The laboratory was steeped in an eerie silence, broken only by the faint hum of machinery.

The air was thick with the smell of burnt wires and blood.

All around, the lifeless bodies of scientists and guards lay sprawled, their blonde hair stained with crimson.

Among them, hollow creatures lay defeated, their empty eyes staring into the void.

In the center of this grim tableau stood Noel, his body a canvas of bruises and wounds.

He swayed on his feet, barely able to keep himself upright.

Each breath he took was a struggle, a painful reminder of the battle he had endured.

At his feet lay David, unconscious and vulnerable, a stark contrast to the destruction that surrounded them.

Noel’s mind raced.

This was the moment he had been waiting for, the perfect opportunity to exact his revenge, to end the torment that had plagued him for so long.

His hand trembled as he raised his weapon, the culmination of all his suffering and anger focused on this single act.

But then, the silence was shattered by the flicker of a screen.

The harsh light cut through the darkness, drawing Noel’s attention.

There, on the screen, was a man dressed impeccably, exuding authority and confidence. Robert.

Noel didn’t know who he was, but something about him ignited a fire deep within.

Noel felt a surge of emotions he couldn’t quite comprehend—rage, hatred, and a burning desire.

It was as if Robert’s very presence had awakened something primal and savage inside him.

The edges of Noel’s vision blurred, and his heart pounded in his chest.

This wasn’t just a man on a screen; he was the embodiment of everything Noel despised, everything that had caused his pain.

A wave of madness washed over him, a compulsion so strong it threatened to consume him.

Noel’s grip tightened on his weapon, his knuckles white with the intensity of his need to kill.

His breath quickened, each exhale a growl of suppressed fury.

He could feel it rising, a dark tide of bloodlust that demanded to be released.

"Who are you?" Noel demanded, his voice a raw mix of exhaustion and fury.

He could already guess the answer, but he needed to hear it, needed to confront the man behind this chaos.

His tone was laced with a venomous anger that echoed through the silent lab.

"Can't you already guess?" Robert replied, his casual smile infuriatingly serene.

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Unlike Noel, Robert exuded a relaxed composure, his tone calm and almost mocking.

The contrast between them was stark: Noel, battered and brimming with rage, and Robert, unruffled and self-assured.

"What do you want?" Noel asked, his voice tight with restrained fury.

He gritted his teeth, summoning the strength to push himself up, every muscle in his body protesting.

Slowly, he managed to stand, his legs trembling under the strain.

"What I want is simple," Robert said, his nonchalance almost unbearable.

"Let go of David."

He spoke as if the request was trivial, as if Noel's entire world wasn’t hanging in the balance.

"And why should I?" Noel snarled, taking a step closer to David.

He bent down, grabbing David's hand with a possessive grip, his eyes never leaving the screen.

The desperation in his movements was palpable, a man on the edge, clinging to the last shred of his purpose.

"If you do so, I will forgive all your crimes and let you work with us," Robert said, his tone patronizing, as if he was offering Noel a great favor.

Noel's heart pounded in his chest, the offer twisting like a knife in his gut.

The sheer arrogance of Robert's words made his blood boil.

Forgive his crimes?

Work with them?

The very idea was a bitter mockery of everything he had fought for, everything he had lost.

"From the orphanage to the experiments, from that director to this scientist... you are behind everything, aren't you?" Noel's voice trembled with a mix of rage and anguish as he spoke.

He raised his head, locking eyes with Robert, searching for some shred of remorse or humanity.

"Yes," Robert replied, his tone unwavering and confident. "I'm behind everything."

"Why did you do it?" Noel's voice cracked, the weight of his past pressing down on him.

"It wasn't much of a choice. It was for the greater good," Robert said with infuriating calmness, as if the suffering he had caused was merely a footnote in some grand narrative.

"For the greater good, you say?" Noel sneered, his lip curling in disgust.

His anger flared, a scorching fire in his chest.

The thought that Robert considered his torment to be for the "greater good" made his blood boil.

Every hardship, every moment of pain and fear, dismissed with a few cold words.

