understand what they wanted... but to no avail.
Nott: "[What is this?! They can talk?!... But why are they asking me for help...? How?! What am I supposed to do?!]"
In the suffocating darkness, with whispers scratching at the air from every direction,
Nott paused for a moment, as if the ground itself had seized his steps. He swallowed hard, drawing a heavy breath that trembled in his chest, as if trying to escape from within.
The pounding of his heart grew louder in his ears, relentless, warning of an unseen approach. The quivering shadows around him seemed to breathe, to writhe and leap across the crumbling walls.
And just before he spoke, he felt everything around him collapsing into a sickly silence, carrying only one question he had to confront.
Nott: "What do you mean? How can I help you?!"
The corpse answered with a voice filled with pain and betrayal.
Corpse: "Won't... you... help... us...?!"
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. The noise swelled, and the whispers turned into furious, terrifying screams. The corpses began shrieking ferociously at Nott, as if their earlier plea had now become an undeniable command.
One of them lunged forward, attempting to bite him. In a moment driven purely by survival, Nott struck swiftly with his right elbow at the attacking corpse.
But that only enraged the others.
Now, all of them became violently aggressive, charging at him with terrifying force and savagery.
The place was consumed by horror.
Nott found himself trapped in the center of a tightening circle of moving corpses, accelerating toward him. Their arms stretched out like claws, desperately trying to seize him.
He glanced around quickly... he didn't have much time to think.
Tension choked the air, and the darkness made the corpses seem even more monstrous.
They weren't slow, as he had imagined... on the contrary, their attacks were fierce and fast.
Nott lunged forward, dodging their violent strikes and lashing out with his fists to push them back.
He wasn't aiming to kill them... only to keep them away... because he sensed there was something strange about them. With a powerful punch, he struck a corpse in the chest, causing it to stagger and stumble into the others closing in on him.
There was no time to pause. He dashed toward a nearby wall, trying to carve out more breathing space for himself.
But the corpses didn't slow down... they only grew faster, as if realizing that if they didn't catch him now, they never would.
One of them charged at him, claws aimed at his chest. Nott, in a burst of wild instinct, leapt upward, grabbing onto a hanging beam to avoid the attack.
But before he could fully pull away, another corpse struck his shoulder, knocking him off balance. He crashed to the ground but rolled swiftly, evading another corpse that lunged at him.
Nott: "[Damn it... What the hell is this?! And Why the fuck I can't teleport outside!!]"
Like lightning, Nott sprinted through the mass of corpses, dodging their blows and slamming his feet into another, sending it toppling onto the others.
It was a critical moment. The corpses weren't just fast... they possessed a terrifying strength as well. Nott could feel his energy draining little by little, but he couldn't afford to stop.
He rushed toward the opposite side, striking the corpses with everything he had, shattering their arms, but they didn't fall completely.
Every time he knocked one back, another was already reaching for him.
The battle felt like a dance of death. Nott moved with unbelievable speed, using every muscle in his body to stay ahead of the corpses' snapping jaws.
In a desperate move, Nott teleports rapidly to higher ground, trying to put distance between himself and them.
They began to fall one by one, but they didn't stop... they climbed the walls in unnatural, frenzied ways, like mad creatures thirsting to catch him.
The corpses were chasing him with terrifying madness, closing the distance faster and faster.
Nott moved into the corridor where Natalie had disappeared. He sprinted between the worn-out machinery inside the factory, dodging obstacles and leaping between them with rapid movements. Everything was happening at a frantic pace... his breaths quickened, and his heart pounded violently. As the corpses chased after him, he spotted a massive barrel in the corner. He dashed toward it with all his might and knocked it down to block the passage behind him. The barrel crashed hard onto the ground, causing the corpses that had been running after him to topple one after another, collapsing onto each other.
It was a terrifying and chaotic moment.
While running, Nott caught an unnatural movement from the corner of his right eye. He instinctively stepped back slightly, his steps heavy and tense. His breathing grew faster with each step. His eyes scanned every corner with sharp vigilance as he glanced into the room to his right.
Nott backed away slowly, each step feeling like it dragged him deeper into a swamp of despair and horror.
When he saw Natalie's blood-stained coat, it was as if the world around him froze. The sounds of the corpses tearing through the fabric ripped through his mind like silent screams.
He collapsed to his knees, helpless, his eyes locked onto the catastrophic scene.
