The sterile white walls of the facility had always been his cage, but now, they felt more like the beginning of his path to freedom. Ha-jin had torn through the other test subjects, dismantling them without a single hint of hesitation. The pain that had once ruled his life was now channeled into the shadows, and in that dark space, he had become something more—a weapon without remorse, a tool of vengeance.
But as the silence of the test chamber settled over him, something gnawed at the edges of his mind. The shadows, which had been his solace, now seemed to beckon him, urging him toward something greater, something more. The system that had molded him was about to feel his wrath.
He stepped out of the chamber, his footsteps echoing in the cold hallways of the underground facility. There was no one to stop him now. The guards would come, of course, but they were no match for the power that surged within him.
As he moved through the darkened corridors, his mind flashed back to the years of pain and manipulation. The organization had taken everything from him—his childhood, his family, his humanity. Now, it was time to take it back.
Ha-jin's fingers twitched, and the shadows around him responded. They whispered, flowing like liquid darkness beneath his feet. With a thought, he sent them ahead, wrapping them around the guards at the entrance, silently pulling them into the dark corners of the facility, where no one would hear their screams.
When he reached the main control room, he didn't hesitate. He kicked the door open with a force that rattled the walls. The scientists inside froze at the sight of him, their eyes wide with fear. They had never seen him like this—no longer the broken boy they had experimented on, but a being of pure darkness, ready to destroy everything they had built.
"Subject 045," Dr. Choi's voice trembled as he backed away, "you… you're supposed to be—"
"Dead?" Ha-jin finished for him, stepping into the room, his eyes narrowing. "I'm far from it."
The scientists scrambled to defend themselves, reaching for weapons and buttons that would call for reinforcements. But it was already too late. Ha-jin's shadows surged forward like a tidal wave, sweeping over them, binding their arms and legs, pulling them toward him as if they were mere toys.
"No," Dr. Choi pleaded, his voice strained. "You don't understand. You were created to be a soldier. A weapon for the future. You can't destroy everything."
"You think I was created for this?" Ha-jin's voice was ice-cold. "You think you're the ones who made me?"
The shadows thickened, forming a dark halo around Ha-jin's body. They whispered in an ancient tongue, a language he barely understood but felt deep within his soul. The voices, once distant, were now clear, a call to something darker.
"You took everything from me. And now… you'll pay."
With a snap of his fingers, the shadows obeyed, dragging the scientists to the ground. Ha-jin stood over them, watching as their lives were slowly suffocated by the power he controlled.
The last of the scientists gasped for breath, his voice weak as he begged for mercy. "Please… you don't have to do this. You can join us. You can be part of the new world."
Ha-jin's eyes gleamed with cold fury. "The new world?" he repeated, stepping closer. "The one you built with lies and broken promises? No. I'm going to burn this world down, piece by piece."
He clenched his fist, and the shadows tightened around the remaining scientists, suffocating them with ruthless efficiency. In the span of moments, the room fell silent. Their bodies slumped, lifeless, as Ha-jin stood alone amid the wreckage.
He didn't feel satisfaction. There was no joy in this. It was a necessary step, nothing more. His emotions had long since been numbed, replaced by the cold, unwavering focus of his mission. He had no family, no friends—only a singular purpose that consumed him.
Destroy the system. Bring it all down.
But in the quiet aftermath, as Ha-jin stared at the wreckage of the control room, a faint echo of something different stirred within him. A shadow, not of vengeance, but of something else. A question.
What was the point of all this if there was nothing left to destroy?
No, Ha-jin quickly dismissed the thought. There was no room for doubt. He had a plan. He would not be swayed. The organization had betrayed him, and now, it would burn.
He turned, stepping over the bodies, his gaze cold and determined.
Before he could leave, a sudden voice echoed in his mind, pulling him back from the precipice of his thoughts. It wasn't a voice he recognized, but it was clear—urgent.
"Ha-jin."
He froze.
It wasn't just a voice. It was a presence. An unfamiliar energy, flickering at the edge of his mind, trying to pierce the veil of his thoughts.
It was the Specter Class—awakened within him, more than just an ability, but an ancient force, an entity reaching out, testing him.
Ha-jin gritted his teeth. He knew he wasn't the only one who had been altered by the experiments. There were others. Others who had been changed, just like him, just as dangerous. And somewhere out there, they were waiting.
"Ha-jin, the shadows are not the only path," the voice whispered, and for the first time in years, a flicker of something—perhaps fear—crawled under his skin.
He didn't respond. He couldn't. The mission was clear.
Destroy the system.
As he stepped out into the darkness once more, the shadows followed. But this time, Ha-jin wasn't just running from his past. He was running toward his future. And it was a future soaked in blood and shadow.