A Failed Experiment

Gabriel's breath stilled as the words settled in the air between them.

Naturally, he wondered what gave her such confidence, but she spoke before he asked.

"You were made to kill Icarus."

His initial reaction was confusion. Not anger, not disbelief—just pure, unfettered confusion.

He narrowed his eyes at the commander. "What?"

The woman folded her arms over her chest, her expression unreadable. "The professor– Allen Schwartz created you as a contingency. The first attempt."

Gabriel clenched his fists, his restraints digging into his skin. "First attempt?"

The doctor adjusted his glasses, his green eyes flickering with something unreadable. "Yes. You were a prototype."

Gabriel felt something cold crawl up his spine.

"You were built to infiltrate, to gather information, to serve as a stepping stone for something better," the doctor continued matter-of-factly. "But the professor's goal was never just observation—it was execution or at least containment."

"According to his reports, you had succeeded at the first task. You had gathered intel incriminating enough to rally officeholders to search for a contingent."

Gabriel's mind reeled. He had, indeed, spent years shadowing Icarus, keeping track of his movements, slipping into restricted archives under orders. He had never once inspected what he was collecting, not even out of curiosity.

It wasn't like he didn't want to, but a greater part of him believed it had nothing to do with him.

He had been blind. Worse—he had been compliant.

Maybe just maybe if he knew just how terrifying Icarus was and to what degree, then maybe...

His stomach twisted with nausea.

"Your ability made you the perfect observer," the doctor said, pushing up his glasses. "Just as you were made to be."

Gabriel gritted his teeth. His fingers curled into his palms, nails pressing against the steel restraints.

"Well, ultimately you failed."

Gabriel's body stiffened. A dull ringing filled his ears. "Failed?"

The commander nodded. "You lacked the power to eliminate him. From what was left of you I doubt you even put up a fight."

"None of which is your fault. Icarus is... inhumane. As far from human as one could possibly be. You couldn't have stood a chance."

"And now?" Gabriel asked, voice low.

The commander's lavender eyes locked onto his. "Now, you are no longer an observer. This version of you was built for one thing—neutralization."

Gabriel let out a bitter laugh. "So, I'm not even the same person any more?"

The doctor tilted his head slightly. "No. You are still you… but not as you were before."

The words made his skin crawl.

He turned his head slightly, looking at the monitors still beeping beside him, then at the tubes running into his arms. His body still felt heavy, and unfamiliar. What had they done to him?

He swallowed down the bile rising in his throat and forced himself to focus.

His mind drifted—not to Icarus, not to the war, but to his siblings. The ones who had died in the fire.

His expression darkened. "And them?" His voice was hoarse. "My siblings?"

Silence.

The commander didn't answer immediately. The doctor's gaze dropped slightly as if weighing his response.

"We don't know," the commander finally admitted. "And neither do we know what happened to the professor."

Gabriel's breath hitched.

"You're lying," he snapped. "If you had the means to bring me back, you must have some record—some knowledge—"

"We don't," the doctor interrupted, calm as ever. "If we did, we wouldn't be wasting time speculating."

Something inside Gabriel snapped.

He pulled against the restraints, his movements abrupt and sharp. "Then I'll find out for myself."

The commander's gaze sharpened. "That isn't an option."

Gabriel glared at her. "Like hell, it isn't."

"You are not yet stable," the doctor said evenly. "You are not ready."

"I don't care." Gabriel's voice dropped, venom laced in every syllable. "You brought me back. You made me into this. The least you can do is let me grieve however I wish."

The commander exhaled through her nose, unimpressed. "And if I say no?"

Gabriel bared his teeth. "Then I'll force my way out."

The room was silent.

Then, unexpectedly, the doctor adjusted his glasses and stood. "Come with me."

Gabriel blinked. "What?"

"If you want to leave, then follow me," the doctor repeated.

The commander frowned but didn't stop him.

Gabriel eyed them both warily before finally unclenching his fists. He wasn't sure what the doctor was planning, but if it meant getting answers, he had no choice but to play along.

The doctor pressed a button on the wall, and Gabriel's restraints hissed open.

For a moment, Gabriel simply sat there, staring at his freed hands.

Then, with a slow, measured movement, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood.

His body felt… strange. Lighter, yet heavier at the same time. His muscles pulsed with something foreign, like an unfamiliar strength sleeping beneath his skin.

The doctor didn't wait for him to adjust. He simply turned and walked toward the door. "Follow me."

Gabriel exhaled sharply before following.

They walked through a series of sterile white corridors, the air thick with the scent of disinfectant. Gabriel's ears twitched, catching the faint hum of electricity through the walls. The facility was deep underground—that much was clear.

The doctor led him to a lift at the end of the hall. As the doors slid open, Gabriel hesitated before stepping inside.

The ride up was silent. Before he knew it, there was a sharp chime.

Then the doors opened.

Gabriel stepped forward—

And his breath caught in his throat.

The facility stretched out before him, massive and industrial, built into the side of a jagged cliff. The world outside was barely recognizable. The sky was a muted shade of grey, choked by smoke and ash.

And below—

His stomach lurched.

Ruins.

Miles upon miles of wreckage. An entire city was reduced to skeletal remains.

Everything was dead.

Gabriel took a shaky step forward, his heart hammering in his chest.

This wasn't the world he remembered, yet it looked eerily familiar.

It certainly wasn't the world he had died in, but he couldn't help but feel he had been here before.

His fingers curled at his sides, his breath shallow. "What… what is this?"

The doctor adjusted his glasses. "Kratosia."

Gabriel swallowed hard. Now he knew why it seemed so familiar. He had spent a couple of years here infiltrating their government under orders of the Exeges war council.

When they had won here, Icarus had left them utterly defeated. But it was nothing near this.

This-This was hell.

Gabriel's eyes stayed locked on the horizon and the shattered dome that bordered the city.

A bitter, hollow feeling settled in Gabriel's chest.