THOOOOOOOOOM!!
The entire underground city shook violently.
Far beneath LEVEL ZERO—
the massive black gate slowly began opening.
Darkness poured out from inside it like living smoke.
Not normal darkness.
Something alive.
Something watching.
Arman collapsed to one knee screaming.
Black-red energy exploded wildly around his body.
AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!
Cracks spread across the metal floor beneath him.
Emergency alarms screamed throughout the facility.
WARNING. HADES CORE RESONANCE DETECTED.
Maya instantly ran toward him.
"Arman!"
But the moment she tried to touch him—
BOOOOM!!
A violent shockwave threw her backward.
Kabir caught her before she hit the wall.
"Easy!" he shouted nervously. "Your boyfriend is literally becoming a nuclear disaster!"
Nobody laughed.
Because Arman's eyes were changing.
The humanity inside them was fading.
Only darkness remained.
Director Vale slowly walked toward him.
His cold face almost looked emotional.
"Beautiful..."
His voice trembled with pride.
"After all these years..."
"Perfection."
Ethan looked horrified.
"You're killing him!"
Vale calmly shook his head.
"No."
"He is evolving."
THOOOOOOOOOM!!
Another earthquake hit the underground city.
Pipes exploded overhead.
Walls cracked apart.
Children screamed in terror.
The little survivors huddled behind Maya, crying uncontrollably.
One tiny girl grabbed Maya's arm tightly.
"D-Do we die here...?"
Maya's heart shattered instantly.
She hugged the child close.
"No."
Her voice trembled emotionally.
"I won't let anything happen to you."
And for the first time—
Kabir looked at Maya differently.
Not as a fighter.
Not as a survivor.
But as someone willing to protect broken children even while the world collapsed around her.
Then suddenly—
Subject Zero began convulsing violently.
Its gigantic stitched body smashed repeatedly into the corridor walls.
BOOOOOM!!
BOOOOOM!!
Dozens of glowing red eyes opened across its flesh.
Some crying.
Some screaming.
Some begging.
And then—
a weak voice echoed painfully from inside the monster.
"...Ma...ya..."
Everyone froze.
Maya's breathing stopped.
"...what?"
The voice came again.
Broken.
Weak.
"...help... me..."
Maya slowly turned toward Subject Zero.
Kabir immediately panicked.
"OH HELL NO."
But Maya wasn't listening anymore.
Because she recognized that voice.
FLASH.
A little girl laughing happily.
A white ribbon in her hair.
Tiny hands showing Maya a childish drawing.
"Big sis! Look what I made!"
FLASH END.
Maya's entire body trembled.
"...Luna?"
Ethan's face went pale instantly.
"No way..."
Director Vale smiled quietly.
Finally.
Now they understood.
Tears filled Maya's eyes.
Luna.
Her younger sister.
The girl Orion declared dead years ago.
But the truth—
was far worse.
She never died.
They fused her into Subject Zero.
Maya stumbled forward in horror.
"LUNA!!"
Suddenly the monster screamed violently.
AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!
The corridor shook as Subject Zero slammed itself against the walls.
The underground city started collapsing faster.
Vale's expression darkened slightly.
"Emotional interference again."
He coldly raised one hand.
"Terminate the girl."
CLICK.
Every Orion soldier instantly aimed their weapons at Maya.
But before anyone could fire—
THUD.
The soldiers froze.
Because Arman had stood up.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
Black-red flames surrounded his body.
His eyes had become completely black.
Even Kabir stepped backward nervously.
"...yeah we're doomed."
But then—
something impossible happened.
Arman looked at Maya.
Just for one second.
And the darkness inside his eyes trembled.
Maya slowly walked toward him.
Fearless.
"Arman..."
Her voice shook emotionally.
"You're still you."
Vale suddenly screamed—
"NO!"
"He's beyond humanity now!"
But Maya ignored him completely.
She stood directly in front of Arman.
Then gently held his face with both hands.
"Look at me."
The unstable energy around Arman exploded violently.
The floor cracked apart beneath them.
But Maya never moved.
"You are not a monster."
Arman's breathing became distorted.
"...I can hear them..."
His voice sounded broken.
"Hundreds of voices..."
"...screaming..."
Maya's eyes filled with tears.
"Then save them."
Silence.
The entire corridor went quiet.
Even Subject Zero stopped moving.
Maya whispered softly—
"If you're truly the strongest..."
"...then don't destroy people."
"Protect them."
That sentence changed everything.
WARNING. HOST EMOTIONAL DEVIATION DETECTED.
Vale's calm expression finally cracked.
"No..."
But it was already too late.
The darkness inside Arman's eyes slowly faded.
The black-red energy surrounding him changed.
It wasn't destroying anymore.
It was protecting.
Ethan stared in shock.
"He's controlling the HADES Core..."
Kabir blinked slowly.
"So friendship power actually works."
Nobody reacted.
Because something far bigger was happening.
Subject Zero slowly collapsed to the ground.
Its massive stitched flesh began moving strangely.
And trapped inside—
human faces appeared.
Children.
Real children.
Crying.
Begging silently.
Maya slowly stepped toward the monster.
Then gently touched its burning skin.
And suddenly—
FLASH CONNECTION.
Maya's consciousness was pulled into darkness.
An endless black void surrounded her.
Cold.
Silent.
Broken.
And in the middle of it—
a little girl sat crying alone.
Chains pierced through her body.
Her white ribbon was stained with blood.
"Luna...?"
The little girl looked up slowly.
"Maya...?"
Maya instantly broke down.
She ran toward her sister and hugged her tightly.
"LUNA!"
The little girl burst into tears immediately.
Back in reality—
Subject Zero began shaking violently again.
Ethan panicked.
"She's mentally connected to it!"
Kabir grabbed two terrified children.
"Fantastic." "Everyone's entering demon WiFi now."
But inside the darkness—
another voice suddenly echoed.
Deep.
Ancient.
Not human.
"...THE GATE... MUST OPEN..."
Maya froze instantly.
The entire mental world began cracking apart.
Luna started trembling violently.
"He's waking up..."
Maya looked at her in confusion.
"...who?"
And then—
inside the endless darkness—
two gigantic red eyes slowly opened.
Massive.
Ancient.
Hungry.
The pressure alone made Maya unable to breathe.
And somewhere deep below LEVEL ZERO—
something began smiling in the dark.