The soldiers guided Rhys through the corridors he had already seen thanks to Eun-woo until he reached the stairs, which were blocked by glass.
One of the soldiers took out a metal ID and swiped it through a reader hidden in the wall. A subtle whirring sound filled the hallway, and then the glass began to fade as if dissolving into thin air, revealing access to the emergency stairwell.
They went up to the next floor and walked through the cold, perfectly lit hallways in complete silence until they reached an elevator. Once inside, they ascended another level, to the laboratories area.
The atmosphere changed completely. The air smelled of chemicals, and everything seemed whiter and brighter. They continued walking in a straight line until they stopped in front of another type of elevator, one that didn't move vertically, but horizontally.
As the doors closed, the vehicle slid smoothly to the left. After five minutes of driving, they arrived at the private area of the building, a place where only a select few were allowed access.
The clinical, sterile atmosphere of the laboratories was left behind as they crossed into the new sector. The place was unlike any other; it resembled the private suite of a luxury hotel.
A massive aquarium covered nearly an entire wall, filled with exotic fish whose shapes and colors Rhys had never seen. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, delicately detailed with gold, sparkling in the dim lighting.
The walls were covered with carefully treated animal hides, and the thick curtains at the windows were made of an expensive fabric.
In the center of the room stood a king size bed, decorated with blankets and cushions that looked like they were straight out of an interior design magazine.
To the right, directly opposite the window, was a small table with two upholstered chairs, and to the left, a slightly ajar door gave a glimpse into the bathroom.
The soldiers handed Rhys the clothes he was to wear. An elegant black cashmere suit. They escorted him to the bathroom door. Without another word, they left, leaving him alone in the elegant room.
After a long shower with floral soaps that imbued his skin with a sweet, artificial scent, Rhys put on the suit he'd been given. He stepped out of the bathroom, toweling his hair dry, but stopped when he noticed he was no longer alone.
The table was set with a wide variety of delicacies, from juicy meats to fresh fruits, freshly baked bread, and crystal glasses filled to the brim, and one of the chairs was already occupied.
The man waiting for him had the demeanor of someone accustomed to giving orders and being obeyed without question. His skin was dark brown, with subtle lines that spoke of experience.
He had slightly wavy brown hair combed back, and a carefully trimmed beard that framed a barely there smile, one of those that hides more than it reveals. His eyes rested on Rhys with a dangerous calm.
"Magnus," Rhys said, his voice low and harsh, like a growl.
Magnus Blackwood.
Rhys's life had been built on three principles: obey without question, pull the trigger without remorse, and serve as an elegant distraction for Magnus Blackwood.
He had been dragged into that world at the age of six, when he still didn't understand what it meant to be a war hostage.
His brother, a soldier from the faction opposing Blackwood, used to take him to the training camps while he was fighting on the front lines, never imagining that one day the dictator's troops would raze the place.
Rhys was one of the few captured alive.
From the very beginning, Magnus Blackwood displayed a disturbing fascination with him. He surrounded him with luxuries no child should have, but kept him under lock and key, disguising his imprisonment with privileges and empty promises of freedom.
Rhys quickly caught on to the game.
He was molded, trained, and shaped into a perfect weapon. But beneath that flawless exterior, he grew up honing his mind and body with the goal of betraying the man who had made him his property.
Thus was born his double life.
While Blackwood displayed him as a symbol of loyalty, Rhys became a key player in the rebel group operating from the shadows to halt the Genesis Project's progress.
They didn't yet know exactly what the Project was, only that Magnus had poured all his resources and hopes into it. If anything brought Blackwood satisfaction, it had to be destroyed, because nothing that brought peace to that man could mean anything good for the world.
The only thing they knew was that it all revolved around Eun-woo: an Esper.
What they couldn't confirm was whether it had been created in a laboratory, like so many other failed attempts at biological weapons, or whether it was one of the extremely rare natural births, prior to the genetic purge.
That doubt made him even more valuable and more dangerous.
Months ago, Rong Ye, one of the scientists at the Blackwood Research Complex, mentioned to Rhys that Magnus would send a soldier to the Esper's cell to ensure he was psychologically stable.
As soon as the official news broke, Rhys was one of the first to volunteer.
The rebels' plan was to kill the test subject. If they succeeded, the Project would stop and, therefore, they would weaken Blackwood.
He had to undergo arduous training. Rumors spread that the test subject was dangerous, and that's why even the doctors didn't dare take him out of his cell; they even sent the Butchers as security.