The torn, blood-soaked coat was all that remained of Natalie... the girl he couldn't protect.
There was nothing but painful silence, and the regret that began to seep deep into his soul, making him question everything.
Nott: "[Once again... I couldn't...
The same feeling is haunting me... Another life lost because of my weakness... How long will this go on...]"
His heartbeat began to slow, but the pain weighed heavier in his chest, almost suffocating him. Tension and fear covered him entirely, but there was something even more crushing... Regret.
Regret for every moment he failed to act, for every scream he couldn't save, and for every life lost because of his helplessness.
Then, in that mysterious moment, a familiar voice rang out.
Liam: "Hey... Natalie!? Where are you?"
Nott snapped out of his shock but immediately covered his mouth with his hand, trying to stifle his breathing, afraid that even the slightest sound would draw the attention of the nearby corpses.
Liam kept moving towards the stairs, calling Natalie's name.
Suddenly, a voice whispered behind Nott.
Natalie, whispering: "Hey, kid..."
Nott flinched so hard he almost screamed, but Natalie quickly placed her hand over his mouth, then slowly released him.
The feeling hit Nott like a lightning bolt to the heart. It was as if an enormous weight had been lifted off his chest.
The tears that had been filled with regret and sorrow turned into tears of relief and astonishment.
In that moment, it felt as if he had been drowning in a sea of fear and regret, and suddenly... a hand reached out to save him.
Nott, whispering: "You... you're alive..."
He said it in a low mutter, almost a whisper, as if he had regained some of his consciousness.
Natalie: "You idiot, of course I am! Where's Liam?"
Meanwhile, as Liam continued descending the stairs, he suddenly paused.
Liam: "Looks like she went this way...
Alright, I have another flashlight..."
He shone his flashlight toward the stairs, and in a terrifying instant, a corpse appeared, climbing up the wall and grabbing his foot, causing him to let out a hysterical scream.
Liam, panicking: "H-hel...help me!!!"
The screaming became a beacon for the scattered corpses, which started rushing toward him madly.
The ground shook under their footsteps, and the air was filled with the sound of dreadful gasps and moans.
Natalie, panicked: "No! We have to save him right now!!"
Nott grabbed Natalie and teleported with her toward Liam.
Liam was desperately clinging to the crumbling iron railings, which looked like they could collapse at any moment, struggling against the corpses trying to drag him down.
Liam, screaming in horror: "Help me!!! I can't hold on much longer!"
In a critical moment, Nott ripped a piece of iron from the decaying fence and used it fiercely, striking the corpses that were gripping Liam's leg.
With those powerful blows, Nott cleared enough space for Liam to break free from their deadly grip.
Natalie quickly pulled him away from the edge.
Nott then teleported them into Lorian's office.
When the group finally reached the office, they collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, completely exhausted.
Steel Hotel – Lorian's Office
Lorian looked at the group with clear concern as she hurried toward them, saying:
Lorian: "What happened!? Are you all okay?!"
With great difficulty, Nott pulled himself out of the exhausted state he was in and answered in a faint, tense voice.
Nott: "Yes... we're... fine."
Meanwhile, Liam was nearly collapsing from exhaustion, panting heavily while clutching his chest, struggling to speak.
Liam: "I'm... fine... just... need some time to rest..."
Natalie, who appeared pale and broken, sat on the ground leaning against a wall, her eyes filled with tears. In a voice trembling between sorrow and regret, she began to speak.
Natalie: "I... I'm sorry... I was selfish... I didn't think about the consequences..."
Natalie lowered her head as if trying to hide from their heavy, blaming gazes, and continued speaking bitterly.
Natalie: "I almost caused the death of myself, Liam, and that boy. I wasn't aware of what could happen. I made a mistake... I miscalculated everything..."
A heavy silence filled the place. Natalie's words felt like an open wound, as if every moment of the recent events had been compressed into this deep silence, expressing the magnitude of the pain and regret that had struck them all.
Lorian: "No... it's my fault..."
All eyes turned toward Lorian with curiosity and confusion. There was no clear explanation for her words, but Nott felt something strange and asked her:
Nott: "What were those moving corpses that tried to eat us, and why did they ask for my help?"
Lorian's features froze for a moment, and an expression of shock and paleness appeared on her face. In a touching moment, she bit her lip and began to speak with a voice filled with sorrow.
Lorian: "Those corpses... they were former members of the organization."
