Chapter 24
The hideout burns behind me, smoke curling into the night sky as I step over the bodies of fallen hybrids and evolved creatures. The Overseer's creations—twisted, unnatural, and now lifeless.
My blade drips with their blood, but my eyes remain sharp, scanning the wreckage for any trace of Tang Su Ah.
Nothing.
My jaw tightens. Damn it.I have torn through every last one of them, yet there is no sign of where the Overseer is keeping her.
I exhale, shoving my blade back into its sheath. This isn't just about taking down the Overseer anymore.**
Tang Su Ah isn't just a hostage—she is the key to breaking Tang Su Yan.I know it. The Overseer is using her to force Su Yan's surrender.**
And that is something I can't allow.
My grip tightens. Su Yan is too important—to this war, to the future… and to me. If Su Ah remains in the Overseer's hands, Su Yan will walk straight into a trap, and I refuse to let that happen.
The thought of Su Yan falling into the Overseer's grasp sends a flicker of something dangerous through me. No. Not on my watch.
Turning away from the carnage, I pull out my comm device. "This is Dylan. The hideout's wiped. No sign of Su Ah."
A crackle of static. Then a voice responds. "Understood. What's the next move?"
My eyes darken.
"We find another lead. And we move fast."
----
The dimly lit chamber trembles with the force of the Overseer's rage. His fingers grip the armrest of his throne-like chair, nails digging into the polished metal as he glares at the reports scattered before him.
Another hideout lost. Another batch of hybrids and evolved wiped out.
His breath comes slow and controlled, but the air around him crackles with suppressed fury. Who dares to defy him like this?
Then, a new report comes in—one that makes his blood boil.
Electra and Viper… failed.
Not only had they failed to eliminate Brick, but Tang Su Yan had interfered.
His fingers twitch before he clenches his fist, veins bulging under pale skin.
"Tang Su Yan… my love." His voice drips with something twisted, something dark. "Why must you continue to be a thorn in my side?"
A slow, sinister chuckle escapes his lips as he leans back, eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.
"You fight against me now, but when I capture you…"His smirk widens, his voice dropping to a sickening whisper. **"I will ravage your body to my heart's content."
His laughter fills the room—a sound so vile, so inhuman, that even the guards outside shift uneasily.
"You are mine, Su Yan. Whether you accept it or not."
---
I sit at the edge of a rooftop, scanning through reports and stolen files, but nothing points to where my sister, Tang Su Ah, is being held.
Frustration gnaws at me. Every lead I chase turns up empty, and every second wasted is another second Su Ah spends in the Overseer's hands.
Brick approaches, her expression grim. "Any luck?"
I shake my head. "Nothing. I was hoping you might know of any Overseer warehouses or hidden facilities."
She exhales, arms crossed. "I don't have any direct leads, but…"She pauses for a moment, thinking. "There's been suspicious activity at some old hospital labs."
I narrow my eyes. "Hospitals?"
Brick nods. "Abandoned ones. Places that used to conduct experimental research. Some of my contacts mentioned unusual shipments and strange power surges there."
A flicker of hope sparks inside me. If the Overseer is using old labs, then there's a chance Su Ah is being held in one of them.
I stand up, tightening my gloves. "Then that's where we start."
----
Darkness. Cold, suffocating darkness.
Tang Su Ah's eyes flutter open, and terror floods through her as she takes in her surroundings. The capsule.
Again.
She's trapped inside the glass prison, wires and restraints digging into her skin. A dim, eerie glow pulses from the machines surrounding her, casting sickly reflections against the glass.
The steady hum of equipment fills the silence, a sound she has come to fear more than anything.
Memories slam into her like a tidal wave.The pain. The experiments. The torture.
Her body trembles uncontrollably, her breathing ragged as she fights against the panic rising in her chest.
Not again. Please, not again.
Tears well in her eyes. She presses her palms against the glass, her fingers weak and trembling.No one ever comes to save her. No one ever hears her screams.
But this time…
" Su Yan… please… save me."
Her whisper is barely audible, but in her heart, it is a desperate prayer. A plea to the only person who has ever truly cared for her.
Her sister.
----
A sharp, unbearable tightness grips my chest, as if something is pulling at my very soul.
Su Ah…
Her name echoes in my mind, and for a moment, I swear I can feel her fear—her pain.
I clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms as a deep sense of urgency washes over me. I need to find her. I need to save her.
I take a shaky breath, but it does nothing to steady the storm raging inside me. My vision blurs, and before I realize it, warm tears slip down my face.
Please, Su Ah… be safe.
Wait for me.
I wipe my tears away with the back of my hand, my sorrow hardening into determination.
No matter what it takes… I will bring you back.
I spread the map out on the table, my eyes scanning over the marked locations.Every abandoned hospital laboratory that Brick mentioned—each one a potential place where Su Ah could be held.
I tap my fingers against the surface, analyzing the patterns. There has to be something that stands out. A common link. A clue.
Brick leans over my shoulder, arms crossed. "Which one do you think is the most likely?"
I exhale sharply, my mind racing. "The Overseer wouldn't just use any random place. He needs a facility with working power, reinforced security, and enough isolation to avoid detection."
I narrow my eyes and circle three locations. "These ones. They fit the criteria."
Brick nods. "Then we check them out—one by one."
I grip the map tighter. No. There's no time to waste.
"No," I say firmly. "We hit all three at once."
Brick raises an eyebrow. "That's risky."
I meet her gaze, determination burning in my eyes. "So is waiting."
Su Ah is running out of time. And I refuse to let her suffer any longer.