chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Man in the Darkness

In the dark of the night, a lone figure could be seen walking through the thick forest, his heavy footsteps muffled by the damp earth beneath him. The man carried two small children in his arms, holding them tightly as though they were the last precious things in the world.

The moonlight barely reached them through the dense canopy of trees, but in the dim glow, their unusual features could still be seen. Their eyes were pitch black, void of any whites, making them look almost unnatural. Their skin was far too pale, as if they had never seen sunlight in their lives.

The man looked down at them and let out a bitter chuckle. What a cruel fate.

His name was Xiang Wei, once a soldier, a leader—a man who had once believed in duty, honor, and country. But now, all of that was nothing but a lie.

His body was covered in wounds, his uniform tattered, and exhaustion was clear in the way he staggered forward. But still, he walked, never once stopping, as if trying to outrun something lurking in the darkness behind him.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally arrived at the edge of a towering cliff. Below him was an abyss, a drop so deep that even the moonlight failed to reveal its end. The wind howled around him, tugging at his clothes, urging him to take the final step.

He let out a breath and smiled bitterly.

"So, this is where it all ends…" he murmured.

He looked down at the twins in his arms—his children, the only innocent ones in this nightmare. His heart ached at the thought of what they would have to endure if he didn't do this.

"I'm so sorry, little ones," he whispered, his voice hoarse with grief. "It seems you will not have the chance to grow up. But it's better than becoming those mindless monsters."

A single tear slipped down his cheek, glistening in the moonlight before it disappeared into the shadows.

Then, without hesitation, he stepped forward.

And he fell.

---

Before It All Began…

Xiang Wei had once been a soldier. Not just any soldier—he had been a Commander in the Special Forces, an elite unit trained for the most dangerous missions. His skill was unmatched, and his loyalty to his country was unwavering.

But even the strongest warriors could fall.

During a high-risk mission, an explosion had damaged his right arm, leaving it partially useless. He could still fight, but not at the level he once had. Knowing he was no longer at his peak, he had requested to retire from the military.

However, his Commander, General Huang, had personally called him into his office before his resignation could be approved.

Xiang Wei stood in front of the old man, his posture stiff and respectful. This man had taken him from an orphanage, trained him, and given him a life of purpose. He owed him everything.

"You called for me, sir?" Xiang Wei asked.

General Huang nodded, his expression unreadable. "To the general public, it will appear that you have resigned."

Xiang Wei frowned slightly. "Sir?"

The General folded his hands together. "In truth, I have one last mission for you."

A mission.

Xiang Wei straightened, instinctively pushing away his hesitation. "What is the assignment?"

"There is a group of scientists working on an important experiment. Your job is to protect them."

It sounded simple. Too simple.

Still, he trusted General Huang. If this mission was important enough for him to personally request it, then Xiang Wei wouldn't question it.

Without hesitation, he accepted.

---

The Horrors He Uncovered

At first, everything seemed normal. The research base was heavily guarded, the scientists were professional, and nothing seemed suspicious.

But then, he began to notice strange things.

Guards disappearing.

Patients screaming in the night.

Locked doors with no explanation.

Curiosity turned into suspicion, and suspicion turned into action. He broke into the restricted areas and discovered the horrifying truth—

The scientists weren't working on something to "better humanity."

They were conducting inhumane experiments on people, turning them into something no longer human.

And he was supposed to protect these monsters?

He couldn't allow it.

Determined to expose the truth, he secretly gathered evidence, planning to leak everything to the outside world. But before he could escape—

He was betrayed.

Someone he had trusted had sold him out.

They captured him.

They experimented on him.

They called him Subject 56.

For days, weeks—months—he endured inhuman torture. They injected him with chemicals, shattered his bones, rewired his nerves.

They wanted to make him into a monster.

At some point, he lost track of time.

His memories faded.

His emotions dulled.

He barely remembered who he was.

Only one thought remained—

I am human. I was once human.

But to them, he was just a successful experiment. A monster that could shatter walls with his bare hands.

One day, they threw a woman into his cell.

She was drugged, weak, and trembling. And Xiang Wei—he was no longer fully in control of himself.

They had given him something—something that made him lose himself.

When he woke up, the woman was gone.

And months later, he learned the terrible truth—

She had become pregnant.

She had given birth to twins.

His children.

The guilt was unbearable.

Even though he had no control over his actions, he could not forgive himself.

He withdrew into himself, becoming nothing more than a hollow shell—until, one day, chaos erupted.

One of the experimental subjects had escaped.

It had slaughtered every scientist in the facility.

Using the opportunity, Xiang Wei broke free.

He found his children.

And then he ran.

Ran as far as he could, never stopping, never looking back—until he reached the edge of the cliff.

And now, as he fell, memories began to fade away.

He tried to hold on, but they slipped through his grasp like sand.

His name.

His past.

His pain.

All of it disappeared.

And then—darkness.

His body hit something—not as hard as he expected.

It almost felt… soft.

And that was his last thought before everything went black.