Everyone was stunned by Lorian's words, their gazes reflecting their shock and concern.
Lorian: "They failed in their missions related to targeting the Joker and were discovered. At that point, they refused to confess, which led to them being tortured. Some of them perished, while the rest were turned into test subjects for his vile and disgusting experiments."
The confession was yet another blow, revealing the depth of brutality and darkness into which the organization had sunk.
The shock was evident on everyone's faces. Natalie's eyes were pale with horror, while Liam's face showed deep sorrow over the fate of those individuals.
Nott struggled to his feet, looking as if he were battling an inner conflict, then stood before Lorian, his face dark and grim.
Nott: "So, the reason you were looking for them was to kill them, right? If not, then what do you intend to do with them? They are extremely dangerous."
Lorian turned around, sighing deeply as she looked out the window overlooking the city.
Lorian: "The squad has already reached the site. They are deploying sleeping gas. They will be subdued as quickly as possible and placed somewhere safe.
Nott, He took a step forward, his emotions still in turmoil, the scene he saw still stuck in his mind: "Subdued? Placed somewhere safe?! Do you even know what those corpses were saying to me? They were begging me to help them!!
Nott paused for a moment, his eyes burning with anger and despair.
Nott: "And I'm certain that what they meant by asking for my help... was death. They were pleading with me to end their suffering, to relieve them from the unbearable torment they were enduring.
How could you possibly think that placing them somewhere safe is the solution?
Do you think their continued existence in this world would allow them to escape their suffering?"
A heavy silence fell, deepening the expressions of confusion and sorrow in the eyes of those present.
The room was saturated with a silence heavier than grief itself, a silence that gnawed at the edges of their already fragile spirits.
Nott's words did not merely echo through the air... they carved wounds into the very core of everyone who heard them, exposing a raw, trembling truth they could no longer escape.
It was not merely anger that burned in his voice; it was the primal cry of a soul confronted by the unbearable paradox of mercy and cruelty intertwined.
These corpses... these lost remnants of once-living men and women... were no longer just victims of a failed system. They had become monuments to a deeper, crueler failure: the failure of hope, the betrayal of loyalty, the mutilation of identity under the weight of blind obedience.
Their suffering was not silent. It had found a voice in the desperate pleas Nott had heard... a voice not asking for salvation, but for release.
And what bitter irony it was, that help for them meant death, while the living clung still to illusions of redemption.
Lorian stepped back slightly, as if trying to find the words to justify the actions she had been forced to take. Her features shifted, and she took a deep breath before replying in a voice filled with sadness and contemplation.
Lorian: "Nott, I want to heal them...
When Lorian uttered those words, the sound of the world around them seemed to fade, as if time itself had stepped back in shame, unwilling to witness the confrontation.
Her voice was soft, filled with a fragile hope, yet it crashed against the solid wall of pain that Nott was breathing.
To him, it wasn't merely about healing broken bodies; it was a silent war against a reality where survival often meant losing everything inside.
In his eyes, a bitter truth reflected: some wounds cannot be healed by time, and some souls are not seeking salvation... but an end.
But the words he just heard... were different.
Lorian, She looked up at him and continued in a low voice: "They are not just victims of suffering; they are the embodiment of the harsh reality we live in.
Their loyalty to the organization drove them to death, but that was not truly their choice.
We live in a world where pain is the price we pay for seeking the truth, and justice often comes after a bitter struggle.
Natalie blinked involuntarily, her eyes shining brightly amidst her emptiness and sadness, While Lorian fell silent for a moment before continuing.
Lorian: "Have you ever wondered what it means to care for others when they are drowning in agony?
Healing their wounds is not just an attempt to fix what can be fixed, but it is a chance to give them another opportunity at life... even if that means facing a pain we cannot completely free them from. Sometimes, pain itself can be the key to understanding and change.
Lorian fell silent for a moment. She closed her eyes, as if retreating into herself, searching for the strength to continue. A heavy breath escaped her lips before she opened her eyes slowly, the weight of countless unspoken sorrows flickering within them.
Then, with a voice trembling between resignation and defiance, she continued.
Lorian: "Our decision is not just about ending their suffering, but about how we deal with the pain we face in a world that knows no mercy.
We choose to confront injustice by trying to repair it, even if that means enduring greater hardships than we can bear.
They need a chance to heal, not the death that may be the easier escape."