"You have every right to be angry, but think about it for a moment," Robert began, his voice measured and rational.

"If we hadn't initiated Project Epoch, then the villains wouldn't have been defeated. And if the villains weren't defeated, everyone in this society—their friends, their families—would be in constant danger. We had no other choice but to make some sacrifices."

Robert spoke as if everything he did was justified, as if his actions were beyond reproach.

His calm demeanor only intensified Noel's fury.

Noel barely heard the rest of Robert's words; he was struck by a single term.

"Family, you say?" Noel's voice cracked, his eyes blazing with fury.

"What about my family, the one this society stole from me? What about my father, who was betrayed by his so-called friend? What about my mother, who hung herself because of the very people you're claiming to protect?"

His voice rose with each word, the raw emotion of years of pain and loss pouring out.

"You talk about sacrifices as if they were necessary, but what about the sacrifices I were forced to make? What about the nights I cried myself to sleep, wondering why my family was taken from me? What about the years spent in that hellish orphanage, subjected to your twisted experiments?"

Noel's breathing was ragged, his entire body trembling with the force of his emotions.

His anger and madness swirled together, creating a storm that threatened to consume him.

He took a step closer to the screen, his eyes never leaving Robert's.

"You think you can justify your actions by calling it the greater good? You think that makes it okay?" Noel's voice was a growl now, deep and guttural.

"You talk about protecting society, but what about the society that turned its back on me? That took everything from me?"

Robert remained silent, his expression inscrutable.

His calmness was infuriating, a stark contrast to the turmoil raging inside Noel.

"And what about the bastard who burned my house?" Noel's voice trembled with barely contained rage.

"Your Nexus officers didn't punish him properly. It was me who executed him for his sins, for his crimes."

Robert's eyes flickered, but his calm demeanor remained unshaken.

"I understand your anger, but you need to be understanding as well. Try to look at it from another angle."

"Forget about it," Noel snarled, his voice cold and resolute.

"You wanted my answer, right?"

He lifted David's hand, feeling the weight of his decision.

The knife in his hand gleamed under the harsh laboratory lights, a tool of finality.

Noel's grip tightened around the handle, the metal cool against his skin.

His heart pounded, each beat echoing with the memories of his lost family and the pain inflicted upon him.

With a swift, determined motion, Noel slashed the knife across David's arm.

The blade bit deep into the flesh, a crimson line blooming instantly.

Blood gushed from the wound, flowing freely and pooling on the cold floor.

The sight of the blood, the tangible evidence of his resolve, filled Noel with a grim satisfaction.

David stirred, a moan escaping his lips as the pain registered.

Noel's own breathing was ragged, his mind a tempest of emotions.

He watched the blood flow, each drop a testament to the suffering and rage he had carried for so long.

"This is my answer," Noel declared, his voice steady and cold.

"He will die in a few minutes, but don't worry. Soon, I'll execute you as well. And the society you're trying to protect, the society that made my parents suffer until their deaths—I will make it suffer. Suffer so much that they will wish to die."

Robert's expression hardened, the first true sign of fear creeping into his eyes.

"You won't be able to," he said, his voice filled with defiant determination.

"I'll protect them."

"Good luck then," Noel chuckled darkly, a sound devoid of mirth.

With a sudden, violent motion, he hurled the knife at the screen.

The blade struck true, shattering the glass and sending sparks flying.

The screen cracked and went dark, Robert's image disappearing in an instant.

The lab was plunged into an oppressive silence, the only sound the steady drip of blood from David's arm.

Noel turned, his movements slow and deliberate, each step a testament to his resolve.

His heart pounded with a mix of rage and satisfaction.

The weight of his actions settled over him, but he felt no regret—only a cold, burning purpose.

As he moved to leave the laboratory, he glanced back at David one last time.

The man's life was slipping away, a casualty of the twisted world they inhabited.

Noel's jaw tightened, his resolve hardening.

This was only the beginning.

The society that had stolen his family, that had turned him into a weapon of vengeance, would soon be painted with madness.