Félix struggled on the ground while everyone aimed their weapons at him. But it wasn't out of rage, remorse, or even vengeance—it was false courage.Maps were spread across the walls, computer screens were connected to every camera on the farm. Papers lay beside coffee cups, pens scattered across the floor amid the rush of daily routine.
However, strangely, no one seemed worried. There weren't only soldiers in the command center, but also unarmed commanders rubbing their eyes. They were sleepy. In such a delicate situation, they were showing fatigue.
— You… I feel like I know you from somewhere.
Carl stood in front of Félix, so close, yet he felt infinitely distant. It was as if Félix were looking at him from the foot of a mountain.
— Ah!! — He snapped his fingers. — You're Mrs. Bella Hoffmann's son, right?
Félix's eyes widened, fury growing from the depths of his soul.
CRACK!!!
He slammed his head against the floor with such force that the tiles shattered. The impact was so strong that he broke free from the soldier's grip. A gash opened on his forehead, blood arcing toward Carl and the center of the room.
However…
PAFH!!!
A soldier kicked Félix in the ribs, the sound of bones breaking echoing through the room. His body slammed into the concrete wall, and for a few seconds, breathing was impossible.
— See? You're not the only special one here. — Carl said.
Félix tried to stand, but his body was losing strength. The soldiers lowered their weapons; there was no longer any danger in the room.
— It seems you're still as arrogant as ever. Always acting before thinking, aren't you?
Carl walked toward Félix and crouched down at his level.
— Are you listening? — He raised a finger. — Screams. Screams everywhere. Doesn't that sound familiar to you?
Félix spat blood; the side of his torso was sunken.
— Honestly, I thought you died that day. — He pointed to his own chest. — Remember? They opened a hole the size of an apple in your chest.
Yes, that day. The day Félix escaped from the laboratory.
A monstrous blizzard engulfed the facility, the generators had been destroyed, and the electric fences were down. The blizzard was perfect for hiding someone in the snow.
That day, Félix ran with all the strength his legs could muster. His body was covered by a thin, torn, bloodstained cloth—the patients' uniform. He trembled from the cold, the world turning into flesh with every glance he cast.
His body was collapsing, the most primitive instincts dominated his mind. Survive. That was all he could think.
But Kholm wouldn't let anyone escape.
Machine guns were aimed, the snow danced as bullets perforated the ground. For a moment, it looked like rain—a metallic rain.
When Félix was already disappearing into the horizon—
PAFT!!!
A bullet pierced his chest, exploding his right lung, millimeters from his heart. His body collapsed instantly. No one would bother retrieving it; it was only a matter of time before he froze and was swallowed by the world.
However…
[Monsters don't die easily]
— You should have taken that chance. The superiors weren't even mentioning your name anymore. It was the perfect opportunity to start a new life.
Carl stood up.
— But no. You had to try to invade a farm full of armed soldiers everywhere, relying solely on your own "ability."
The soldiers laughed and mocked the situation.
— Félix. — Carl smiled mockingly. — I already knew you were stupid, but even I doubt you'd reach this level of stupidity, haha.
Carl stepped hard on Félix's head.
— Your death won't be quick.
While Félix was trapped in the command room, another situation unfolded near the farm's planting sheds.
The girl with magenta eyes sneaked through the corners, blending into the shadows while most guards tried to put out the barn fire.
Her small hands tried to open the shed door, but it was too heavy and she was too weak. The steel door didn't even move.
—Давай, откройся! (Come on, open!)
Something cold touched her head. Her breathing stopped instantly. Slowly, she removed her hands from the door and raised them, showing she was unarmed.
— You're a bit far from the slave dormitory.
The girl didn't seem to understand what he said.
— I see, so you're a native.
The soldier turned her around so he could see her face.
— Ты что здесь забыла? (What did you forget here?)
She stared at him in fear, then looked down, already aware of the fate awaiting her.
The soldier grabbed her by the neck.
— Не притворяйся, что не понимаешь меня! (Don't pretend you don't understand me!)
Angrily, he threw her to the ground.
— Если собираешься меня убить, не тяни. (If you're going to kill me, don't drag it out.)
She maintained an angry expression.
— Я пришёл сюда не убивать тебя. Я просто хочу знать, кто устроил тот хаос в сарае. (I didn't come here to kill you. I just want to know who caused that chaos in the barn.)
With no other option, she told him everything—from Félix's arrival with the slave woman to the explosion.
After listening, the soldier holstered his magnum, checked the surroundings, and opened the steel door.
She was surprised. She noticed his uniform was different—the camouflage was the same, but the equipment was entirely different.
— Тебя как зовут? (What's your name?)
He remained firm, entering the planting shed.
