The Doctor in the Dark

Chapter 13

The road stretched ahead like a scar through the city's outskirts, the glow of neon signs fading into the distance. Kaito gripped the wheel, eyes locked on the broken-down clinic at the end of the street.

Dr. Ayane Kurusu—the last survivor of Project Satori. If she was still alive, she was their only lead.

Reina checked her gun. "You sure she's here?"

Kaito tapped the dashboard, where a grainy surveillance photo showed a woman entering the clinic a week ago. "She doesn't want to be found, but someone saw her. We have to be fast."

Reina glanced out the window. The street was too quiet. No pedestrians. No cars. Just darkness pressing in around them.

A bad feeling crawled up her spine.

Kaito parked a block away. "Let's move."

A Ghost from the Past

The clinic had been abandoned for years—paint peeling, windows boarded up. But the door was unlocked.

Reina exchanged a glance with Kaito before pushing it open.

Inside, the air smelled of dust and chemicals. Rusted medical equipment lay scattered, cabinets broken open. But someone had been here recently.

A dim light flickered in the back room.

Kaito raised a hand, signaling Reina to stay alert. They moved silently down the hall.

Then—a sound.

A shuffle of footsteps.

Kaito kicked the door open. "Dr. Kurusu!"

A figure spun around—a woman, frail but sharp-eyed, holding a gun with trembling hands.

Dr. Ayane Kurusu.

Her face twisted in fear. "Stay back!"

Kaito held up his hands. "We're not here to hurt you. We know about Project Satori. We need to talk."

Dr. Kurusu's breath hitched. "You shouldn't have come."

Reina stepped forward. "We don't have a choice. People are dying."

The doctor hesitated. Then, her hands dropped slightly. "They found me, didn't they?"

Kaito nodded. "And they'll kill you too if we don't move fast."

Dr. Kurusu's face darkened. "Then you need to know the truth."

The Experiment That Never Ended

She led them to a dusty desk, pulling out a battered folder. Inside were documents, old research papers—proof.

She spoke in a hushed voice. "Kyosei Group wanted to create the perfect assassin. Mind control. Memory alteration. A weapon that could be activated with just a command."

Reina clenched her fists. "And the test subjects?"

Dr. Kurusu swallowed. "They weren't volunteers. Journalists, police, innocent civilians—they were taken, reprogrammed, then killed when they outlived their usefulness."

Kaito's jaw tightened. "My father was one of them."

Dr. Kurusu looked away. "I'm sorry."

Reina flipped through the papers. "Is there a way to stop this? A way to expose them?"

Dr. Kurusu hesitated—then slid a small hard drive across the table. "This has everything. The names of the scientists. The trigger words they used to control the subjects. Even the identity of the person in charge."

Kaito grabbed it. "Who?"

Dr. Kurusu's lips parted to speak—

CRASH!

The window shattered as a bullet ripped through the room.

Dr. Kurusu jerked back, blood spraying across the desk.

Kaito and Reina dove for cover.

Outside, the darkness moved—figures in tactical gear, moving in fast.

Reina gritted her teeth. "Damn it! They found us!"

Kaito clenched the hard drive in his hand, eyes burning with rage.

They had their proof. Now, they just had to survive.

To Be Continued...