Chapter 12
Deep underground, far beneath layers of reinforced concrete and steel, the air felt cold and heavy, carrying the faint hum of machinery that never seemed to stop, and within that suffocating place, Souta's family remained bound and surrounded by guards whose weapons never lowered.
Masaki sat restrained, his muscles tense beneath the chains that wrapped around his arms, while his mother, Miyu Ishikawa, stood beside him with her hands bound, her expression calm but sharp, hiding fear behind quiet resolve.
Footsteps echoed through the chamber.
A man stepped forward from the shadows, his presence commanding instant silence from the guards stationed around the room.
"Hello, Mrs. Ishikawa," Victor said smoothly, his voice carrying a false warmth that made Miyu's skin crawl. "Remove the chains."
The guards hesitated only for a moment before obeying, loosening the restraints around Miyu and Masaki while keeping their weapons aimed carefully.
"Make yourselves comfortable," Victor added casually, as if this were a simple meeting rather than a prison.
He turned his attention fully to them, his eyes settling on Masaki and then Miyu.
"So let's get straight to the point," Victor said. "I'm sorry about your husband's death. I'm sure he's at peace now."
Masaki's eyes widened with fury.
"You smartass," he snapped, lunging forward without thinking. "I know you killed him."
Before he could take a single step, the guards reacted instantly, forcing him back and restraining him with brutal efficiency.
Miyu moved closer, her voice firm despite the fear in her chest. "Masaki," she said quietly. "Now is not the time. We cannot handle this many guards."
Victor laughed softly, shaking his head. "Children really should listen to their mothers."
Masaki glared at him. "Seems like you never applied that yourself."
Victor clicked his tongue in irritation but quickly regained his composure.
Miyu lifted her head and met his gaze. "What do you want," she asked calmly. "Please, get to the point."
Victor's smile faded.
"I want your son," he said without hesitation.
Masaki froze. "Huh?"
"Not you," Victor continued, his voice turning sharp. "Your other son."
His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward slightly.
"I want him," Victor said. "I want to tear him apart. I want Souta."
Miyu's breath caught. "What? Why? What did he even do to you?" she demanded. "He's a weak boy. He gets scared easily."
Victor tilted his head slightly. "Or is he?"
He straightened and continued, his tone cold now. "He has something valuable that was taken from me. Or to be precise, your husband took it from me, and now it's in your son's hands."
Miyu's heart sank. "That's impossible," she said. "You must be mistaken."
Before Victor could respond, one of the guards hurried in and whispered urgently into his ear.
Victor's expression shifted instantly.
"All our guards stationed at the Ishikawa residence have gone missing," the guard reported. "Based on the scene, there was a riot or a battle. Bullet holes. Destruction everywhere."
Victor slowly leaned back, his fingers tapping against the arm of his chair.
"How could that possibly be," he murmured.
Miyu's eyes widened in horror. "Our house," she whispered. "My son..."
Masaki turned toward her desperately. "He's fine, right, Mom?"
Miyu swallowed hard. "Yes," she said, though her voice trembled slightly. "I hope so."
Victor stood up suddenly, his voice rising with excitement.
"You see," he said sharply. "You see. Your son, Ishikawa Souta, is not ordinary."
He paced slowly across the room.
"I'm sure he did this," Victor continued. "But beating fifteen soldiers alone? No. Even if he wasn't alone, that means he has allies."
Victor stopped and smiled.
"So your son is not normal."
Miyu shook her head. "You're wrong," she said. "Leave my brother alone," Masaki added quickly. "You already have me."
Victor laughed quietly. "That's sweet."
He turned to the guards and waved his hand dismissively.
"Get them out of my sight," he said. "Make sure they are secured properly. I don't want another escape from this family."
He paused, his smile widening.
"God," Victor muttered, "this family really is good at escaping."
As the guards dragged Miyu and Masaki away, the underground facility returned to its cold silence, while far above, the son Victor feared continued to grow stronger, completely unaware that the black veil was slowly closing around him.
After they were dragged away from the chamber, Miyu and Masaki were thrown into a narrow cell carved deep within the underground facility, its cold metal walls humming faintly as if the place itself were alive and watching them.
The heavy door slammed shut, sealing them inside, and for a long moment neither of them spoke, the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on their chests.
Masaki was the first to break the silence.
"Mom," he said quietly, his voice trembling despite his attempt to stay strong, "what is happening to us? After Dad died, all of this happened. We're captured, locked underground, and we don't even know what we did wrong."
He clenched his fists, frustration and confusion twisting together inside him.
"And what did Dad even do to those people," he continued, his voice rising slightly. "There's no way he would put our family in danger like this. Right, Mom?"
Miyu leaned against the cold wall, her knees finally giving in as she slowly sat down, exhaustion and fear crashing over her all at once.
"Yes," she said softly, though her voice wavered. "I'm sure whatever your father did, he had a reason. He was never careless when it came to his family."
She paused, her hands shaking slightly as another thought surfaced, one far more terrifying than the rest.
"But the thing that scares me most right now," she continued, "is Souta."
Masaki looked at her, startled. "What do you mean?"
"Those men said fifteen guards disappeared from our house," Miyu said quietly. "That doesn't make sense. Either someone connected to your father tried to help us... or..."
Her voice cracked as the possibility formed in her mind.
"There's no way Souta did that," she whispered desperately. "He's just a boy. God... what is happening to our family?"
Her strength finally gave out, and tears streamed down her face as she covered her mouth, trying to silence her sobs in the empty cell.
Masaki moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be alright," he said, forcing the words out even though he did not fully believe them himself.
"I hope so," Miyu replied quietly.
Far above them, deep within the heart of the underground complex, Victor stood before a vast gathering that stretched farther than the eye could see, the space filled with rows upon rows of people standing shoulder to shoulder like a massive army waiting for a command.
Scientists in white coats stood beside heavily armed soldiers, engineers and technicians lined up next to doctors, guards, and operatives, and behind them all were workers who kept the facility alive, each one drawn there by the same summons.
Victor raised his hand, and the murmurs slowly died down.
"Welcome," he said loudly, his voice echoing through the cavernous hall. "My soldiers, my workers, my partners... even my family."
He let his gaze sweep across the crowd, his eyes burning with something dark and unwavering.
"I gathered all of you here today to share important news," Victor continued. "Fifteen of my soldiers vanished without a trace at the Ishikawa residence."
The crowd stirred uneasily.
"They did not die quietly," he said. "The scene showed signs of battle. Bullet holes. Destruction. Chaos."
Victor's voice hardened.
"This means one thing," he declared. "Ishikawa Souta possesses something extraordinary, whether it be an unnatural power or an army hidden in the shadows."
He clenched his fist.
"We will be ready," Victor said. "We will use his family as leverage. We will prepare ourselves with combat, strategy, and knowledge. And when the time comes, we will hunt him down."
His eyes gleamed with violent determination.
"We will win," he continued. "And we will kill this bastard."
Behind him stood figures of authority, commanders and specialists whose names carried fear within the organization, including towering enforcers, elite strategists, and doctors whose experiments had long crossed the line of morality.
Among them stood Doctor Cane.
And not far away, watching silently from the shadows, was Alfred.
Victor spread his arms wide, his face twisted with ambition and destruction.
"Prepare yourselves," he commanded. "This war has already begun."
Deep underground, beneath layers of secrecy and blood, the black veil tightened, drawing both sides closer to a collision that would change everything.
To be continued...