Unanswered Questions

(Samuel's POV – The Weight of the Past)

The battlefield behind us was a graveyard of monsters.

The twisted humanoids lay in ruins, their broken bodies scattered, reduced to nothing but ashes and remnants of failed experiments.

But ahead of us?

The real nightmare was waiting.

The factory.

A fortress of metal and darkness, its towering walls covered in grotesque veins of living flesh, pulsing as if the entire building itself was… alive.

The air around it was heavy, filled with the scent of blood, metal, and something far worse.

As we walked forward, I glanced at Henry.

His expression was different.

Tense. Troubled.

Something was bothering him.

I clicked my tongue, smirking. "Something on your mind?"

Henry kept walking, his golden eyes locked onto the facility ahead.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"That monster… it called my name."** His voice was quieter than usual. "How the hell is that possible? And… what was it?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You're actually thinking about it?"

Henry let out a short, dry chuckle. "I usually don't give a damn about enemies. But this… felt different."

I exhaled, rubbing my chin. "Tch. Guessing won't get us anywhere. But if you really want an answer… there's only one way to find out."

Henry smirked. "Yeah. By killing every last bastard in that factory and getting to the source of this nightmare."

I cracked my knuckles, feeling the fire burning inside me.

"Exactly."

With that, we stepped forward.

Toward the heart of Project Hades.

The factory loomed before us, a grotesque monument of horror.

Steel and flesh intertwined, its walls pulsing like a living beast, veins of black energy spreading through the metal.

A low hum vibrated through the air, an eerie sound that made the ground tremble beneath our feet.

As we approached, I could feel the weight of something sinister.

Something waiting inside.

Henry exhaled, gripping his Divine Executioner Sword tightly. "Alright, let's think for a second before we go in."

I raised an eyebrow. "You? Thinking before fighting? That's new."

He smirked. "Shut up. We need to figure out what we're dealing with."

I crossed my arms. "Fine. Let's hear it."

---

What Lies Inside?

Henry gestured toward the factory.

"We already know they were turning humans into Nightcreatures. But those things we just fought? The Monstrous Humanoids? That's something else."

I nodded. "Yeah. They weren't just experiments. They were… something more. And the fact that one of them called your name?" I narrowed my eyes. "That means someone inside knows who we are."

Henry's jaw clenched. "Exactly. And that's what's bothering me."

I looked at the factory again. "Best case scenario? It's just another lab. More creatures, more abominations, maybe some high-ranking assholes running the place."

Henry smirked. "And worst case scenario?"

I exhaled. "Something far worse than we're expecting."

He chuckled. "Great. So basically, we go in blind."

I grinned. "Wouldn't be fun otherwise, right?"

Henry shook his head. "You're insane."

---

Possible Enemies

Henry glanced at the pulsating walls. "Let's break it down. If they're making stronger creatures, we might face another set of Supreme Executioners."

I cracked my knuckles. "Tch. More of those overgrown freaks? Let them come."

Henry nodded. "Then there's the real mastermind behind this project. Lord Arkanis."

I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah. We don't know what he is, but if he's running this nightmare, he's not just some weak scientist. He's either a powerful warrior or something worse."

Henry leaned against a nearby metal post, thinking. "He might not even be human. Think about it. This whole place? It feels… unnatural. What if Arkanis is something beyond that?"

I frowned. "A demon?"

Henry shrugged. "Could be. Or something worse."

I let out a low chuckle. "Tch. If he's a demon, I'll rip him apart just like the rest."

Henry smirked. "You always this confident?"

I grinned. "I'm Samuel Gebb. Confidence is part of the job."

---

The Purpose of Project Hades

Henry crossed his arms. "And then there's the big question."

I raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

He gestured at the factory. "What's the endgame of this place?"

I frowned. "You mean why they're creating Nightcreatures?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah. Think about it. What's the point of turning humans into these monsters? Who benefits from this?"

I exhaled. "Only two possibilities. Either they're creating an army, or they're preparing for something worse."

Henry's expression darkened. "Like a war."

I clenched my fists. "Yeah. A war that we don't know about yet."

Henry sighed. "And here I thought we were just here to wipe out some freaks. Looks like this is bigger than we thought."

I smirked. "That's usually how it goes with us, isn't it?"

Henry chuckled. "Yeah, but I was hoping for once we'd just have a simple mission."

I patted his shoulder. "Come on, Henry. Where's the fun in that?"

---

The Plan

Henry straightened up, his golden eyes glowing slightly. "Alright, we don't have all the answers, but we know this much—"

1. We're walking into a high-level facility filled with more monsters and abominations.

2. The people running this place know who we are.

3. Lord Arkanis is waiting for us.

4. This isn't just about creating Nightcreatures. Something bigger is at play.

I grinned. "So what you're saying is, we break everything inside and get our answers later?"

Henry smirked. "Damn right."

I cracked my neck, feeling the adrenaline build. "Then let's stop wasting time."

Henry spun his sword. "Time to burn this place to the ground."

I took one last look at the twisted fortress before us.

Whatever was inside…

Whoever was waiting for us…

They had no idea who they were dealing with.

With that, we stepped forward.

Straight into the belly of the beast.