Kaito woke up to the stench of something rotten.
The air in the room was heavy, damp, and cold. He tried to move but his arms wouldn't obey. Even breathing felt like a punishment. The dim light flickered above him, casting sickly shadows across cracked walls and rusted chains.
"ren and lira." he whispered weakly, but his voice barely carried past his lips.
His body trembled. Every muscle felt like it was being pulled apart from the inside. The pain came in waves, sharp and hot, as if his own blood had turned to fire.
Maybe… other people were brought here too, he thought, staring blankly into the dark corners of the room. Maybe I'm not alone.
But the silence told him otherwise.
His mind spun back to that moment—his father, Velar, standing over him with that calm, empty stare. The injection. The burn of the needle. And the look in Velar's eyes—cold, distant, almost… not normal.
Kaito's fingers brushed the metal around his neck. A triangular piece of steel, cold against his skin, pulsed faintly. He didn't know what it was doing to him, but he could feel it moving, syncing with his heartbeat.
He didn't know how much time passed before the sound of footsteps echoed outside his cell. Metal boots against concrete.
The door opened, and three men stepped in. They wore black coats and skull masks, the same men who had dragged him into this nightmare.
"Well, well," one of them muttered. "Still breathing, huh?"
Before Kaito could answer, rough hands grabbed him, dragging him across the floor. His body felt like a ragdoll, powerless and limp.
They hauled him into a large, freezing room. The walls were covered in frost, and the air bit at his skin like knives. He saw metal boxes lined up along the wall—each big enough to fit a person.
Those can't be what I think they are…
The thought made his stomach twist. His body screamed at him to move, but he couldn't even lift a finger.
One of the men pushed him down to the floor and sprayed him with a hose. Ice-cold water hit him like a thousand needles. He gasped, choking, shivering uncontrollably.
"Clean him up," one said. "If he survives this round, maybe he's worth something."
Kaito coughed violently, unable to speak. His lips turned blue as they lifted him again and threw him into one of those metal boxes.
"If you survive this," a masked man said mockingly, "you might just be one of the lucky ones. But I wouldn't bet on it."
The lid slammed shut.
Kaito pounded weakly on the walls, but his hands barely made a sound. The air inside the box was thin, and soon every breath hurt. Heat and cold fought inside him until he could no longer tell which one was worse. His veins felt like they were boiling, his bones cracking from within.
His throat tightened as the pain reached its peak.
"Someone…" he gasped in his mind. "Please… help me…"
But there was no one.
Time blurred. Minutes, maybe hours passed before the lid opened again. Kaito's eyes fluttered open, his vision hazy.
"He's still alive?" one of them said, surprised. "Impossible. No one's survived stage two in months except the other guy."
"Guess we got a tough one," another said, almost impressed.they took him away from there taking him to a different room the first room he got the wired injection.
They lifted his limp body and placed him on a cold metal table. Mechanical arms descended from above, holding him still. Another needle pierced his right arm, injecting the same burning liquid as before.
Kaito screamed, his body convulsing violently before going still again.
They dropped him back into the dark cell, leaving him there like garbage. Hours passed before he managed to move again. His body was trembling, eyes bloodshot.
"Someone… just kill me," he whispered, tears mixing with blood on his face. "Please…"
He tried to stand, but his heart suddenly clenched. Pain exploded in his chest. He fell, coughing blood, his entire body shaking uncontrollably.
The door opened again. The masked men stepped inside, watching him struggle on the floor.
"What a waste of time," one said coldly, kicking him in the stomach.
The other looked down at the glowing triangle on his neck. "Still no color change. We should report this to Velar."
They turned and left.
Kaito reached out weakly toward the closing door. His hand fell to the ground before it shut.
He lost track of time again. When he next opened his eyes, he was being dragged somewhere else,then for some time, the air changed — cleaner, colder.
He blinked, eyes struggling to adjust to the light. He was outside. He could hear rushing water.
He was at the edge of a massive waterfall.
"Don't move, Kaito," a voice said behind him.
Kaito froze. He knew that voice.
He turned his head slowly.
"Father…"
Velar stood there, calm as ever, his white coat fluttering in the breeze. Two masked guards flanked him, holding rifles.
"Why…" Kaito coughed, forcing the words out. "Why are you doing this?"
Velar looked down at him, eyes emotionless. "You were supposed to be the future, Kaito. My greatest creation. But it seems you weren't strong enough."
"What are you talking about?"
"Ren is progressing well," Velar continued. "He might become what I've always envisioned. But Lira… she didn't make it. She died during the first day of testing."
Kaito's mind went blank. "What…?"
"She's gone," Velar said coldly. "And now, so are you."
Something in Kaito snapped. His hands shook. "You… killed her?"
Velar turned his back. "Take him out."
One of the men grabbed Kaito by the arm. "No!" Kaito screamed, voice cracking. He fought, but he had no strength left.
The man dragged him to the edge of the waterfall.
"Father!" Kaito shouted one last time. "You'll regret this! I'll—"
The man shoved him.
The world flipped. Cold air hit his face, then the roaring sound of water filled his ears. His body crashed into the river below, the current swallowing him whole.
Above the sound of rushing water, Velar's calm voice lingered.
"Project Zero. That's what we'll call him. The failed experiment."
The car engine started, and they were gone.
Kaito drifted in the current, his body broken, bleeding, but his mind alive.
He thought of Lira's smile. Ren's laughter when they were together His father's betrayal.
He gritted his teeth. "You killed her…"
The triangle at his neck began to glow — blue at first, then deep crimson. His veins pulsed, his heartbeat quickened, and the water around him shimmered with red light.
"I'll kill you all…" he whispered, eyes glowing faintly red. "I'll make you pay… Velar…"
The current pulled him under, but the light beneath the water only grew brighter.
The failed experiment had survived.
And he would never forgive them.for what they had done.
End of chapter 3:project zero.