Everyone fell silent, reflecting on Lorian's words, which revealed a profound internal struggle about the meaning of life, suffering, and justice.
The battle was no longer just between life and death, but between hope and despair, between healing and running away.
Silence hung over everyone, and Lorian's eyes shimmered with deep sorrow, the pain and deep contemplation etched into her face.
Lorian: "They deserve a chance at rest and peace after all they've endured. They bore unbearable torment and lived under the weight of an injustice that cannot easily be undone.
Despite everything, they were loyal followers of the organization and sacrificed their lives for blind loyalty. Seeing this pain devour them is more heartbreaking than anything else."
Lorian spoke in a voice full of reflection.
Lorian: "In our world, truth is often a burden no one can bear, and justice manifests as bitter suffering.
But what does it mean to face this reality?
Healing their wounds through Irvin's ability is the last thing I can offer them, even though healing will take a long time and may never be complete."
Then she added, her voice filled with regret and deep reflection.
Lorian: "What I am doing is not merely an attempt to ease their suffering. It is an expression of our desire to give them a chance to heal, even if the price is a part of my own humanity.
We choose to see something beyond mere victims in them... to offer them hope for a better life, even if it costs us greatly."
A trace of confusion slipped into Nott's eyes as he stood there, struggling to grasp the depth of Lorian's reflections. His anger was gradually fading, but the internal conflict still clearly marked his face. It seemed he was beginning to comprehend the magnitude of suffering endured by people in this cruel world, and Lorian's desperate attempt to find hope even in the darkest circumstances.
Liam, who stood beside Nott, bore an expression of deep sadness and sorrow. His eyes reflected profound sympathy for the pain Lorian had conveyed. He felt a great respect for Lorian's devotion to trying to save those who had served the organization with loyalty.
Natalie, who had been silently observing the scene, appeared pale, as though the weight of the realization had overwhelmed her. Her expression was filled with deep regret and guilt, as if she bore the burden of a past that could no longer be changed. Her eyes mirrored a great inner turmoil, contemplating what could have been different if other decisions had been made.
Ultimately, a heavy silence enveloped the place, with everyone lost in their own thoughts.
Lorian's words forced them to reflect on the nature of truth, justice, and hope... making them reconsider their values and principles in a world saturated with suffering.
After a few moments of stillness, Nott lifted his head as if he had made a firm decision.
Without saying a single word, he turned away from the group and disappeared suddenly, as he often did with his ability, leaving behind an atmosphere heavy with conflicting emotions.
Lorian remained standing for a moment, closing her eyes, sinking into deep thought without moving her lips. She wondered if Nott had understood any part of what she was trying to convey. There was no certainty... only endless questions and an internal struggle without end.
Meanwhile, Natalie, who had been staring at the ground in sadness, slowly rose and moved toward the door.
Her steps were heavy, as if each one weighed more heavily on her heart. Liam watched her with concern, his eyes speaking a silent language. He knew she was suffering, but he wasn't sure what he should say or do.
He simply watched her from behind, then started following her when she moved toward the exit.
Suddenly, Lorian called out to her in a quiet yet heavy voice.
Lorian: "Are you leaving? I thought you would be interested in taking this case."
Natalie paused for a moment, an expression of internal conflict appearing on her face. She didn't turn to face Lorian but remained facing the door.
Natalie, in a quiet, broken voice: "...This is none of my concern anymore.
Besides, you'll take better care of it... better than I ever could."
Natalie's words carried a burden heavier than they appeared on the surface.
It was not just an apology or a retreat... it was a sense of helplessness before responsibilities she could no longer bear.
After those words, she continued on her way outside, with Liam silently following, leaving Lorian alone in the room.
Lorian remained standing, staring into the emptiness, lost in her thoughts and reflections on everything that had happened and the fate that awaited them all.
Newmark District – The Sonio Family Apartments. Inside the basement.
Nott suddenly appeared in the basement where Stray was sitting on the couch watching TV. Stray lifted his eyes from the screen as he sensed Nott's presence, offering a faint smile, as if he had already known he would show up.
Stray: "Hmm? Oi, kid, did you enjoy your time?"
But Nott wasn't in the mood for joking. His face was tense, his eyes burning with suppressed anger. He interrupted Stray sharply, his voice filled with challenge.
Nott: "Let's fight."
Nott clenched his fists tightly, his feet planted firmly on the ground, as if he was about to explode at any moment. His emotions were a chaotic mixture... rage, worry, and the helplessness of being unable to change the unchangeable.