— Неважно, кто я. (It doesn't matter who I am.)
Inside was fertile soil, artificial light from internal generators heated the place to prevent ice or snow. This particular shed had a massive potato plantation.
He walked to the storage door at the back—a simple iron door that could be opened with a key or crowbar. He used neither.
He raised his right hand and pierced through the metal door. The girl behind him stumbled from the sheer force he exerted. The door opened, revealing dozens of potato sacks on wooden shelves.
She stared in awe, but anguish twisted her insides. They ate so little, yet the warehouses were full. Her anger grew.
— Возьми столько, сколько сможешь. (Take as many as you can.)
— Не волнуйся, у меня есть люди в центре командования, которые закроют на это глаза. (Don't worry, I have people in the command center who will turn a blind eye to this.)
He stared at her.
— Когда генераторы взорвутся, я отвлеку их, чтобы они тушили пожар. Когда это случится, я хочу, чтобы ты сбежала с максимальным количеством людей, которых встретишь по пути. (When the generators explode, I'll distract them so they fight the fire. When that happens, I want you to escape with as many people as you can along the way.)
It was incomprehensible. She tried to understand why he was helping slaves.
— Поторопись, пока я не передумал. (Hurry up before I change my mind.)
She followed his orders, always looking into his eyes. He never took his eyes off the potato sacks, acting almost like a machine.
With great effort, she carried two sacks. She positioned herself away from the cameras and generators. As soon as she did, the man drew his magnum.
— В лесу есть скрытый лагерь, в двенадцати часах пути к югу от фермы. (There's a hidden camp in a forest, twelve hours south of the farm.)
Without another word, he shot the generators, then scraped his knives against gasoline on the floor, igniting a trail of fire.
— Беги отсюда, иначе мне придётся в тебя стрелять. (Run, or I'll have to shoot you.)
She ran out of the shed. As soon as she passed the steel door, an explosion occurred. A column of fire rose, flames engulfing the plantation.
— Where did that come from!?
— It's from the potato shed!!
Chaos erupted. The cold scenery turned into hellfire. And amid the flames stood that man, completely unharmed.
He looked toward the command center, worried.
— You hate them too, don't you?
He said to himself, as if creating hope for a warm future.
Meanwhile, in the command center, everyone panicked over the potato shed explosion. Nearby cameras went offline, raising suspicion among veterans.
Carl, who had been calm and mocking, was now consumed by rage and betrayal. He turned and kicked Félix in the stomach.
— Son of a bitch! There was someone else with you!?
He kept kicking Félix, the floor turning red. Even the soldiers were shocked by Carl's brutality.
— Talk!!!
CRACK!!!
Félix's mind was drifting. He had lost too much blood; he was completely anemic, and no one gave his body time to regenerate.
— Carl… I think this isn't—
— Shut up!! I didn't tell you to speak!!
His boots were stained with blood as he kept kicking until his rage was exhausted.
When he finally stopped, he grabbed Félix by the hair and lifted him.
— I will find who was with you. — Slam. — I. — Slam. — Swear. — PAFT!!! — That. — PAFT!!! — I. — Slam again. — Will. — Find them!
The walls were soaked in blood. His sadism had no end.
When he got tired of his toy, he requested a pistol. One soldier handed it to him with trembling hands.
— In the beginning…
Félix said with a visceral, weak voice.
Carl turned, furious that he could still speak.
The monitor lights pointed toward his body. The room smelled metallic. The soldiers' faces were empty, like soulless machines.
— In the beginning… — Félix repeated. — I was happy playing in my garden… playing tag with my mother… snowball fights… surrounded by friends…
Tears mixed with blood.
— I was happy… — He looked at Carl. — I was happy… until one day you came from the sky and took that away from me…
He crawled toward Carl's boots.
— You turned me into a monster… Because of you… I lost everything…
Carl smiled.
— Don't worry. Soon you'll visit your mother in hell.
He aimed the gun at Félix's head.
BANG!!!
The gunshot echoed. A hole opened in Félix's head, his body collapsing.
The door burst open. The soldier who was with the magenta-eyed girl entered.
— Kobayashi, perfect timing.
Carl said coldly.
— Can you get rid of this trash for me?
Kobayashi covered Félix's face with a cloth.
— Yes, sir. But before I forget, I came to request reinforcements to cover the damages in the Barn and the potato shed.
His tone was cold, as if a corpse meant nothing.
— By the way, did they find who caused the shed explosion?
— Yes. A group of slaves tried to start a riot while the guards were distracted at the Barn. They were quickly neutralized.
Carl stared at him like a wild animal.
— I see. Good. — He patted his shoulder. — Good.
His expression was unreadable, but one thing was certain:
Carl was genuinely disturbed.