In his room within the facility, Tiflos stared at the mirror.
The face looking back at him felt чуждًا—silver eyes cold as ice, a dry mouth sealed tight, no expression that suggested a human being had ever lived here. Even those silver eyes had lost their luster, turning dull like a starless night.
Cain entered without knocking, as usual.
"The test is over."
"What test?" Tiflos asked. His voice was flat, polished smooth, devoid of echo.
"The test of turning you into a perfect human." Cain replied, his gaze studying Tiflos with unmistakable satisfaction. "And the result… is astonishing. You exceeded all my expectations."
Tiflos said nothing. He turned away from the mirror and looked Cain directly in the eyes.
"Tell me, Cain. What would you do if I killed Orion… and then killed myself right after?"
"All my plans would change," Cain answered coldly. "That's all."
"So we're nothing more than a temporary step to you? Not of ultimate importance?"
Cain replied calmly,
"Very well, Tiflos… let me ask you something instead. You might be able to kill yourself. But can you kill your brother?"
"Isn't that better than all these sacrifices we've already begun?"
Cain suddenly laughed.
"How naïve you are, Tiflos. Did you really think I sent you on those missions without being certain you would carry them out?"
"What… do you mean?" Confusion flickered across Tiflos's face.
"That is something you will learn later," Cain said, stepping closer. "You will never be able to sacrifice your brother—or Noor. That much I am certain of. And that certainty comes from your father's history."
"What do you mean by my father?" Tiflos asked sharply. "Cassander said something similar about my father's origins. He said you would be the one to tell me."
Cain turned away.
"It is still too early for you to know that story. But I agree with you on one thing—sacrificing you and Orion would be better than spilling all this blood."
Cain stopped at the doorway and continued,
"I once wondered, as you do, about the human soul. I asked myself: are humans foolish? They wage wars, sacrificing hundreds—thousands—of soldiers just to save one life, or two. But I concluded that most of them simply want to indulge themselves, or dominate others under the banner of saving a few lives, while sacrificing the many. Aren't all lives equal? Then why do pawns die for a ruler's order… or his whim?"
He turned back.
"What do you think, Tiflos?"
Tiflos did not avert his gaze.
"I don't know. But… in the end… I should kill you."
Cain smiled faintly.
"We shall see."
---
In a hideout beneath ruined debris, the resistance gathered in an atmosphere heavy with despair. News of the children's massacre had arrived, and the shock was so great that some members wept in silence.
"We can't keep trying to save him," Liam said, his face pale with pain. "Tiflos is dead. What remains is something else—a butcher who kills without mercy."
Noor sat quietly. Her tears had long since dried, but the pain in her eyes ran deeper than any tears could.
"I know… and we must treat him as an enemy. Our most dangerous enemy."
They reviewed the news in sorrow. Newspapers and broadcasts reported:
"Never in the history of the entire continent of Asiana has such a mysterious and terrifying serial killer appeared. The name 'The Head Reaper' hardly does him justice. The criminal is precise, frighteningly fast, and leaves no room for the victim's suffering. His targets range from state officials to seemingly random individuals, with no clear connection other than their alleged ties to a suspicious movement known as the Resistance. Analysts believe this may be a war between gangs or shadow organizations. Defense Minister Zifos has announced that the state has begun direct intervention and will capture the killer as soon as possible. The International Union has dispatched a special investigative envoy to assist in these crimes, which may be linked to the infamous, internationally hunted family—The Devil Family, the Disvalos Family."
When the meeting ended, Noor retreated to her small room and collapsed. Memories assaulted her—Tiflos laughing with her, Tiflos protecting her, Tiflos dreaming of a better future… and Tiflos, now a "butcher." A child killer.
"Forgive me… for not being able to save you. I should never have left you there… in the arms of that devil," she whispered into the darkness, her voice heavy with guilt and grief.
---
At the facility, Tiflos stood on a high balcony, watching the city stretch beneath his feet. The lights shimmered like earthly stars—each one a life he would never know, never care about.
Cain stood beside him, triumph gleaming in his eyes.
"Now you are ready."
"Ready for what?" Tiflos asked, his voice carrying no real curiosity.
"For the real war," Cain answered. "And to lead my army. The world is about to change—and Tiflos, you will stand at the forefront of that change."
Tiflos nodded. War, peace, life, death—all had become empty words.
The only thing that remained was the agreement: Noor would be safe, and Orion would be kept far from death.
Everything else… no longer mattered.
He had become the perfect tool.
And the devil's pact had turned into an absolute truth.
The world would have to pay the price.