A Glimpse Behind the Curtain
"Before you ask another question," Lily began, her voice cutting through the persistent beat of the rotors, "you should know that the only reason I'm answering your questions is because there's no trace of you in that facility. You're a ghost, a whisper in the system—no records, no paperwork, nothing that would suggest you were ever there."
I opened my mouth to speak, but she raised a hand to silence me, her eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.
"Listen carefully, Ryan. My team and I erased any digital evidence of your existence in that place. As for the physical evidence, my men are taking care of it as we speak. They'll ensure that nothing remains to suggest you were ever a part of that... experiment."
Her words hung in the air, a chilling reminder of the ordeal I had endured. The hood—it had been more than a means of disorientation. It had been a shield, concealing my identity not just from the other captives but from her own allies as well. I remained silent, absorbing the implications of her revelation.
"We're heading back to your home," Lily continued, her tone almost casual. "Alstropia, right? That's where we picked you up, after all. We'll drop you off there."
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "And what happens when I tell people what happened?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Lily shrugged, her gaze cool and detached. "Come on, Ryan, think about it. Who's going to take your word? You're a nobody to the public eye, just another face in the crowd. People disappear all the time; it's sad but true. And with everything that's happening because of the rift, the world's got bigger things to worry about than some random guy's story. Your family might listen, sure, but beyond that? You'll just be another voice lost in the noise. And that's exactly how we need it to be."
I felt a cold dread creeping up my spine. She was right, of course. My story would be dismissed as the ravings of a lunatic, just another conspiracy theory born out of fear and uncertainty.
"But there's another reason why you're still breathing," Lily added, her voice softening slightly. "Your abduction—it served a purpose. It allowed me to get closer to the organization that was experimenting on you. To infiltrate it, and eventually, to bring it down."
I stared at her in disbelief. "So, the human experimentation—that was your idea all along?"
Lily's eyes widened slightly, as if she were surprised by my audacity in asking such a question. "In this line of work, sacrifices are inevitable," she replied, her voice steady and unapologetic. "Yes, the idea was mine. It was a necessary evil, a means to an end. And it worked. We've destroyed the facility, achieving one of our organization's goals, and we've gained invaluable insight into the nature of Mana. I kept you alive and even went through the trouble of sending you back as a sort of... gift, for your involuntary assistance to my objectives."
I looked away, my gaze drifting out of the helicopter's window to the world below. The realization that I had been a pawn in a much larger game was a bitter pill to swallow. Yet, despite the anger and betrayal that simmered within me, I couldn't shake the feeling that Lily was right. In a world torn apart by the unknown, sacrifices were inevitable. And in that moment, I understood that Lily could have easily killed me to erase any remaining links to her operation. But she hadn't. She had chosen to let me live, perhaps as an acknowledgment of my unwitting role in her plans—a role that had begun with my own abduction.
The helicopter banked to the left, the landscape below shifting as we changed course. I turned back to Lily, my mind racing with questions and doubts. But for now, I remained silent, lost in the turbulent skies that lay ahead.
I clenched my fists, feeling the anger simmer just beneath the surface. The revelation that I had been deliberately targeted, that my abduction was part of some grand scheme, left a bitter taste in my mouth. But I knew better than to let my emotions get the best of me—not here, not surrounded by armed men in a helicopter that was currently my only means of escape.
"What about my family?" I asked, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. "If you were willing to go to such lengths to get to me, what's stopping your... associates from targeting them?"
Lily regarded me coolly, her gaze never wavering. "Your family is safe," she assured me. "I had my men on standby, watching over them. They were never in danger."
I wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or even more uneasy. "And what about the others?" I pressed on, trying to piece together the puzzle that was Lily's true agenda. "Were there men on standby for every captive, or was that luxury reserved solely for me?"
She shook her head, a hint of a smirk playing on her lips. "No, Ryan. You were the only one I targeted. The others... well, they were the organization's problem. You, on the other hand, were different. Your abduction was part of the plan."
Her words sent a chill down my spine. While I had been one of many, my abduction had been orchestrated with a specific purpose in mind, a piece in a much larger and more sinister game. But there was something else she had mentioned, something about the other captives.
"And the others?" I asked, dreading the answer. "The ones who were in the facility with me—what happens to them?"
Lily's expression softened for a moment, though it was hard to tell if it was genuine concern or merely a mask she wore with ease. "The ones who are still alive when we arrived will be freed," she said. "My team is making sure of that."
