The Discovery

It was a dark, starless night, the kind where the sky felt endless and empty. Yet, within the depths of the underground lab, a crimson glow pulsed against the sterile white of the doctor's coat, casting jagged shadows across the cold metal walls.

Dr. Stein stood motionless, breath shallow, his face a warzone of emotions—excitement, fear, awe. Despite his good looks, there was an undeniable ruggedness to him, a result of years spent buried in research rather than caring for appearances. His disheveled brown hair fell messily over sharp, intelligent eyes that had seen more than they ever should have. His lab coat, though once pristine, bore the signs of sleepless nights and hurried work—ink stains, a few burn marks, and the faintest scent of chemicals. His fingers trembled as he stared at the swirling mass of energy before him, its form shifting, defying logic, defying everything he thought he knew. Beads of sweat traced slow paths down his temples, but he barely noticed.

"This will change everything. Everything we know… everything we are."

The weight of the discovery pressed down on him, heavier than the silence that filled the room. He had uncovered something beyond science, beyond reason. And for the first time in his life, he wasn't sure if he had just saved the future—or doomed it.

Accompanying him were his two assistants, Alex and Allen, their faces illuminated by the eerie red glow of the lab.

Alex stood with his arms crossed, his expression torn between fear and curiosity. He was an average-looking teenager with an average height and build, but his personality often outshined his appearance. With short, slightly unkempt dark blond hair and sharp brown eyes, he had the air of someone who didn't care much for appearances but carried an undeniable confidence. His usual demeanor was easygoing, but now, his body was tense, his fingers twitching as if itching to pull Stein away from whatever horror they had just uncovered.

"Dr. Stein… this could destroy everything we know," Alex said, his voice unsteady, barely above a whisper. His hands clenched at his sides, fear creeping into his eyes. "If this falls into the wrong hands—"

"But think about what it could do," Allen interrupted, his voice carrying a desperate kind of hope. Unlike Alex, Allen lacked confidence in his stance. He was a timid-looking young man with jet-black hair that always seemed to fall into his face, half-hiding the thick-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. His build was slender, almost frail, his lab coat slightly oversized on his frame. Despite his nervous demeanor, his dark eyes burned with something deeper—a quiet obsession, an unyielding belief in what they had uncovered. "This could change the world for the better. Diseases—gone. Lives—saved. The potential is limitless."

His words hung in the air, heavy with both possibility and danger.

Dr. Stein remained silent, staring into the shifting energy before him. Both of them were right. And that terrified him more than anything.

Despite the fear in his eyes, despite the uncertainty twisting in his gut, Dr. Stein couldn't deny the truth buried deep within him—beneath the terror, beneath the doubt, there was something else. Excitement. Pride.

His scientist's mind, the part of him that had spent years chasing the unknown, couldn't help but revel in what he had achieved. How could he not? This discovery wasn't just groundbreaking—it was beyond anything humanity had ever touched, ever imagined. Since the beginning of time, no one had done what he had just done.

And that thought alone sent a shiver down his spine.

A name had already formed in his mind. Veilith. A fitting title, drawn from the myths and forgotten stories he had always been fascinated by. Yet, this was no mere fantasy—this was reality, more real than anything he had ever known.

Veilith wasn't just energy, wasn't just matter—it was both, and neither. It was formless, yet omnipresent. Every star, every planet, every black hole. Every molecule, every breath of air, every flicker of life that had ever existed. The very foundation of the universe itself, hidden in plain sight all along.

And now, for the first time in history, it had been found.

A sharp noise shattered the tense silence of the lab. Faint at first, but unmistakable—footsteps. Not just one or two, but many. Heavy boots against cold steel.

Dr. Stein and his assistants froze.

"Who else is supposed to be here this late?" Alex's voice barely rose above a whisper, his hands tightening into fists.

"No one," Allen murmured, his breath hitching as his glasses slipped down his nose.

Then came the gunfire.

A burst of suppressed shots. The sickening, muffled sound of bodies hitting the floor outside. A strangled cry—cut short.

And then—boom.

The reinforced security door didn't just open; it exploded inward, torn apart like paper. Shrapnel embedded itself into the lab walls, sparks flying as twisted metal clattered onto the floor. Smoke and dust filled the air, swirling in the crimson emergency lights that flickered erratically, casting ghostly shadows against the walls.

Alex coughed, waving the dust from his face. Allen stumbled backward, his breath shallow, his body shaking.

Through the twisted wreckage of the doorway, figures emerged—men in tactical gear, clad in black, faces masked beneath sleek visors. Rifles raised, movements precise, practiced. Killers. Their presence was suffocating, their silence more terrifying than any war cry.

And then, from their midst, a figure stepped forward.

An older man, silver-haired but standing tall, his posture rigid yet effortless. His suit was pristine, an expensive dark gray, completely untouched by the destruction around him. He didn't carry a weapon—he didn't need to. His presence alone was enough.

Dr. Stein's heart pounded. He knew that face. Everyone in the scientific community did.

Francis Kane.

A man whose reputation preceded him like a specter. A figure wrapped in secrecy, wielding power that reached far beyond governments and corporations. No title, no official records—just whispers in the shadows, rumors of a man who controlled everything that should never be controlled.

His sharp, piercing gaze swept the room, taking in the shattered equipment, the swirling energy still crackling in the containment chamber. Then he turned his attention to Stein.

And smirked.

His voice, smooth and composed, carried an unsettling amusement.

"Hello, Dr. Stein. You've gone and done something stupid again, haven't you?"

The words slithered through the air, casual, almost mocking. But the threat beneath them was unmistakable.

Stein's throat tightened. He could feel Alex tensing beside him, Allen practically shrinking into himself.

They were trapped.