The Butchers were soldiers with deformities resulting from exposure to toxins on the battlefield. These soldiers were indomitable. The risk of unleashing them spoke volumes about the complexity of the mission.
The reports described Eun-woo as a monster, a being that could drain your life with just a glance, a beast that would leap to attack whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Rhys's best friend, Caelan, tried to convince him that going there was suicide, but Rhys trusted his instincts and his abilities.
What he found when he arrived at the cell made him shudder.
Eun-woo was an ordinary young man, too naive and damaged to attack.
Rhys didn't understand the fear, the excessive security, or the isolation protocol; if they took Eun-woo outside, he would easily blend in with the rest.
By the time he reached the cell, ready to kill him, Eun-woo had already woken up. He looked at him with such pure, disarming eyes that Rhys froze.
That look wasn't threatening, not even that of a prisoner aware of his fate. It was that of someone who didn't understand why they hated him.
And in those clear eyes, Rhys saw himself reflected, along with the blood that stained his own hands.
He made an impulsive decision and let him live, at least for that night.
Rhys took over the bed to make sure Eun-woo wouldn't attack him, but the truth was, the only danger there was himself.
That night he dreamed of various ways to accomplish his mission, but he never managed to reach the end.
The same thing always stopped him: Eun-woo's eyes.
Maybe he was already too broken to distinguish right from wrong. Maybe the monster wasn't Eun-woo, but him. Maybe there was something hidden, yes, something potentially lethal in that young man, but Rhys couldn't see it clearly.
Or maybe he didn't want to.
The result was the same day after day, and so he was unable to kill him.
"Rhys," Magnus said. "Please, take a seat."
Rhys sat in the empty chair across from Blackwood, his gaze fixed on his face. His expression was as impassive as a stone mask.
Magnus, with the elegance of someone accustomed to giving orders without speaking, made a slight gesture with his hand.
Immediately afterward, a uniformed man entered the room pushing a cart filled with fine chocolates, fruits plated in edible gold, and other sweets designed to impress rather than satiate.
Rhys felt a knot in his stomach.
Such luxury was repulsive to him. From the cut crystal glasses, the embossed silver vessels, to the desserts adorned with exotic flower petals.
While hundreds of people were starving outside, Blackwood displayed his power and wealth in grotesque ways.
"Why didn't you tell me about your love of chocolate?" Blackwood asked.
Rhys wasn't surprised that Magnus knew what had happened to Eun-woo. The entire complex was riddled with surveillance cameras, even in the most intimate corners. He knew every gesture, every word, and every glance was being monitored.
Rhys looked over the extensive array of desserts and smirked.
"Nothing you have to offer interests me."
"Don't make me think you've taken a fancy to the raw material for my Project," Magnus muttered with frightening calm.
A slight shiver ran down Rhys's spine, though he didn't let it show. Of course Blackwood had seen the can of chocolate, Eun-woo's smile, and how Rhys returned it.
As Rhys opened his mouth to reply, the door swung open.
Rong Ye appeared with some documents in hand, he remained calm and elegant, but anger was evident in his eyes.
His figure was slender and refined, his bearing contrasting with the severity of his gaze. A mole just below his right eye accentuated his delicate features, as did his long, dark, straight, and silky hair, which fell almost to his waist like a curtain of black ink.
He wore the white scientist's uniform, perfectly tailored, which added to the ambiguous impression of his appearance. His beauty was so subtle and androgynous that he could easily be mistaken for a woman.
Even so, his presence was imposing.
"Did they administer a sedative?" Rong Ye said coldly. "That will taint the Esper's blood."
Magnus ignored Rong Ye, picked up his wine glass and took a sip.
"Stop yelling, you're ruining the atmosphere."
Rong Ye did not hesitate.
On the contrary, his posture stiffened, and his razor-sharp gaze turned deadly. He looked at Rhys with obvious reproach.
It was clear that he blamed him for not preventing the tranquilizer from being administered to Eun-woo.
However, the sedative was necessary. If Eun-woo woke up in the middle of the night and didn't see Rhys, he'd start to get suspicious.
"If his blood is tainted, all these years of research will be for nothing," Rong Ye said.
Magnus watched him with a sarcastic smile.
"If his blood is tainted, your mother will be the first to suffer the consequences. Your job is to prevent it."
The threat failed to make Rong Ye lower his gaze. He held his chin high with a dignity that openly challenged Blackwood's power. It wouldn't be easy to subdue him.
"No more sedatives," he warned in a firm voice.
And without waiting for an answer, he turned on his heels and left the room with the same elegance with which he had entered.