Darkness. That's all Kaito Reikan could see.
His body felt heavy, his breath shallow. Yet, somewhere in the distance, he could hear screams—familiar voices calling his name. Then the shadows around him began to twist, forming a world that wasn't real but felt too vivid to be a dream.
He stood in the middle of a ruined city. Buildings burned. The sky was black and red. And in the center of the destruction… stood his father.
Dr.Velar.
The man who once smiled kindly, who once promised safety and warmth—now stood among flames like a god of death.
All around him, strange humanoid figures—half flesh, half metal—marched across the ruined earth, tearing humans apart with mechanical precision. Kaito could barely move, his feet glued to the blood-soaked ground.
"Father…?" he whispered.
But the man didn't answer. His father raised his hand, and the creatures obeyed—raining destruction upon what was left of the world.
"No!" Kaito shouted, running toward him, but the world began to shatter like glass. The vision flickered, twisting into something else.
Now, he stood on a mountain of bodies.
At the top was his brother, Ren—silent, unmoving, his eyes blank.
"Ren!" Kaito screamed, running up the hill, his boots sinking into the lifeless flesh beneath him. "Ren! Answer me!"
But the more he ran, the farther Ren seemed to drift away, his body fading into a dark mist.
Then—something cold touched Kaito's ankle.
He looked down. A dark, thick liquid was spreading under his feet—like living tar. It began to climb his legs, swallowing him inch by inch. He tried to move, to shout, but his voice wouldn't come out. Panic filled his lungs.
"Help! Ren! Lira! Father—!"
He looked down into the black water, and there it was—his reflection. But it wasn't him.
It was another version of himself, eyes glowing red, smiling with a look of pure madness.
That reflection reached up, placing a hand on the edge of the surface, then slowly began pushing him down.
"You'll wake up soon," the voice said. "You'll become something great. Don't reject this… don't reject the power, Kaito Reikan!"
The last thing Kaito heard was his own scream before everything turned white—
—and a sharp slap.
"Hey! Wake up already!"
Kaito's eyes shot open. His heart was pounding, sweat dripping down his face. For a moment, he didn't know where he was. Then he saw them—Ren, his brother, and Lira, his sister.
Ren crossed his arms, sighing. "Even in your sleep, you're annoying."
Kaito groaned, rubbing his cheek. "Guess I was… dreaming."
"More like screaming," Ren muttered.
Kaito sat up and finally noticed their surroundings. A white room. No windows. Just bright lights, cold metal floors, and a huge steel door sealed shut. In the corner, a small black camera blinked silently.
"What is this place…?" Kaito whispered.
Ren's face darkened. "It's Father. He… kidnapped us."
Kaito froze. "...but why,that smoke,and he didn't do anything to help us?"
"He's not who we thought he was," Ren said, his tone heavy. "He's planning something… something that involves us. And it's not good."
Kaito stared at him in disbelief. His mind raced back to the man who once rescued him, who promised them a better life. To think that man was capable of this—no, it couldn't be real.
Then he felt something cold against his neck. He reached up and touched it—a small, triangular device embedded just beneath his skin, glowing faintly blue.
"What the hell is this?" he asked.
Lira checked hers too, her voice trembling. "It's on all of us."
Kaito's breathing quickened. "Did he… put something inside us?"
Ren nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "I don't know what it is, but it's connected to whatever he's planning. We need to get out before it's too late."
"But how?" Lira asked. "There's no window, no tools… just that door—and we're being watched."
Kaito clenched his fists. "Then we wait. When someone comes in, we jump them. It's stupid, but it's all we've got."
Ren sighed. "Yeah. A dumb plan… but better than sitting here."
They prepared themselves, waiting for the door to open. Time felt endless in that empty room. No clocks. No sound. Only their breaths and the faint hum of the lights above.
Then—it happened.
The metallic hiss of the door echoed through the room. A figure stepped in—tall, dressed in a black coat and a mask shaped like a skull.
"Now!" Ren shouted.
They charged. Kaito ran low, Ren leapt high, and Lira followed right behind them. Ren slammed into the figure's chest, pushing him back. Kaito sprinted past to reach the door—
—but the man caught Ren by the neck with inhuman speed, tossing him across the room like a ragdoll. Kaito froze.
"What the—?!how could he!"
Before he could react, the masked man swung his arm and grabbed Kaito by the leg, throwing him into Lira. The two crashed hard onto the floor.
Then came the sting—three sharp pops.
Darts.
Each one hit its mark. One in Ren's shoulder, another in Kaito's thigh, and the last in Lira's neck.
Kaito's vision blurred. His body went limp.
"We… failed…" he muttered, as the world faded into blackness again.
When Kaito woke up, everything was moving. His vision was hazy, his head pounding. He realized he was strapped to a metal bed—being wheeled down a hallway lined with machines and surgical lights.
He tried to speak, but no sound came out. He couldn't see his siblings anywhere.
The bed stopped. Metal arms—cold and spider-like—descended from above, grabbing his wrists and ankles, pinning him down.
"Wh-what is this…" he gasped weakly.
Then, a familiar voice echoed through the room.
"Don't struggle, Kaito. It'll only hurt more."
His father stepped into view, wearing a white lab coat, his eyes void of emotion.
"Father…" Kaito whispered. "Why are you doing this?"
But the man didn't answer. Instead, he turned to one of the machines and picked up a syringe filled with a glowing blue liquid.
"No—wait!"
The needle plunged into Kaito's arm.
Instantly, pain exploded through his body. His veins burned as the liquid spread, twisting through every nerve. His back arched, muscles spasming violently. He screamed, the sound raw and animalistic.
It felt like his bones were breaking and reshaping from the inside. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, too fast, too wild.
He could barely see through the tears and blood.
Through the haze, he saw his father staring down at him—expressionless.
When the machine released him, Kaito reached out a trembling hand. "Father… please…"
But the man turned away.
"Take him to where he belongs," Dr. Velar said coldly.
Two masked workers dragged Kaito's limp body down another corridor and tossed him into a dark cell.
The smell hit him first—rotting flesh and metal. The floor was sticky. He couldn't tell if it was blood or oil.
His body was still shaking, veins glowing faintly purple under his skin.
He coughed, blood dripping from his lips. "Is… this what you'll do to Ren and Lira too?"
No one answered.
Kaito's voice cracked. "Why, Father… why us…"
Then his head slumped forward, and the world went silent again.
Far away, in another sealed room, faint screams echoed—one of them belonging to a young girl.
And with that, darkness swallowed everything once more.
End of chapter 2:The Experiment.