I could hear the twins crying their eyes out.

I knew how they felt, anyone would feel the same. Hell, I had done the same once.

I let them cry as much as they needed and didn’t say anything until they calmed down.

Then they looked at me and the silver-haired twin spoke: “Um, Mr. Xeno, can you please tell us where we are? And why we are here?”

I looked at them and tried to sound as gentle as possible: “Well, I can tell you, but you have to promise me to stay calm and not interrupt me until I’m done, okay? And please don’t call me mister. I’m only a year or two older than you, even if I don’t look like it.”

They nodded their heads, showing their agreement, and looked a bit embarrassed for calling me mister.

I then proceeded in telling them everything I knew from my time here.

I told them about the facility, the torture, the human experiments, the superhumans. I didn’t leave anything out.

However, I didn’t tell them anything about myself or about how I ended up like this. I could see their faces turning paler and paler as they realized their situation.

The girls were speechless after hearing my explanation.

They didn’t make a sound for a long time, until the silver-haired twin blurted out: “So, you’re saying we’re stuck here, being tortured until we die? And we’re going to end up looking like you, all bloody and bruised?”

I looked at their scared faces and tried to lighten the mood a bit. I said: “Hey, don’t be so harsh. I’m still handsome, even if I look like this. You don’t have to insult me, you know.” I stuck out my tongue like a kid, which made the other twin giggle.

I went on: “And you know, it’s rude not to introduce yourself after someone tells you their name. How am I supposed to call you if I don’t know your names? Silver-haired twin and the other twin? Come on, that’s too much work!”

This time the girl with the honey-colored hair spoke, her voice less shaky than before. “Hello Xeno, I’m sorry we didn’t introduce ourselves earlier. You know how it is, right? You’ve been in our shoes before. I’m Hana, and this is my twin sister Ha-Eun.”

I smiled weakly at them. “Nice to meet you both. I’m Xeno, your new cellmate, I suppose. Do you mind telling me why you’re here?”

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They nodded and began to tell me their story. It made me sick to my stomach. What kind of parents could do such things? What kind of mother could burn her children with cigarettes and make them work since they were six? How could they endure so much pain and suffering? And then their foster parents sold them like objects, instead of giving them a chance at a better life. How could anyone treat these sweet girls so cruelly? I couldn’t comprehend it.

I felt a surge of anger and compassion for them. I wanted to protect them, to make them feel safe and loved. However, I knew I couldn’t do much in this hellhole. We were all prisoners here, trapped in a nightmare that never ended. The only thing I could offer them was my friendship and loyalty. Maybe that would be enough to keep them going, to give them some hope. I reached out and took their hands in mine.

“Listen, you’re not alone anymore. I’m here for you, okay? We’ll stick together and get through this. Somehow, we’ll find a way out of here.”

They looked at me with tears in their eyes. Then suddenly both of them hugged me and started crying while saying:” This is our first-time hearing anyone say that they will be there for us. We lived our whole lives not knowing any love or sympathy from anyone. Even if what you said are empty words, we are really thankful to you Xeno.”

I felt a surge of emotion and hugged them back. I gently caressed their hair as they wept on my shoulder. They held on to me and cried until they had nothing left.

Some time passed and then Hana raised her head and gazed into my eyes. “Xeno, will you tell us your story? Will you tell us what you’ve endured and why you’re here?” I took a deep breath and decided to trust them. I told them everything, from my father’s death to my present state. They gasped and flinched as I gave them more details.

They couldn’t restrain their anger and yelled: “How can people be so wicked? How can they do such things to other humans? Are you really okay, Xeno? How do you live with those injuries they gave you?”

I stared at them with resolve in my eyes and said: “Don’t worry about me. I’m still alive and I’m not going anywhere. I have revenge on my mind. I won’t rest until I make them all pay. The organization, the facility, Roger, Rick, Carlo, and the chief. They’ll all regret what they’ve done. And as for you twins, rest easy, I’ll protect you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make a deal with the chief, even if it means breaking my body. So, relax from now on. Eat, sleep, train, and get stronger. All I want is for you to be happy, even in this hell. I’ll always be there for you, so don’t worry.”

The twins hurriedly shook their heads and said: “We can’t let you suffer for us. If you take our place, you’ll die for sure.”

I smiled at them as softly as I could and said: “Your bodies are very frail and won’t survive a minute. You’ll die the first time they touch you and I think the chief and Rick know that. That’s why they brought you here. They knew I would come to them to make a deal to save you and that having a purpose would give me more motivation to endure whatever they throw at me. Don’t worry about me, and if you really care, just take care of me when I can’t take care of myself. That would help me a lot.”

The twins nodded and hugged me again. They thanked me for being so brave and kind. They said they would do anything for me, as long as I stayed alive.

I felt a warmth in my heart that I hadn’t felt in a long time from their words and actions.

I hugged them back and told them not to worry. To leave the rest to me.

We stayed like that for a while, holding each other and feeling each other’s heartbeat. We felt a bond that was stronger than blood, forged by pain and hope.

We felt like a family, even in this hell.