Stray, clearly noticing the change in Nott, remained calm. He raised his eyebrows in mild surprise but understood what Nott was going through. His smile was small and composed as he rose from the couch. His eyes watched Nott carefully, as if he were reading his mind. Then he chuckled and spoke in a quiet tone, laden with deeper meaning.
Stray: "Heh... Looks like the world finally managed to piss you off, huh? That's alright... that kind of anger isn't your enemy.
Sometimes, we need that spark to push past our limits."
Stray stood up steadily, tense yet balanced, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He continued in a low but confident voice.
Stray: "Now let's see... will you control that anger... or will it destroy you?"
Nott stood before Stray, his eyes blazing with smoldering fury, the burden of regret weighing on his heart, and the sense of helplessness that had haunted him for so long. But in that moment, there was no room for retreat or hesitation.
He was facing Stray, knowing that this confrontation wasn't just about testing his physical strength... but about proving to himself that he wouldn't allow pain and loss to consume him again.
In a low, sharp voice filled with rage, Nott spoke as he advanced toward Stray.
Nott: "I'm tired of regret. Tired of watching everyone around me fall one after another while I stand powerless.
I won't lose anyone else... I won't let them be taken from me the way everything else was.
If I have to become stronger, I'll tear down everything in my path until I get there.
So get ready... because I won't stop until there's no weakness left in me."
His words spilled out like a drawn sword, expressing the bottled-up anger and unshakable determination within him.
Stray smiled calmly as he listened to Nott's words, a smile that carried a mixture of understanding and amusement. His expression remained steady, seemingly unfazed by the fury radiating from Nott, but his eyes reflected something else... perhaps admiration, or maybe a hidden challenge.
Stray spoke in a calm, confident voice.
Stray: "Finally, it seems you're starting to understand.
Strength doesn't come just from anger... nor from regret. It comes from the ability to control both... and unleash them at the right moment.
But you'll need more than words to prove that."
Stray kept his mysterious smile as he watched Nott, as if eagerly waiting to see how he would channel the storm raging inside him.
The two of them stood facing each other, the tension between them peaking... not just because of the training, but because of all the inner battles and pain packed into the moment.
Both knew this session would be different.
Nott wasn't looking for mere practice... he was seeking to unleash the storms and turmoil bottled up within him.
Nott was ready to blow everything apart, while Stray stood waiting, cautious and prepared to face this internal hurricane.
The scene faded, pulling the world back into the present...
It had been a year and five months since that night... the night when rage, loss, and silent promises had collided beneath the crumbling weight of their world.
A year and five months since Nott had stood before Stray, burning with the fire of a boy who refused to be powerless any longer.
The scars of that confrontation still lingered, invisible yet undeniable, etched into the choices they had made... and the lives they had saved.
A faint glow from the hanging lamps illuminated the quiet office of Lorian.
She sat behind her desk, her fingers gently holding a photograph... one that captured the recovered members they had found in the factory, those once-living corpses who had somehow returned to life.
Now, they smiled brightly, the weariness erased from their faces, basking in the fragile peace they had earned.
A soft, almost imperceptible smile crossed Lorian's lips.
Carefully, she slid the photograph back into the drawer, as if tucking away a precious but fragile memory.
She rose from her chair, her movements deliberate, and walked toward the large window behind her desk... the glass stretching wide, revealing the endless sprawl of the city below.
The night breathed against the glass, the city lights flickering like distant, dying stars.
Lorian stood there silently, the weight of victories and losses alike pressing against her heart.
For a moment, she allowed herself to feel it... the delicate balance between despair and hope, destruction and rebirth.
In this world, survival was not merely about strength or rage. It was about the quiet moments after the storms, when the soul chose to believe again, even with scars too deep to heal.
And as she gazed into the living veins of ;the city, Lorian knew...
The battle was never truly over... but for now, there was life, and there was light.
And yet... why had he not risen yet?
Perhaps because the hour had not yet come... Perhaps because the seed that will one day become a towering tree must first take root deep within the soil of pain before it can embrace the sky.
He still remained fragile, small before the storm... For a true awakening is not born from a fleeting spark, but from a fire that brews in the heart of darkness until it matures.
And until that time comes, the world will remain suspended between the inhale of pain and the exhale of hope, awaiting the moment he rises...
and with him, awakens his destiny... or rather... our destiny.