Dave stepped through the heavy steel door that led to Floor -3, the deepest level of Helios' underground facility. The dim lights flickered above him, casting long shadows across the cold, sterile walls. Each step felt heavier, the oppressive air thick with the stench of blood and antiseptic. He could sense something ominous down here—a darker, more sinister presence than what he had encountered before.
As soon as he entered the hallway, a group of figures emerged from the shadows ahead, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. These weren't like the mindless slaves he had fought earlier. These were superhumans—enhanced individuals with the powers and abilities that Helios had likely forced upon them. Each one of them was ranked A or B, a formidable level for most people. But Dave was far beyond them now.
His hands clenched into fists as they surrounded him, their movements sharp and calculated, their eyes filled with a cold, detached focus. The leader, a tall woman with glowing tattoos pulsing along her arms, stepped forward. Her voice was calm but threatening.
"You should have stayed away," she said, her eyes narrowing. "You don't belong here."
Dave met her gaze, unfazed. His body radiated power, an aura of strength that sent subtle waves through the air. He was no longer just Dave, the man struggling to protect his family. He was Rank SS—something far beyond the world's comprehension.
The woman raised her arm, and in an instant, the group attacked. Blasts of energy shot toward Dave, the air crackling with the raw force of their combined abilities. Flames, ice, electricity—all converged on him in a synchronized assault meant to overwhelm him.
But to Dave, it was nothing.
He moved faster than they could react, sidestepping the incoming blasts with ease. His body blurred as he appeared behind one of the superhumans, a man with molten metal coursing through his veins. With a single punch, Dave sent the man crashing into the far wall, the impact shaking the entire corridor. The rest of the group paused, their confidence faltering for a split second, but they quickly regrouped, launching another attack.
One of them, a superhuman ranked A, shot forward with lightning speed, aiming a powerful kick at Dave's head. But Dave caught his leg mid-strike, twisting him around and slamming him into the ground with brutal force. The sound of bones shattering echoed through the hall.
Another superhuman, a B-rank woman with razor-sharp claws, leaped at Dave from behind, aiming to slice through him. He didn't even turn to face her. Instead, he raised his hand, a wave of invisible force erupting from his palm and sending her flying backward, crashing into the wall.
Dave's movements were precise, calculated. These superhumans, once a significant threat to anyone else, were nothing compared to his current power. His Rank SS status put him in a league of his own, far beyond anything they could comprehend.
The remaining superhumans hesitated, glancing at each other, doubt creeping into their expressions. They were strong, yes. But not strong enough. Not for him.
Dave didn't give them a chance to reconsider. In a flash, he appeared in front of the last attacker, the woman with the glowing tattoos. Her eyes widened as he raised his hand, his fingers glowing faintly with a power she couldn't understand. Before she could even react, he pressed his palm against her chest, and a shockwave of energy sent her flying down the corridor, unconscious before she even hit the ground.
The fight was over before it had even begun.
Dave stood in the center of the wreckage, his heart pounding, not from the battle, but from the anticipation of what lay ahead. These superhumans were nothing but obstacles—speed bumps on his path to Helios. His mind was focused on only one thing: his sisters. He had to find them.
He wiped the sweat from his brow and continued down the hall. His body buzzed with energy, but there was an underlying tension gnawing at him. Each level he descended brought him closer to them—closer to the truth of what Helios had done. He could feel it in his gut, a sickening certainty that something was terribly wrong.
As he moved deeper into Floor -3, the facility grew quieter. The walls were thicker, more reinforced, and the air was even colder. Dave's footsteps slowed as he approached a large, reinforced door with a thick, barred window.
Curiosity gnawed at him, and against his better judgment, he approached the window. The dim light from inside the room barely illuminated the space beyond, but what little he saw sent a shiver down his spine.
At first, it was hard to make out the figure on the other side of the glass. But as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the outline of a person came into focus. His heart skipped a beat.
It was a woman. Slumped against the far wall, her head hanging low, her arms bound in restraints. She looked fragile, her body bruised and battered, her clothes tattered and torn. Something about her felt... familiar.
His breath caught in his throat.
And then it hit him. The way her hair fell over her face, the color of her skin, the delicate features—this wasn't just any woman. This was someone he knew. Someone he loved.
Sarah.
Dave's eyes widened in horror as the realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. His mind reeled, unable to fully process what he was seeing. He took a step back, his heart pounding in his chest, his hands trembling.
"No... no..."
Before he could stop himself, a scream tore from his throat—a scream of terror, of anguish. His voice echoed down the empty halls, filled with the raw, uncontrollable fear of what had been done to his sister.
The sound bounced off the walls, reverberating through the darkness, leaving only silence in its wake.