Trigger Warning: The following chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence, gore, and brutality that some readers may find distressing. Reader discretion is advised.
The night was silent as Val stood in the briefing room, waiting for his deployment. The rest of Team Unknown and Dr. Lewis watched him with unwavering focus, each aware of the tension that had settled like a storm brewing in the distance.
Val took a steadying breath, his gaze calm as he nodded to the team. "I'll confirm once I'm in position," he said.
Ember crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on Val. "Stay on the Mind Link, and don't take any chances," he said, his voice low but firm. "Recon only. Remember, we're right here if anything changes."
Val nodded, then focused his energy, his form starting to shift as he activated the Void within him. Shadows twisted around him, distorting his figure until, with a ripple of darkness, he disappeared from HQ, reemerging in a remote, desolate stretch of land, just beyond the edge of the target facility.
The silence here was thick, oppressive, like the land itself was holding its breath. Val tapped into the Mind Link, sending a brief message to HQ.
On the field. Moving toward the facility.
Back at HQ, Ember's voice came through with a simple confirmation. "Received. Keep us updated."
Val moved swiftly, melding with the shadows as he approached the facility's perimeter. The air around him felt charged, tainted with a faint, foreboding energy that made his skin crawl. The facility itself loomed in the dark, a massive structure of stone and steel, its walls guarded and fortified. He could see faint movements from the patrols, shadows shifting along the walls and guard towers. This was clearly a site of significant importance to Hades' Wrath and Black Lotus.
Once he was close enough to slip through an unguarded corner of the fence, Val paused, letting the shadows envelop him, making his presence all but invisible. Then, he reached out inwardly, calling to the presence that lay dormant within him.
"Deleo, I need your help."
There was a flicker of darkness, and a cold chuckle echoed in his mind. "Ah, finally," Deleo's voice purred, laced with a mixture of amusement and anticipation. "I thought you'd never ask."
Val's gaze remained fixed on the facility as he moved forward. "Guide me. I need to know what's happening inside."
Deleo's response was immediate, a whisper that seemed to carry a faint hum of excitement. "Of course. Let's peel back the layers, shall we?"
With Deleo's assistance, Val slipped further into the facility. The Void within him surged, heightening his senses, allowing him to feel the faint traces of energy around him. He moved silently, his footsteps blending with the shadows, and slipped past the first set of guards, who were oblivious to his presence.
The deeper he moved, the more he began to notice things—tiny details that hinted at something far darker. The air grew thicker with each step, carrying the faint, metallic scent of blood. The silence was punctuated by muffled sounds—voices, low and urgent, interspersed with the occasional, gut-wrenching scream. It echoed faintly through the stone halls, as if coming from somewhere deep within the facility.
"They've been busy," Deleo murmured in Val's mind, his tone darkening.
Val's jaw tightened, and he slipped further into the shadows, his movements careful and precise. He reached a narrow hallway branching off from the main corridor, following it down a series of twisting turns until he reached an iron door. The sounds were louder here, almost rhythmic in their horror—throaty cries intermingled with the dull thud of something heavy striking flesh.
He hesitated for only a second, then peered through a crack in the door. The sight that greeted him was enough to chill his blood.
Beyond the door was a large, dimly lit room filled with rows of metal tables, each one occupied by a figure restrained in iron cuffs and chains.
Operatives in Black Lotus uniforms moved between the tables, their expressions cold and clinical as they adjusted machinery and inspected the bodies restrained before them. But it was the devices they used—long, sharp implements, tubes filled with a dark, viscous fluid—that made Val's stomach twist.
Each restrained figure bore signs of recent violence—cuts and burns, bruises and welts, each wound precise, as if inflicted with careful intent. And the fluid… Val narrowed his eyes, noting the dark, shadowy quality of the liquid being injected into the prisoners' veins. He could feel the faint, sickening echo of the Void emanating from it, like a corrupted pulse.
"They're experimenting with the Void," Val murmured inwardly, his voice tight with revulsion.
Deleo's voice in his mind grew sharper, his tone edged with fury. "They're trying to wield what they don't understand. Imbuing their prisoners with fragments of the Void's energy—corrupted and unstable. They're attempting to force compatibility."
Back at HQ, Val's live feed broadcasted the ghastly scene. Gasps filled the room as the operators and techs took in the horror unfolding on the screen. Some turned away, unable to stomach the sight, while others murmured in shock. Ember's jaw clenched, his fists tightening as he watched, his gaze dark with fury and disgust.
Dr. Lewis's voice broke the silence, low and strained. "Hades' Wrath… this is beyond anything we anticipated. This isn't just experimentation—it's mutilation."
The rest of the team, equally horrified, shared tense glances as they watched Val's feed continue to broadcast the grim details.
In the facility, Val forced himself to look away, his face hardening. "It's worse than I thought. They're not just using the Void—they're creating weapons out of it."
Deleo's voice came through, icy and calm. "And if they succeed, they'll create something monstrous. Something even I may struggle to contain."
Val pulled back from the door, his mind racing. He had all the evidence he needed to confirm what Hades' Wrath and Black Lotus were doing.
Quietly, he continued through the facility, recording every detail, every agonizing scream and twisted figure that filled the lab.
As he moved away from the lab, he felt a faint shift in the air, a slight change in the rhythm of footsteps down the hall. His instincts flared—someone was approaching. Quickly, he melded back into the shadows, pressing himself against the wall, his breath held as the figure drew nearer.
A guard rounded the corner, his gaze sweeping the corridor. Val stilled, his heartbeat loud in his ears as he waited, every muscle coiled in readiness. The guard paused, his gaze lingering on the spot where Val stood hidden, and for a tense moment, it seemed as if he could sense something, as if the shadows themselves had betrayed Val's presence.
Val tightened his grip on his weapon, prepared to strike if necessary. But just as the guard took a step closer, another voice echoed from down the hall.
"Report back to the lab. We're needed," the voice commanded.
The guard hesitated, then turned, walking briskly down the hall and out of sight. Val released a slow breath, his muscles unclenching as he regained his focus.
"That was close," he murmured inwardly, relief mingling with the lingering adrenaline.
Deleo's voice responded, edged with faint amusement. "Close, but not too close. Let's keep it that way. Finish your sweep and get out. We've seen enough."
Val nodded, moving carefully through the shadows as he continued his recon, every step taking him deeper into the facility's twisted secrets. But he knew he was running out of time. He had what he needed—evidence of the Void experiments, enough to give HQ a clear picture of Hades' Wrath's intentions.
As he reached the outer perimeter of the facility, he felt another shift in the air—a sense of being watched, a faint tingle along the back of his neck. He glanced around, his instincts on high alert. Someone, or something, was aware of his presence.