Night wrapped the facility in a heavy silence, broken only by the hum of electronic devices and the whispers of the ventilation system. Tiflos tossed and turned on his bed, cold sweat covering his forehead. In his nightmare, he was standing in their old home—but the walls were drenched in blood, flowing like crimson rivers. The family portraits on the walls twisted into scenes of horror, distorted faces screaming silently for help.
"Tiflos…"
His father's voice emerged from the darkness, heavy with painful reproach.
"Why do you trust him? Why do you hand him your soul?"
In the nightmare, Agabius stood before Cain, his silver eyes gleaming with a betrayal that cut deep.
"The goal you chose, Cain, will destroy everyone in the organization… Cain, power is not more important than family. You abandoned your own blood to restore a power that had already faded."
Tiflos jolted awake, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His breathing was like that of a man drowning in a sea of memories. He scanned the dark room, struggling to separate dream from reality. His hands trembled, as if they could still feel the warmth of the blood he had spilled.
---
In the adjacent room, Noor was suffering through her own nightmare. She saw the Valley of Phantoms burning—blue flames devouring the homes of her childhood. The children of her people screamed for help, their voices mixing with the thunder of explosions. But the worst vision of all was Tiflos, standing among the flames with a bloodstained sword, his eyes glowing with Cain's golden color, a cruel smile carved across his face.
"No… not you too," she whispered as she woke in terror, clutching her chest as if trying to stop her heart from bursting free.
---
In the morning, Cain was waiting for them in the training hall. His face carried a disturbing smile, as if he knew exactly what they had endured during the night. His golden eyes studied them closely, as though reading the thoughts they tried to hide.
"Nightmares are beautiful, aren't they?" Cain said as they entered.
"They give us a glimpse into our deepest fears. They reveal our true identities."
Tiflos froze in place.
"How do you know?"
"Everything is proceeding naturally," Cain replied coldly.
"This is familiar territory. New killers always suffer nightmares… until they learn how to live with the blood of their victims."
Silence fell over them, guilt gnawing deeply at their chests. Noor glanced at Tiflos, her silver eyes carrying a silent question:
Do we tell him? Do we tell him that we know the truth?
Tiflos gave a slight shake of his head, his silver eyes sending a clear message:
Not now… not yet.
---
The training began under unbearable pressure. Cain pushed them through advanced combat techniques while images of the journalist Arthur Kane and his family flooded their minds. Every strike, every movement, was accompanied by screams—echoes of the assassination night, as if recorded and replayed endlessly. Cain used a faint mist from his strange visual ability, planting painful memories deep into their minds.
"Stop!" Noor screamed as she collapsed to her knees.
"I can't… I can't continue."
"You must," Cain said harshly, staring down at her.
"Weakness will kill you in the real world. Either you learn to endure pain… or you die."
Tiflos watched, his heart breaking for Noor. But he knew that any interference would only make things worse. Cain was showing them these illusions to test their limits, and they had to pass the test. Every glance from Cain reminded Tiflos that their fate rested in his hands.
---
At midday, Cain summoned them to his office. As always, the room was cold, orderly, and devoid of any trace of humanity. The smell of metal and disinfectant filled every corner.
"There is a special mission," Cain said, handing them a file.
"At your old home."
Tiflos felt a sharp unease pierce his chest.
"Why?"
"Your father hid something important there… documents from an old project between us," Cain replied.
"And there are competitors looking for it as well."
Tiflos opened the file, his eyes widening in shock.
"Project Phoenix? What is this?"
"Something your father worked on with us before his… accident," Cain said carefully.
"It could have changed everything."
Noor grabbed Tiflos's arm and whispered,
"Can we trust him?"
"We don't have a choice," Tiflos whispered back. Then he turned to Cain.
"What if we refuse?"
Cain laughed, his hoarse voice filling the room.
"Refusal is not an option. Either you complete the mission… or you face the consequences."
---
Tiflos and Noor set out toward the old house, the road heavy with memories. Tiflos drove the car, dressed in his official mission suit—fireproof and cut-resistant—his eyes following the familiar streets. Every turn, every building, stirred an old memory. Here he had played with Orion. There he had sat with his father, learning lessons about life.
"Here…" Tiflos whispered as he stopped before the aging mansion.
"I never thought I'd return."
The mansion was abandoned. When Tiflos opened the gate, it let out a harsh, eerie creak. He stepped inside, closing it behind him as Noor followed. They passed through the garden where he and his brother used to play—now lifeless and dead. They walked along the stone path until they reached the fountain in the courtyard, where a statue still stood, strangely intact, the water still flowing.
They entered the ornate doors of the mansion and began walking through the halls. Tiflos looked at the corners where he had grown up. The palace was old, yes—but its walls carried the history of the entire family. Dust covered everything, and old scents filled the air. Family portraits still hung on the walls, faded and coated with grime.
Noor approached one photo and gently touched it—a picture of young Tiflos with his father, Orion still an infant.
"He looked kind."
"He was," Tiflos said in a broken voice.
"He was the best."
---
While they searched the house, they heard a sound from outside. A man wearing sunglasses and a cap stood by the gate, as if he didn't want to be recognized. His clothes were simple but elegant, and his posture radiated confidence.
Tiflos went down and opened the gate. The man stared at him for a long moment before speaking, as if weighing his words.
"I'm sorry…" the man said, hesitating.
"I was looking for Agabius's mansion."
Tiflos looked at him cautiously.
"Why are you looking for it?"
"My name is Liam," the man replied.
"Agabius was a friend of my father."
Tiflos studied him carefully. The aura of his eyes was silver, not gold—so he allowed him inside. If he wasn't golden-eyed, he wasn't a major threat.
Liam entered the house, his expression filled with sorrow. His fingers brushed the walls gently, as if reading them.
"So many memories here… so many hopes buried within these walls."
Noor felt uneasy and watched him closely.
"How did you know we'd be here?"
"I didn't," Liam said honestly.
"I came to retrieve something my father left with Agabius. I didn't expect to find anyone."
Tiflos led him toward his father's office. But Liam moved as if he already knew the mansion inside out. He sat in the old desk chair, his fingers still tracing the damp wooden surfaces. His movements were deliberate, almost intimate with the place. Tiflos grew suspicious and rested his hand on his sword.
"He hid something here…" Liam murmured.
Under his guidance, in a hidden compartment beneath the office floor, they found a metal box buried under the boards. It was made of a strange material, faintly glowing in the dark. On its lid was a digital panel asking for a passcode.
"What is this?" Noor asked, stunned.
"I don't know," Tiflos replied as he tried to open it.
"My father never told me about it."
But his eyes were fixed on Liam more than on the box.
---
As they struggled to open the container, Liam finally revealed the truth.
"I know who you are," Liam said suddenly.
"And I know what you're doing with Cain."