The moment Lily realized Kentaro was missing, she didn't waste a second—she sprinted straight to Kyler's cabin. Each step made her heartbeat hammer harder, anxiety clawing at her chest with every breath. By the time she reached the door, sweat ran down her forehead, and her fists were clenched so tight they hurt. She didn't even knock—she shoved the door open and stormed inside.
General Kyler sat in his chair, calmly sipping tea, as if nothing in the world could disturb him. His eyes lifted to meet Lily's frantic gaze, taking in the sweat dripping down her face, the wild panic in her expression.
"What happe—" he began, but Lily cut him off sharply.
"He's missing," she blurted out.
Kyler's expression froze. "What do you mean?"
"Kentaro. He hasn't been seen since morning," she said, voice shaking.
The calm in Kyler broke instantly. He moved to the wall of monitors with lightning speed, flipping through camera feeds from the base's inner halls. His eyes locked onto the screen. There—Kentaro leaving his room around midnight, walking down the hallway, and entering the passage that led to the basement.
"He went into the basement? Isn't that where the isolation chambers are?" Lily whispered, shock and confusion mingling in her voice.
Kyler said nothing. He stood immediately. Together, they raced out of the cabin, charging toward the basement.
The underground halls were pitch black. No one ever worked on this floor, so the lights were always off. On the way down, they ran into Anri.
"Anri!" Lily barked. "Turn on the basement lights—now!"
Without hesitation, Anri sprinted toward the power room, the hub controlling the base's electricity. Within minutes, the lights flickered on, illuminating the basement in harsh, sterile white.
Kyler and Lily entered the lift, descending deeper into the bowels of the base. The air grew heavier with every floor. Neither spoke; the sound of their footsteps echoed like a countdown through the silent corridors. At last, they reached the bottom floor.
They moved down the empty corridor, their boots the only sound breaking the suffocating stillness. Finally, they stopped in front of the isolation room door.
Kyler pushed it open.
A blast of hot, suffocating air hit them, thick with the smell of sweat and steam. The room inside was pitch black. Lily reached for the wall switch and flicked it. The isolation chamber lit up as power returned to the floor.
And then—they froze.
Kentaro stood in the center of the room, shirtless, wearing only his pants. Steam rolled off his body like smoke from a furnace. Every inch of his skin was scarred—from chest to stomach, arms to back—brutal reminders of every battle, every wound that had refused to heal. In front of him on the floor lay a dagger unlike anything they had seen: black steel with strange purple engravings glowing faintly like veins of energy.
And yet… his face was calm. Too calm.
Kentaro broke the silence, his voice steady but heavy.
"Kyler… you said you'd heal my injury, right? Then heal my left eye. My left arm is useless—I can't feel it, but it doesn't mean I can't use it at all. If you can heal anything… heal my eye."
Kyler slowly set down his cup, his voice calm but serious.
"I see… very well. Come with me. I'll start your treatment immediately."
Kentaro narrowed his eyes. "And how exactly do you plan on treating me?"
Kyler leaned back, a half-smirk on his lips.
"Our team recovered a corpse… a Berserker. We'll transplant its eye into you."
For the first time, Kentaro's calm mask shattered. Fury darkened his eyes, burning through his expression. Slowly, he glanced at Lily. She turned away, unable to meet his gaze. That moment confirmed his suspicion—she had known all along.
His voice dropped to a low, dangerous growl.
"You're planning to put a Berserker's eye in me? Are you sure this isn't just another excuse to experiment on me?"
The room fell silent, the air so thick it felt like it could crush them. Kentaro inhaled sharply and continued, voice sharp as a blade:
"Fine. But hear me, Kyler—if I lose my eye forever, I'll kill you."
Kyler didn't flinch. Instead, he grinned.
"If it fails, I'll gouge out both my eyes and give them to you myself."
Kentaro's jaw tightened. Knowing him… if he says it, he'll do it. Damn it… I have no choice.
Finally, Kentaro spoke again, sharp and defiant:
"Very well. Let's do it."
The three of them stepped out of the isolation chamber. As they walked, Lily's curiosity broke through her nerves.
"But how did you even get down here? This floor is almost seven thousand feet below the surface. It was built for war prisoners. Without power, the lift wouldn't work. How did you reach this place?"
"I took the staircase next to the lift," Kentaro replied simply.
Both Lily and Kyler froze.
"That staircase?" Lily's voice trembled. "Impossible. It has no railings, no support. The steps are shallow. Even trained soldiers trip and die trying to cross it. That's why we built the lift. How did you survive?"
Kyler said nothing, but his eyes were sharp, eager for an answer.
Kentaro smirked faintly. "It's just—"
Thump. Thump.
Suddenly, his heartbeat slammed against his chest, faster and faster. His vision blurred, the corridor spinning around him. His breath caught in his throat. He could barely hear Lily's voice fading in the distance—then he collapsed hard onto the cold floor.