Good and Evil are different sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other.
_______
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the lady of the castle still hadn't revealed the information needed to access the vault.
During that time, the castle echoed with her pained cries, mixed with the sound of explosions.
Apparently, the vault was protected by a powerful formation. Even if the entire castle collapsed, the vault would remain standing.
The military had tried everything—explosive charges of all kinds. They even blew up part of the eastern wing in a relentless attempt to break through.
That was why Viktor had been torturing her so often.
At this point, the mission didn't feel like a fight to save humanity.
It felt like I was just another government thug—paid to torture and extract resources from other worlds.
---
Day 3
Natasha and I leaned on the window frame, staring into the foggy landscape. This world was strange—always a full moon at night, and always foggy during the day. We hadn't seen the sun once.
Behind us, the woman screamed again. This time, the sound was followed by a sharp crack of the whip.
She had been crying for so long that her voice no longer sounded human. It was raw, twisted—like a wounded beast.
And what made it worse?
She couldn't die.
At least humans had limits. Eventually, we gave out. But a vampire subdued by human hands could live forever… in suffering.
Even the soldiers walking past us in the corridor wore disturbed expressions.
"This isn't what I thought an expedition would be like," Natasha said with a heavy sigh.
"I was expecting…" Her voice trailed off.
I glanced at her. She was struggling to find the right words.
"You expected we'd be fighting an honorable war to save humanity?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
She nodded and sighed again.
A low, mocking chuckle slipped from my lips, drawing a sharp glare from her.
"Let me ask you a question, then…" I turned to face her.
Natasha blinked, surprised, and straightened up.
"What makes this wrong?" I asked.
"We're torturing a woman in her own home just to steal from her," she answered quickly, her voice firm and edged with something close to anger.
But I only chuckled again.
"To retrieve information that could help us win the war," I said calmly. "We're forced to torture a monster—who, by the way, killed over thirty humans two days ago."
Her eyes widened with each word.
I stepped forward, locking eyes with her. She instinctively stepped back.
"Let me ask you another question," I said. "If the Lord of this castle and his army were still here when the rift opened—and no one responded—how many civilians in Texas would be dead by now?"
She looked away, lips tightening into a frown.
She knew I was right.
And it pissed her off.
"Good and evil don't exist," I said, turning back to the window and leaning on the frame. "Only perspective. If we want to survive, we have to do what's best for humanity. No questions asked."
Silence.
Natasha stood there, staring at me. Her expression was a storm—morality and logic locked in battle.
But this was the choice all warriors eventually faced.
The moment you throw away emotion, you stop hesitating.
You become the perfect version of yourself.
You become the predator.
I learned that in my years inside an American prison.
Huh?
My eyes narrowed. I leaned in, gazing into the distance.
A crimson shade had appeared on the horizon and was approaching fast, dyeing everything in its path blood red.
It was headed straight for the walls.
BWOOOOOOOOOOOO!
"It's an enemy!" Natasha shouted, alarmed by the horn from the soldiers mounted on the castle gates.
I frowned. Only one person would attack us here.
"The Lord of the castle has returned." My frown deepened.
HAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA!
HAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA!
The lady's cries of pain had turned into laughter. Eerie, broken laughter—filled with malice and resentment.
Natasha shivered at the sound and inched closer to me in fright.
Beyond the window, the world was turning red.
And with the blood... came the night.
And the wind.
Day was becoming night in an instant.
"Just who the hell is this Lord... and how am I supposed to kill that thing?" I muttered, genuinely shaken.
All my life, I'd been human. No powers. Just guns, grit, and experience. For someone with a modest background, it was natural for these displays of supernatural power to leave me rattled.
BANG!
Natasha and I whipped our heads toward the source.
The door to the lady's room had been kicked open. Viktor and Pamela stepped out, striding toward the open window across the hall.
They glanced at us once before turning to the soldiers posted outside the door.
"Keep those doors locked until I return. Do you hear me?" Viktor barked.
The two soldiers saluted quickly.
"Sir, yes Sir!"
BOOOOM!
The crimson light swallowed everything—except the castle.
A resounding explosion rocked the land. A section of the castle walls crumbled, shaking the entire structure.
Within the chaos, I saw him.
A lone figure, draped in a red cape and black armor.
His fiery hair whipped wildly in the wind, like his tattered cape. His eyes were locked on the floor we stood on.
His presence was overwhelming.
But there were two problems.
He was alone—without his army. And while his body looked untouched thanks to his healing factor, his armor was torn and damaged in multiple spots.
Ding!
> [The Lord of the territory has arrived. Be ready...]
I stared at the message and frowned.
"He's alone?" Natasha asked, stunned.
"He's hurt too..." I added.
CRACK!
The sound of shattering glass snapped our heads left—
—but Pamela and Viktor were already gone.
We rushed to the window.
Two figures were free-falling toward the ground.
They landed with a heavy thud. The earth cracked beneath Viktor's feet from the force.
Without hesitation, the duo advanced on the Lord.
Fearlessly.
BWOOOOOOOOOO!
"ALL LIMITLESS—GATHER AT THE GROUND FLOOR!"
Another horn blasted. This time, it came with instructions.
Natasha and I exchanged tense glances.
"We have to go!" she said firmly.
I nodded—but my eyes stayed on the three below, slowly walking toward one another.
Something told me I didn't belong with the others right now.
This was my opportunity.
To get answers.
"Go ahead. I'll join you soon." I gripped Natasha's shoulder gently, then walked past her without another word.