The implication was clear. "Still alive," I echoed, my stomach churning at the thought of what those who weren't so lucky might have endured. "So, those who didn't die from the experiments—they're the ones you're referring to?"
She nodded, her gaze shifting away from me for a brief moment before returning to meet my own. "Yes. The ones who survived have been freed and are able to return to their loved ones."
Freed and able to return to their loved ones. It was a relief to know that some, at least, would find their way back to the warmth of familiar arms. As for me, I was heading home, back to Alstropia, where my own family awaited. The realization brought a mix of emotions—relief, apprehension, and a lingering sense of unease. Lily was a double agent, working for another organization with its own mysterious agenda. What that agenda might be, I couldn't say for certain. But one thing was clear: I had been caught in the ripples of a much larger conflict, a player in a game whose rules were only just becoming apparent to me.
I steadied my breath, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and suspicions. Lily had been orchestrating a complex strategy, and I had been an unwitting participant in her grand scheme. But I needed to uncover her true intentions—the objective behind her calculated actions that had drawn me into this dangerous game.
"Alright, Lily," I said, my voice firm despite the knot in my stomach. "What was your organization's goal in all of this? Why target that facility? What were you hoping to achieve with the espionage and the risks you took?"
She looked at me, her expression a mix of surprise and something akin to respect. Perhaps she hadn't expected me to connect the dots and deduce her role as a double agent.
"The world is a stage, Ryan," she began, her tone almost philosophical. "And every player has their role. My goal was to publicly expose Korzuv, to give them a bad reputation on the global stage. The facility you were in was located in Korzuv, where they conducted unspeakable experiments, revealing the depth of their atrocities to the world."
The mention of Korzuv sent a chill down my spine. They were the ones who had fired a missile at their own rift, a move that backfired. Instead of destroying it, they only proved that the rifts were dangerous—potential portals that could bring who-knows-what into our world. Their reckless act spread fear and made it clear that we needed to figure out how to deal with these mysterious tears in the sky.
What surprised me even more was the revelation that the facility I had been held in was located in Korzuv. I knew Korzuv was situated in the continent of Navarya, far away from my home of Alstropia in the Kalesia continent. I had assumed the experiments were being conducted much closer to home, perhaps even within Alstropia or one of the neighboring countries. The fact that I had been taken to a completely different continent, to a nation known for its extremism and disregard for global stability, only added to the unsettling nature of the situation.
"Before I ever suggested focusing on Mana's effects on humans," Lily admitted, her voice carrying a somber weight, "Korzuv was already involved in other forms of human experimentation—horrific acts that made my skin crawl. I just... I gave them a push towards Mana, framing it as a potential weapon. And they took the bait." Her confession filled the space between them with a chilling truth, laying bare the grim reality of the world they were navigating—a world where ethical lines were blurred and compromises were made in the shadows.
Lily's words lingered, each one adding to the puzzle I was trying to piece together. It felt like she was choosing her words carefully, trying to make her actions seem less severe, almost as if she was directing a play and wanted to make sure the audience was on her side. I couldn't shake off the feeling that she was trying to steer my perception, to make me see her and her organization as the good guys in this whole messy situation.
"And what about your country?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even. "Does it border Korzuv? What do you stand to gain from all this?" My question cut through the air, a probe seeking the truth hidden beneath her carefully constructed narrative. I needed to figure out what her real goals were. Was she truly trying to expose Korzuv's wrongdoings, or was she just playing her part in a much larger and more complicated game?
Lily shook her head, a small, almost triumphant smile playing on her lips. "No, my country does not border Korzuv. But Korzuv's refusal to work with us, to engage in diplomacy and cooperation, is a problem—one that we aim to rectify. By exposing their actions and discrediting their leadership, we can replace the Prime Minister and his cabinet with individuals who are more... amenable to working with us. The data from the experiments? That was just an added bonus."
It all clicked into place. Lily's organization was from Valoria—it had to be. Valoria, the global superpower with the highest GDP in the world, a nation that would see Korzuv's defiance as a threat to its influence. I kept my suspicion to myself, but the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place with an ominous certainty.
As I pondered the implications of Lily's revelations, my mind wandered through the shadowed corridors of Aurion's past. The Second Great War, which had ended over eight decades prior, had left deep, lasting marks on our history. Among these were the atrocities committed by Unit-713, whose human experimentation had come to light over time, serving as a stark reminder of humanity's dark potential. Valoria, with its unmatched resources and political sway, had played a key role in securing immunity for those behind the unit's abhorrent practices, all in the name of obtaining valuable research data.
