When the car arrived at the facility, Cain was waiting for them at the main gate. His smile was like the sun on a winter day—warm on the outside, cold within. His golden eyes studied them like an artist examining his masterpiece.
"Excellent work," Cain said as he opened the car doors. "You saved many lives today. Arthur Kane was on the verge of exposing secrets that would have cost thousands their lives."
Tiflos looked at him with eyes filled with resentment and a single burning question.
"Whose lives? And who decided that we have the right to choose who lives and who dies?"
Then he walked into the facility with heavy steps, Noor following behind him. Cain entered after them.
---
In the residential wing, Orion was waiting in the luxurious living room. Unlike Tiflos, Orion looked excited, his eyes glowing with open admiration.
"Tell me! How was it?" Orion asked eagerly. "What was your first kill like?"
Cain came from behind and answered instead of Tiflos.
"They were magnificent. Your brother killed for the first time—and showed remarkable strength."
Tiflos stared at him in shock. The question alone had stunned him, and Cain's words made the nausea return.
"I didn't kill… it was self-defense. He was going to kill Noor."
"No," Cain corrected calmly. "You killed. And you did it excellently. You saved your partner and proved you can make hard decisions."
Orion looked at his brother with admiration mixed with envy.
"I wish I'd been with you. I want to learn. I want to become strong like you."
Cain placed a hand on Orion's shoulder.
"You will be with us soon… when you're ready. And then I'll teach you special things—things that will turn you into a legend."
The way they interacted made Tiflos feel a deep sense of danger. They looked like partners in a crime not yet committed. Orion looked like a devoted student learning from his favorite teacher.
Tiflos stepped closer, removed Cain's hand from Orion's shoulder, and held his brother by both shoulders, looking straight into his eyes.
"Orion," Tiflos said, his voice heavy with sorrow. "No, Orion. You'll become strong to do good. You'll be the light that inspires others. And I…"
He closed his eyes and smiled a pitiful smile.
"I will be your shadow—the one who carries the darkness of the world for you."
Cain watched the brothers with a complex gaze. There was no sadness or pity in his eyes—only satisfaction with what was unfolding.
Orion's expression changed to sadness. He couldn't speak at first, as if he had suddenly realized that his brother was walking a difficult path for his sake. Barely, he managed to whisper one word:
"Why?"
"Because you're my little brother," Tiflos replied softly. "And I love you."
---
Later that night, in Cain's private office, Dr. Lina confronted him with visible anxiety. The room was dark, lit only by a faint green glow from electronic screens.
"Why?" she demanded. "Why did you tell Phoenix to let them see those documents—and to push the journalist into a situation where he would be forced to attack?"
Cain sat in his chair, twirling a golden pen between his fingers.
"Because they needed to cross the bridge—and never return. The bridge between idealism and realism."
"Idealism?" Lina snapped. "A bridge to what? To savagery?"
"To realism," Cain said calmly. "I made Tiflos kill to protect someone he loves. That's the best way to shatter his moral illusions. I made him take the first step toward understanding that morality is nothing more than a tool."
Lina slapped her hand to her mouth in shock.
"You planned all of this? Even the journalist's attack on Noor?"
Cain gestured toward the screens.
"I knew Arthur would try to escape. I knew he would target the weakest one. And I knew Tiflos would protect Noor. Everything was predictable. I ordered Phoenix to provoke the situation—but not to interfere."
"You broke him," Lina said in horror. "I saw his eyes when he returned. I saw the human inside him die."
"Broken souls create the strongest warriors," Cain replied distantly. "Destruction is sometimes necessary for reconstruction—like breaking bones so they grow back stronger."
Lina shook her head.
"You're sick. You believe all of this is justified."
Cain looked at her then, his eyes holding a terrifying depth.
"At first, I felt despair… then I realized it was the greatest gift. If we're all going to die anyway, where is the sin in using some people for my pleasure? They'll die regardless—why not make their deaths useful to me?"
Lina stepped back.
"Your pleasure? You speak of pleasure while destroying the souls of young people."
"Training, breaking, rebuilding—that is my pleasure," Cain admitted. "And watching idealists turn into realists—that is the greatest pleasure of all. Watching them realize that good and evil are nothing but illusions created by humans."
"You're a monster."
"I'm a realist," Cain corrected. "And realism is the highest form of intelligence in our merciless world."
---
Tiflos sat on his bed, staring at his hands. He could still feel the warmth of the blood. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Arthur's severed head. Every shadow in the room turned into Arthur's ghost.
A soft knock came at the door. Tiflos stood and opened it to find Noor in the hallway, her eyes red from crying. She was holding a pillow and a blanket, as if searching for refuge from her nightmares.
"I can't sleep," she whispered. "Every time I close my eyes, I see it… I see that scene. I see the children in the photo… and their father without a head."
"Me too," Tiflos said, stepping aside to let her in.
"I see my hand gripping the sword… I see the blood… I hear his final breath."
They sat on the floor, leaning against the bed. The darkness wrapped around them like a heavy blanket. Moonlight slipped through the window, drawing silver lines across their pale faces.
"I cut off his head…" Tiflos whispered. "And I felt something… strange. Something like satisfaction."
Noor held his hand.
"You were protecting me. It was a hard choice."
"But I committed murder," Tiflos said, his voice breaking. "I killed a man with a cause—a noble cause. I killed someone trying to expose corruption. I became part of the problem. I became a face of corruption myself."
Noor fell silent, shocked by his confession. Then she whispered,
"I'm afraid we'll become like Cain."
"So am I," Tiflos replied. "I'm afraid I'll start liking the blood. Afraid I'll find pleasure in power."
Noor pulled his head against her chest.
"We won't let that happen. We'll be each other's conscience. We'll remind each other that we're human—even when the world tries to turn us into monsters."
But deep inside her, fear still lingered. Fear that the door they had opened today led to a path of no return. And the greatest fear of all… that Tiflos might have already crossed it.
---
Behind the cameras, Cain watched the two as they sought comfort in each other's presence. A satisfied smile spread across his face. Lina stood beside him, her eyes filled with growing horror.
"Look, Lina," Cain said softly. "Love in the shadow of blood… isn't it the most beautiful paradox? How they seek solace in each other's arms while the bodies of their victims haven't even grown cold."
Lina looked at him with pity mixed with fear.
"You'll destroy them all. You'll turn them into versions of yourself—forever."
"I'll turn them into works of art," Cain corrected. "Works free of idealism, living by realism. I'll teach them that the world isn't black and white—but shades of gray."
"And why do you do this?" Lina asked. "Why this need to destroy everything pure?"
Cain looked up at his favorite star in the sky.
"Because I can… and because it's entertaining."
Then he added quietly,
"And because my goal is worth every sacrifice."
In that moment, Lina realized that no matter what she did, she could never save him. The thing she faced was no longer a man—but an embodied idea: the belief that morality is microscopic, existence is absurd, and that the greatest pleasure in life is watching others discover this bitter truth.
Cain was not evil.
He was the incarnation of absolute absurdity.