Barkley's vision gradually blurred. He only remembered that he stumbled forward along the dilapidated tunnel, his body aching, and his consciousness hovering on the edge of exhaustion. Irene walked steadily beside him.
Although she was obviously exhausted, her unshakable faith still supported her to move forward. The darkness seemed to swallow up all the light, and the footsteps of the two of them were amplified by the walls of the tunnel into a hollow echo, which seemed more and more dull.
"Irene, where can we go?" Barkley finally couldn't help asking, his voice hoarse and weak. He never thought that the escape could be so long, full of unknowns and fears.
"We are almost there," Irene replied in a low voice. Although she could hear that she was also tired, her tone was still full of a strong belief. "There is a hidden safe area ahead, which only a few people know. We can rest there temporarily and start to crack the information left by your parents for you."
"How do you know these places?" Barkley couldn't help asking. He became more and more curious about Irene's past and her extensive intelligence network. She seemed to be everywhere, knowing every corner, able to find those almost forgotten places and routes.
Irene did not answer immediately, but was silent for a while, as if choosing the right words. Then she said softly: "Because I used to work with them - your parents."
Barkley stopped and his eyes suddenly locked on Irene. This unexpected answer made his thoughts instantly confused. He never thought that Irene would have such a deep connection with his parents. What does this mean? Why didn't she ever tell him?
"You and my parents... know each other?" Buckley asked with difficulty, trying to understand the hidden meaning behind this sentence.
"Yes, Buckley." Irene's voice was still calm, but there seemed to be a hint of complex emotions behind that calmness, "I worked with them for a long time. Before your parents disappeared, we worked on some very important research together, involving the genetic modification project that is now bothering you."
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Buckley's tone became sharp involuntarily. He felt a hidden anger surging in his chest. How many secrets did Irene and his parents hide? And he has been kept in the dark, being ruthlessly manipulated by these things.
"I can't tell you, I can't." Irene's eyes flickered, "When your parents disappeared, they left many unsolved mysteries, and the biggest mystery is you. Your safety is the first priority, and I must make sure you know everything at the right time-any early revelation may cause you to be involved in greater danger before you are able to face them."
Barkley didn't know how to respond to this explanation. He felt angry, confused, and even a little betrayed. But he also understood that there was no point in questioning Irene now. He needed the truth, and these truths, as Irene said, might be related to his life and death.
They continued to move forward, and Irene's explanation filled Barkley's mind with unsolved questions. He recalled the clues he had accidentally obtained over the years: the sudden disappearance of his parents, the mysterious transformation in his genes, and his inexplicable "instinct reaction"-those extraordinary abilities that suddenly appeared in critical moments. Now everything seems to be gradually connected, but it is still shrouded in layers of fog.
"We're here." Irene's voice brought Barkley back to reality from his thoughts. He looked up and found that they were standing in front of a small room hidden behind a heavy metal door. The door was completely hidden on the side of the tunnel. If it weren't for Irene leading the way, Barkley would never have noticed it.
Irene entered a complex password, and the metal door made a heavy click and slowly opened inward. Behind the door was a small control room, which was simple but well-equipped. The display screen on the wall was still working, and there were several functioning consoles in the corner, as if this was a shelter that had been abandoned for a long time but still maintained operation.
"This is one of the safe points your parents left for us." Irene explained, walked into the room and turned on one of the consoles. "Here are some of their data and research results, and we can use them to unlock the secrets in your genes."
Barkley looked around, and his heart was filled with complex emotions again. This seemed to be the closest place to his parents after he lost contact with them. Those left-behind equipment and records seemed to silently tell everything his parents had experienced at the time. However, these cold machines still couldn't fill the blank in his heart - why did they disappear? What exactly are they studying?
Erin skillfully operated the console, and a large amount of data streams flashed on the screen. Her hands danced quickly on the keyboard, as if entering some complex decoding instructions.
"Your parents' research involves the recombination and evolution of the genome." Erin continued to operate while explaining, "They found a special encoding method that can embed certain information into the human genome and activate it under certain conditions. This is why you have never noticed anything unusual since you were a child, until recently, this information began to awaken in your body."
Barkley frowned, trying to understand it all. "What exactly is this information? Why do they do this?"
"Because they carry the key to the future of mankind." Erin's voice was low and serious, "Your parents are studying a gene that may change the direction of human evolution. They believe that through this encoding method, they can activate the hidden potential of humans and even resist certain unknown threats. The Shadow Council is hunting you for this information. They want to control it and even use it."
Erin's words made Barkley feel a heavy pressure in his heart. He never thought that he would become part of such a huge plan. There was such a complex and dangerous secret hidden behind his parents' disappearance, and he was just a pawn involved in this huge game.
"What will happen if they get this information in my body?" Barkley asked uneasily.
Erin stopped what she was doing and looked at Barkley deeply. "If the Shadow Council successfully unlocks the information in your genes, they will have the ability to transform and control the future of mankind. This is not only about your fate, but also about the freedom and survival of all mankind."
The tension in the air suddenly intensified with her words. Barkley felt a shudder in his heart. He always thought that he was just an ordinary person who was forced to be involved in the predicament left by his parents. However, at this moment, he realized that this was not just his personal destiny, but a conspiracy involving broader interests.
"How much of my parents' research has not been revealed?" Barkley almost muttered to himself.
"There are still many more." Irene sighed and started working again, "and we can only decode this information step by step. Your parents designed a very complex genetic encryption system for you. It takes time to unlock it-and what we lack most is time." Barkley nodded silently. He knew that he could only move forward now. No matter how heavy the truth was, he had to face it. He silently made up his mind in his heart: no matter what was waiting for him ahead, he would not retreat again. Maybe this is a fate he cannot escape, but he will choose how to face it. "What do we do next?" Barkley asked, with a hint of determination in his tone. Irene glanced at him and nodded, obviously noticing the changes in Barkley's heart. She took out a chip from the console and handed it to him. "This is one of the core data left by your parents. We need to find a way to implant it into your genetic system so that you can fully unlock the information in your body."
"How long will it take?"
"It depends on the environment and equipment." Irene explained, "Although the operation here is concealed, we still face the risk of being tracked. We need to find a safer place as soon as possible to complete the whole process."
Barkley took the chip and felt its cold touch from his fingertips to his heart. This small object seemed to
carry an immeasurable weight-it was the legacy left by his parents and the key to changing his destiny.
And in front of them, the torrent of destiny was quietly surging.