I chose my words carefully, not wanting to give the impression that I was directly comparing the atrocities of Unit-713 with the situation at the facility where I had been held. "So, the researchers responsible for the experiments... what's going to happen to them?" I asked, my tone neutral, betraying none of the anger that simmered beneath the surface at the thought of those who might escape justice.
Lily's gaze was steely, her voice firm. "They won't get off easy, if that's what you're worried about. We've secured all the data—digital and physical. There's no way they can weasel out of this one." Her assurance was a small comfort, a glimmer of hope that this time, those responsible for such heinous acts might actually face the consequences of their actions.
The relief that coursed through me was real, but it was tempered by the knowledge of the countless lives that had been irrevocably altered by the experiments. The promise of justice was a step in the right direction, yet it did little to erase the suffering that had already taken place.
I kept my voice even, a practiced calmness masking the unease that churned within me. "The man who came for me—he was one of my captors, wasn't he?" I asked, my gaze fixed on Lily, searching for any hint of evasion in her eyes. "Did he... were the others targeted as well?"
Lily's tone was matter-of-fact, her expression betraying a hint of determination. "No, Ryan. It was just you. The others were left alone," she confirmed, her gaze steady. "We're sifting through a mountain of data, including the surveillance footage. Your situation has certainly added an unexpected layer to our investigation. The guard's actions don't align with the patterns we've observed in the facility's operations. It's... an anomaly we're keen to understand." She paused, her voice softening just a touch. "Rest assured, unraveling the reasons behind your targeting is on our agenda. It's important—to us and to the integrity of our mission."
A cold realization settled over me. The guard's intent had been clear—to silence me permanently, to erase the evidence of his own twisted amusement. I remembered his face, not full of rage or hate, but with an unsettling enjoyment as he and his accomplices had beaten me, leaving me bloodied and broken on the cold floor of my cell. Now, he had returned to complete his grisly task, to ensure that no living witness could expose the depths of depravity he had reveled in. The certainty of his motive was etched into my memory with painful clarity. The knowledge that I had been marked for death, that my life had hung by such a fragile thread at his hands, sent a shiver down my spine. Yet, I held my tongue, choosing to keep my suspicions private for now. The value of caution was a lesson I had learned well within the confines of that grim facility.
"Enough questions," Lily declared, her tone final. "It's time for you to heal whatever bruises are still visible on your arms and face. We can't have it looking like my organization beat you to a pulp, now can we? We need you to blend in once we arrive."
I complied, channeling the Mana that now seemed to pulse in harmony with my own heartbeat. The energy surged through me, beginning the slow process of mending the cuts and bruises that marred my skin. Recalling the intervals I had used back in the facility, I decided on roughly 33 minutes for absorbing Mana. This duration had previously allowed me to heal at a pace that seemed average, not extraordinary. I wanted to maintain the facade of being a typical Mana user in Lily's eyes, so I paced myself, allowing the healing process to take effect gradually. Each interval left me feeling a little stronger, a little more whole, as I inched toward recovery, careful not to hint at the depth of my connection to Mana.
I could feel the tissue knitting together, the swelling subsiding, and a wave of exhaustion washed over me with each round of healing. It was a slow and painstaking process, but I was determined to avoid drawing unwanted attention to my true capabilities. I lost track of time as I continued the cycle of Mana absorption and healing, unsure of how many hours had passed since I began.
As the helicopter soared onward, I settled into the role I had perfected—the ordinary guy, seemingly just another person affected by Mana. I had carefully measured what I revealed about my abilities, ensuring I appeared just capable enough to avoid arousing suspicion. This tactic had worked; in Valoria's eyes, I was insignificant, a small fish in a vast ocean of emerging Mana users. Throughout my time in the facility, I had not displayed any extraordinary feats that would draw undue attention from my captors. Valoria, who had orchestrated my rescue from the facility, saw me as just another individual caught in the crossfire of a world transformed by Mana, not as someone with hidden depths or untapped potential. They had no idea of the true extent of my connection to Mana, and I intended to keep it that way, maintaining the illusion of mediocrity to stay off their radar.
I knew that my strength lay not in taking bold risks but in my ability to observe, to adapt, and to wait. As the world grappled with the emergence of Mana, I would be one of many, neither the first nor the last to navigate its mysteries. I had no grand plan to topple Valoria or to rise as a beacon of power. My goal was simpler: to protect my family and to reclaim a semblance of the life I once knew. I would bide my time, letting others take the lead, pioneering the frontier of this new reality. And when the dust settled, I would find my place within it—safe, unnoticed, and free.