Under the Veil of Night

"The barrier broke," Cain murmured. Blood trickled down on the corner of his mouth as he tried to control his power.

Another harsh attack landed on his barrier. It jolted his body, causing him to lose control of his barrier. The barrier was completely broken as he knew that he couldn't summon even an ounce of his power anymore.

"You… should stop… fighting," Iris said in a low tone as she was gasping for breath. It was hard for her to breath with her current condition. "Your brain… will burn…. If…. you continue."

Cain didn't reply. He leaned back on the chair as he stared at the screen before him. He could see the two men had passed the guards located in the lobby. It would take them several seconds to reach this place.

Kreet. (sound of door opening)

Kevin glanced inside and looked at the two people in front of him. They looked rather weak and pale. His killing intent surged out as he recognized them as Ferdinand's men who have special talent.

Cain quickly raised his hand to make a barrier, but Kevin had already charged towards him and choked his neck.

"Ugh….!"

"Where's Rei?" Kevin asked coldly.

Cain pointed to the screen before him. "You can search by yourself."

It was connected to the cameras all around this building. If Kevin wanted to search for Kanae, he could try looking at the camera because there was a high chance that she would be captured.

Cain tried to struggle, but Kevin tightened his grip slightly, making the man unable to breathe freely.

"You should stop struggling. It's futile."

"I…. can't."

Kevin put the man down and Cain tried to make the barrier again. However, he felt a pain on his head. The pain stopped his movement as his face contorted. When he already felt the pain, he would never be able to summon his power on himself.

It was the defense mechanism that their body had. Unless they were cornered, they would never be able to summon their power at all. The other way to make themselves use their power again was the medicine that Professor Taren had made.

Kevin looked at the man. "Your father won't care about you even if you try to please him forever."

Cain looked back at Kevin quietly. He lowered his gaze slightly. "Even if Father didn't care for me, it's all I can do for him."

"Father….?" Iris was confused.

"Ferdinand is my father," Cain replied with a pained smile on his face.

Iris's pupil widened as she stared at the limpid man. All along, Cain has always been the quietest amongst them. No matter what kind of harsh rule and punishment that Ferdinand enforced, Cain would never voice out his complaint.

She had seen the man before her subjected into harsh training and forced to drink medicine numerous times. How could it be possible that a father treated his own son like that?

"You don't owe him anything," Kevin remarked. His eyes were still facing the screen, trying to find traces of Kanae while his uncle was busy cleaning the hall.

Cain closed his eyes. "I owe him my life."

He still could remember when he was still small his mother told him a story that he would never forget. When Ferdinand left for the war, his mother was pregnant with him. But after he was born, she received news that Ferdinand had died.

After falling into depression for several years, she moved on and married another man. It was only years later that Ferdinand returned only to see his wife had married someone else.

He was barely a teenager at that time.

"Ferdinand kills his ex-wife and her new husband out of his own volition," Kevin finally turned around. "It's not your fault."

Cain didn't reply. The only reason his mother married someone else was because she couldn't earn enough to raise a son. When he saw Ferdinand on the day he barged into their house, he knew instantly that he was his father. The resemblance they had with each other was inevitable.

The young him stared at Ferdinand with his pair of large eyes. The expression that he saw on Ferdinand's face at that day was unforgettable.

'Why are you killing my mother and father?'

'I'm your real father.'

Cain couldn't explain why, but he couldn't leave his father alone. From that day, he followed after Ferdinand and became one of his soldiers. But not even once, he tried to take advantage of their special relation.

"You should stop fighting or you'll be dead," Kevin checked on Cain's condition. "Do you know where they hold prisoners?"

"It should be at the lowest ground."

Lowest ground?

Kevin recalled the ominous feeling that he had when he traveled on the secret passage. If she was truly there, he wanted to go as fast as possible for he couldn't possibly leave her there any longer.

"Brat, have you finished?"

"Yes."

Kevin was about to walk out when Iris clutched his arm. "Wait!"

At that moment, Iris forcefully initiated her vision once again. She could see the alleyways of different parts on this building. However, the person she saw before her caused her to gasp in shock.

"Iris! Did you see the future again?" Cain struggled to sit down.

Iris nodded her head. She looked at Kevin with fearful glance. Kevin was about to yank his hand when he saw tears flowing out of Iris's eyes. He stopped in his movement as he looked at the young girl before him.

"You have the power to see the future, right?"

"Yes…"

"I don't know what you see, but you have to let me go. I have somewhere else that I should be."

Iris wanted to hold his hand longer, but Kevin had moved away. She took a deep breath as she spoke slowly.

"You…. can't go. You should…. leave this…. place."

Kevin frowned. "I have to save my friend."

"You can't… save… her…"

Kevin stopped in his tracks again. He had never told them that Kanae is a girl. Besides, the fact that Rei from Fiore Group is a girl was a secret that many people kept.

"How do you know that it's a girl?"

Tears flowed out even harder as she used her strength to speak. "Because you…. will…. kill her…."

The word 'kill' caused Kevin to stop his movement. He looked back at the weak woman before him. It was hard for him to believe that he would be the one to kill Kanae. He came here to save her.

That was extremely different.

After hesitating for a bit, Kevin turned around. No matter what, he couldn't stop here right now. If he stopped, he would never have the same chances again in the future.

"Brat, why are you leaking out your killing intent?" Patrick asked as he waved his spear.

"Nothing," Kevin replied. "Let's go."

No matter what, he couldn't stop. This was not only a mission to save Kanae, but also a mission to destroy this school and the inhumane research that they had done so far.

Inside the room, Iris felt her grip weakened.. She let her body laid on the chair as she closed her eyes and breathed her last.