Chapter 38: Infiltration Plan

Adam POV

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There wasn’t much left in the video.

After nearly getting caught, Dix bolted. The noble almost spotted him, but he managed to escape just in time. The footage ended abruptly, the screen flickering to black.

As the terminal shut down, my own reflection stared back at me.

But my mind was in disarray.

Lora.

My sister.

She was here.

Why?

Why was she in this world? Did she die on Earth too? But if that were the case… why was she still in her original body?

No…

Did she accept the fake goddess's offer?

My heart pounded. Thoughts swirled chaotically in my mind, each one more overwhelming than the last.

I was spiraling—until a calm voice anchored me back to reality.

"Adam."

Nove’s voice echoed in my head, steady and composed.

"Calm down. Nothing has happened yet. You know just as well as I do that they won’t harm your sister."

I clenched my fists.

She was right.

Even the fake goddess had said they needed those people. They were being "educated," whatever twisted thing that meant. That meant Lora wasn’t in immediate danger.

I exhaled, my body sinking into the chair as relief washed over me.

"Thanks, Nove. I'm glad at least someone’s here with me."

I could almost hear her smile in her response.

"Happy to help."

Lora...

My sister.

Well—technically, we weren’t related by blood.

Back on Earth, we were part of a small group of abandoned kids. Five of us, in total. We had no parents, no homes, no real families. Just each other.

I was the eldest, only by a few years, but I took care of them. We called each other siblings because, in the end, we were all we had.

But that didn’t explain why Lora was here.

I shook my head.

It didn’t matter.

The why wasn’t important.

What mattered was that she was here.

And she was trapped.

I had to save her.

With renewed determination, I reached for the USB Dara had plugged into the terminal, tucked it safely into my inventory, and headed straight back to her office.

The scene was exactly the same as before—except now, Dix’s HP bar had dropped to 50%.

Collapsed on the table, his entire body twitched and convulsed, residual sparks of electricity crackling across his limbs. Even the health potion I left him earlier was now completely empty.

Poor guy.

"Looks like you’ve seen the video." Dara’s voice pulled my attention back to her. The remote she’d used to zap Dix disappeared into her inventory as she crossed her arms.

"So… what’s the plan?"

I took a deep breath, meeting her gaze with unwavering seriousness.

"There’s something I need to tell you first."

She raised an eyebrow, sensing the shift in my tone.

"My sister… she’s there. With them."

Dara’s eyes widened.

"I thought you had… amnesia?"

"I do." I cut her off before she could start questioning me. "But I’d recognize her anywhere. Which is why we need to move—ASAP."

Her expression shifted, a mix of concern and understanding. I expected a flood of questions, doubts, maybe even hesitation… but instead, she nodded.

"Then let’s come up with a plan. Fast."

"Right…" I muttered, before pointing toward Dix, still twitching on the table.

Dara blinked. "Oh yeah. I forgot about him."

… Even I’m not that heartless, Dara.

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A few minutes later, we all gathered in the meeting room.

…Which, by the way, I didn’t even know existed.

It was a large space with a sleek, oval-shaped table at its center. Several chairs were evenly spread around it, and a large terminal stood on the wall in the middle, likely for displaying information.

Besides me, Dix, and Dara, there were two more people I had never seen before.

The first was a tall guy with pale skin and short black hair. He looked older than the rest of us, probably around twenty. He introduced himself as Markus.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The second was a young girl with blonde twin tails and striking blue makeup on her eyes, with red blush painted across her cheeks. Her name was Pao.

Unlike Dix and Dara, both of them were humans.

But what caught my attention the most?

They both had the same rank as Dara.

Meaning, even with all these high-ranking members in the room… somehow, Dix was still the highest-ranked person here.

…How?

"Alright," Markus spoke first, crossing his arms. His sharp eyes flickered between us.

"What’s the issue?"

"Yeah, do you have any idea how busy we are?" Pao huffed, arms crossed. "Thanks to a certain someone, we've got House Luminari soldiers crawling all over the place."

She shot a sharp glare at Dix.

"Nya! Guys, listen, nya! I know this is my fault, nya, but—" Dix raised his hands in surrender. "They’ll only be here for a day or two… maybe a week tops, nya?"

Pao didn’t look convinced. Neither did Markus.

"So, what’s the issue this time?" Pao finally asked, turning her gaze toward me.

I remained silent, deep in thought, while Dara took over and briefed everyone on the situation. She even pulled up the footage Dix had recorded and displayed it on the terminal.

By the time the video ended, the room was eerily quiet.

I was still formulating a plan with Nove, but it was Markus who finally broke the silence.

"If we’ve uncovered something this serious, why not just report it to the police?"

"Can’t, nya." Dix shook his head. "We have reason to believe the police have already been bought off."

"Then why not take it directly to His Highness?" Pao suggested, elegantly flipping open a small paper fan and holding it in front of her face. "I doubt he’d sit by idly while something like this happens in his kingdom."

"That’s not an option either," I cut in. "If we go through official channels, there’s a high chance I won’t even get to see my sister. Worse, they might take her somewhere I’ll never be able to find her."

At that, everyone fell into deep thought.

"So, in the end, we're the ones who have to act, huh?" Markus muttered, rubbing his chin.

"We’re not a combat unit or a rescue force," Dara pointed out. "Most of our people don’t even know how to fight—let alone infiltrate a high-security mansion."

Dix immediately raised his hand.

"Nya! You’re looking at the one person who already infiltrated that place!"

Pao’s gaze darkened. From behind her fan, she radiated pure killing intent.

"You’re also the one who brought House Luminari to our doorstep."

Dix’s confidence crumbled instantly.

Markus sighed. "Why don’t we just ask House Luminari to help us?"

