Three years later..
The White Room was gone.
Burned to ashes by an unknown hand.
Files—erased. Hard drives—fried. Walls once echoing with screams now stood in charred silence. Bodies unrecovered. Identities unrevealed.
Some called it terrorism. Others whispered it was justice.
But nobody knew the truth.
While the world scrambled for answers, Kael lived in hiding with Raegal and Aira. They shared breakfasts, awkward family dinners. Kael laughed again. He slept without fear. He stopped counting the scars.
But peace doesn't last forever.
---
Elsewhere…
Storm clouds brewed over Washington, D.C. The United Nations Judiciary Headquarters was surrounded by protestors. Cameras flashed. Reporters screamed into microphones.
"Who authorized the White Room?"
"Where are the survivors?"
"What kind of government tortures children?!"
The world demanded answers.
Who funded it?
Why was it built?
And most important of all—
Who was its final product?
---
[Rooftop — Washington, D.C.]
Rain hammered the rooftop as thunder rolled in the distance. Nila stood frozen, both hands raised, a pistol pressed to the side of her head. The mercenary behind her grinned under a black gas mask.
"Move and you die," he warned, voice gravel-thick and laced with boredom.
President Ryuzaki stood a few feet away, umbrella resting over his shoulder. Calm. Smug. Untouchable.
"Such a shame, Nila," he said. "You had potential. But now you're just another cockroach who forgot her place."
"You're afraid," Nila spat through gritted teeth.
Ryuzaki tilted his head and chuckled.
"Afraid? Kill her."
Then—
BANG.
A single shot cracked through the storm.
The mercenary's head snapped back with a sickening jolt. Blood sprayed across the rooftop as his body collapsed like a ragdoll, the pistol slipping from his lifeless hand.
Nila gasped, stumbling forward in shock, her breath caught in her throat.
Ryuzaki's head whipped toward the shadows.
Footsteps echoed—slow, deliberate—cutting through the veil of steam rising from shattered vents and cracked concrete. Through the rain and smoke, a figure stepped into view.
A long black coat clung to him, soaked by the downpour. A hood cast a shadow over his face, but nothing could hide the sharp glint of ash-colored eyes staring through the chaos like twin blades.
One gloved hand held a pistol, barrel still warm.
The other was clenched.
The man stopped a few feet from them. Silence returned—deadly, oppressive.
"Nila," he said softly, voice deep and calm. "You can call me Kael."
Ryuzaki's expression twisted.
"What the—"
Kael stepped forward, the rain hissing against his coat. His voice dropped, low and dangerous.
"But you…"
He raised his head slightly. For a heartbeat, their eyes locked.
"You can call me Noir."
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded letter. Without a word, he tossed it at Ryuzaki's feet. It landed in a puddle with a wet slap, already soaking through as the rain poured down.
By the time Ryuzaki bent down to pick it up—
Kael and Nila had vanished into the storm.
Only the letter remained.
Four words, scrawled in Kael's clean, surgical handwriting:
Count your days, Mr. President.
---
[Lower Floors – Moments Later]
Gunfire erupted as Kael and Nila sprinted down the emergency stairwell.
"Why the hell did you set the lab on fire?!" Kael shouted over the ringing in his ears.
"Because I'm a human being, Kael!" Nila snapped, her breath ragged. "I'm not a goddamn machine like you!"
Kael yanked her back just in time as two mercs opened fire.
Bang. Bang.
Both dropped with precise headshots.
"You should've contacted me sooner," he muttered.
"You?! The world fears you, Kael!"
"You mastered all martial arts in two years!"
"That was survival."
"You memorized a hundred thousand digits of pi!"
"To impress my sister."
"You've killed over five hundred people!"
"They were bad people."
"Bad? You think that justifies it?!"
Kael stopped and faced her for a half-second.
"I'm saving you, aren't I?"
Then another squad rushed the hallway.
Kael turned smoothly.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
All dead.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a dim corridor.
"Get in the car. I'll drive," he said sharply.
Nila hesitated. "Why are you helping me?"
They burst into the parking lot. Kael didn't answer until he slammed the driver's door shut.
"Because," he said, eyes locked on the rearview mirror, "when I was drowning in that hell, you showed me something no one else did."
He paused.
"Kindness."
The engine roared. Tires screeched as they shot out of the alley.
A black SUV tailgated them instantly.
"Do you know how to shoot?" Kael asked.
"Y–Yeah!"
He tossed her a pistol. "Then start."
She rolled down the window and fired as bullets pinged off the side mirror. The chase screamed through the city — glass shattering, tires burning.
Eventually, the SUV flipped into a pole, and the sirens faded behind them.
Breathless, Nila collapsed into the seat.
"That was... too close."
Kael said nothing.
"You're taking me with you?" she asked softly.
"You don't have a home anymore," he said. "But I've got a spare bunk."
She stared at him, eyes unreadable.
"I thought you were a monster," she whispered.
Kael exhaled, looking forward into the rain.
"...."