"Not possible," Dara said as she took a seat beside me. "House Luminari isn’t here to help us—they’re only interested in capturing the fugitive. They have no real ties to this kingdom, so even if they found the children, they’d likely just report it to the police and move on."

I froze for a second.

Wait…

My mind started piecing things together, and almost immediately, Nove chimed in.

"Ohhh, that’s a good plan, Adam."

I smirked. "Yeah… this could work."

I turned to the group, my grin widening.

"Alright, guys… I have an idea."

Their eyes locked onto me, curiosity and skepticism mixed in their expressions.

"We might not be able to get House Luminari to raid the mansion directly… but what if we could get them to do it indirectly?"

Dix’s ears perked up. "Nya? Go on..."

"Think about it—they’re all here searching for the fugitive, right?" I paused for effect, then continued, "So, what do you think would happen if they saw the fugitive… entering that mansion?"

There was a beat of silence before Markus crossed his arms, nodding slowly.

"That… could actually work," he admitted.

Pao tapped her fan against her palm as it closed down. "It would certainly cause enough of a stir to get their attention."

Dara’s golden eyes gleamed as she caught on. "We wouldn’t even need to lift a finger. Once House Luminari charges in, we can use the chaos to slip inside and extract the children. We can also do it the other way around"

"Exactly," I said, leaning forward. "So, here’s how it’s gonna go down…"

And with that, I laid out the plan.

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Lora POV

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Darkness. Weakness. Pain.

That’s all I’ve known since being trapped here.

Life has lost its meaning. The air is stale, the world around me is grey, and these chains—these disgusting chains—mock my existence. My wrists and ankles ache from their cold, unrelenting grip, and the rags draped over my body do little to shield me from the biting chill of the dungeon.

Is this my punishment?

Retribution for my sins? For the blood I spilled?

…It doesn’t matter.

The so-called goddess lied to me. She promised I’d see him again. That I’d be with him. But she was wrong.

He is gone. Forever.

My thoughts drift back to my loving older brother. The one who cared for me, for all of us. We weren’t saints—we were killers—but he was the only one who made us human. He reminded us of kindness. Of warmth. Of love.

He was mine.

My brother, my world, my everything.

He always listened. No matter how many times I called his name, no matter how ridiculous my whims, he was there. Watching over me. Guiding me. Keeping me safe.

I thought he was invincible.

How could he not be? He was my Adam.

So, when they told me he had died, I didn’t believe them. How could I? Even when I saw his lifeless body, I refused to accept it. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real.

Only when my trembling hands reached for the small locket around his neck, the one with our picture inside, did I finally understand.

He left me.

He was gone.

My stomach twisted into knots, my fingers clenched into fists, my nails digging into my palms until they bled. But it was fine.

I found the one who took him from me.

I made him suffer.

And then…

…

So, when the goddess whispered sweet nothings into my ear, telling me I could see him again, that I could be with him forever…

Of course, I said yes.

But that was a lie, too.

The cold stone walls of this dungeon remind me of our past, when we first met as childrens, of the life we once had, when everything was perfect, when we were together. Back when I had him.

I don’t know when it happened, but the world lost its colors.

Everything is grey.

Even my hands. My clothes. My skin.

I stare into the void, whispering the name that has never left my lips.

"Adam..."

A single tear escapes, sliding down my cheek, staining my hollow face.

Why did you leave me?

WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!

WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE TOGETHER FOREVER!

WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?!

My thoughts shattered as the heavy door creaked open.

A man stepped inside—a noble, judging by his attire. I didn’t bother looking up at him. What was the point?

I had no strength left to fight. No energy to run.

The cold shackles binding my wrists and ankles clanked softly as I shifted slightly, the weight of the chains pressing into my skin. I barely even felt it anymore. It was a dull, distant ache—just like everything else.

Let it happen. Whatever it was, let it happen.

It didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered anymore.

"Huh, so you're the latest one she dragged in?" His voice was mocking, condescending.

I still refused to lift my head, but even without looking, I knew. He was grey too.

Just like everything else in this miserable world.

No color. No warmth. No light.

"Well, aren't you a bit disappointing?" he sneered. "The others she’s taken over the years were way stronger than you. But I guess that’s what happens when she almost got that soul."

His voice dripped with barely contained excitement.

I heard the door close behind him, the last sliver of dim torchlight swallowed by suffocating darkness. His footsteps echoed, slow and deliberate as he approached.

"I still can’t believe a mere soul could fight back against her, let alone wound her." He let out a twisted chuckle. "Do you even realize how powerful we would be if we had it? We would be unstoppable."

His voice was laced with obsession, but when his gaze landed back on me, his excitement quickly faded into disappointment.

"But you… you’re nothing like that one."

I finally turned my head, my hollow eyes meeting his.

I didn’t speak. I didn’t need to.

The world was already dead to me.

With a sigh, he pulled out a strange staff from thin air. The second it appeared, a suffocating aura filled the room, sending an eerie chill down my spine.

Even in my numb state, I felt it.

The staff reeked of something wrong. Something that shouldn’t exist.

"Regardless, a soul from another world is still extremely powerful. So, First things first," he said, twirling the staff in his grip. "We need to fix your life force. Can’t have someone with only half her life force left in her."

His smirk widened as he pointed the staff at me. "After that, well… say goodbye to your mind."

Something in the staff pulsed, dark energy coiling and slithering like hungry shadows.

"You’ll never think for yourself again. Never fight back. Never disobey. You’ll be ours. A perfect little puppet."

The suffocating darkness swelled.

My vision blurred.

I didn’t feel fear.

I didn’t feel anger.

I only saw him.

That warm, gentle smile. Those kind, loving eyes. My brother. My Adam.

Adam…

And then, the world went black.