Under the Veil of Night

(Special mention for web novel [without space between the two words] reader nicacob)

…

Kanae's Father began to work on his laptop as he inserted some codes in order to hack into the database. His position in the research lab was not that high, but it was enough to allow him to enter the database and check on all the data inside. In addition, he would be able to add more data whenever there were new children coming in.

"Oh, you're still working?"

"Hmm?" Kanae's Father turned his head around. He saw his colleague and nodded his head. "There are two new children tested today. I'm updating their data inside."

"Let's see. Kirei Servo and Yueda Servo. Heh, to think that there'll be another one from Servo who can awaken her talent."

Kanae's Father arched his eyebrows at his colleague's remark. "What do you mean?"

"There's someone from the Servo Family called Sharo, Shion, uh Seitan… I forgot his name. Anyway, he just awakened his talent a few days ago and Professor Taren is very happy."

"What's his talent?"

"Marksmanship."

At that word, Kanae's Father's fingers nearly slipped from the keyboard. Even he knew full well how dangerous that talent would be because it meant that the boy would be able to aim at anything and reach its target without much effort. It was a very dangerous talent; one that might change the overall balance of power.

He was sure that with a gun on the boy's hand, he would be unstoppable. His wife had told him a story that she heard when she was young about someone who had the same talent . That man absolutely dominated the street with just a gun. His only weakness was his lack of physical ability which led to his death at the very end.

If the government managed to groom him, Kanae's Father was sure that his overall power would increase exponentially.

"That's amazing."

The colleague clicked his tongue. "There are more and more dangerous people recently. I don't understand why they want to gather so many of these people and attempt to make use of their abilities."

"General Ferdinand wants to create a powerful squad in order to take control of the city."

"Tsk, very ambitious."

Kanae's Father merely nodded his head and finished the report. He checked a few times to make sure that he didn't make any mistake that might lead to the government finding their real identities. It was only after he made sure that everything was in order that he went back home.

On his way out, Kanae's Father took his bag and walked out. The cold winter wind slapped his face as he gazed to the sky. Tomorrow, people from the government would take his daughter because of her talent. He only had one chance to make sure that she would be able to escape and return safely.

As he walked, he heard a loud greeting on the side.

"Sir Aria!"

Turning his head, Kanae's Father could see the big muscular soldier with a composed face. The light in the soldier's eyes changed a bit when he saw Kanae's Father.

"Are you going back?"

"Yes. I have already finished the work for today."

Aria nodded. He was only tasked to guard this place, so he didn't pay much attention to what happened inside. However, he took notice of the two young girls who came earlier today.

"Those two, they're your children, right?"

Kanae's Father didn't reply. He merely looked back at the soldier before him, who always looked expressionless as if he didn't have any emotion whatsoever.

"Will you stop me?"

"I won't."

"Why?"

"Do I need a reason to stay silent?" Aria asked back. He observed the researcher in front of him for a few seconds then turned around. "Do as you wish. I won't interfere."

Kanae's Father looked at the soldier's retreating figure for a short while. He had met with Aria a few times during his time here. However, Aria was a man of few words, so they didn't have much interaction. What he knew about Aria was this man came from the military and stayed by Ferdinand's side most of the time to do the work that was given to him.

"I'm home."

"Daddy! Sis created a mess in the kitchen again!" Laura ran to the front door when she heard that her father had arrived.

"It's not a mess!" Kanae's voice trailed from the kitchen.

Kanae's Father laughed. He lifted Laura up and looked at Kanae, who walked out of the kitchen with her stained clothes because of an 'accident'.

"What did you do this time, Kanae?"

"I messed up the sequence and heated up the pan first before adding water," Kanae mumbled while looking away. She was truly bad when it came to cooking, which often resulted in a mess.

Laura stuck out her tongue. "You need to pay more attention, Sis!"

"I did!"

"Come on. Let's have dinner. Kanae, I want to talk to you after our dinner."

Kanae lifted her head and looked at her father with curiosity. Her dark brown eyes seemed to see right through Kanae's Father. After a second, she averted her eyes back and ran to her bedroom to change her clothes.

'Sometimes, I really wonder what's in her mind.'

Looking at his daughter, Kanae's Father sighed to himself. More often than not, he couldn't guess what was inside Kanae's mind. She often wandered around and played a lot, yet at the same time, she could finish her school work perfectly. She didn't divulge much of her difficulties to him.

Being a parent is not easy.

After the dinner, which was a bit late due to Kanae's mess earlier in the kitchen, Kanae's Father called Kanae to the family room. His wife and Laura had already turned in early.

"Kanae, tomorrow there will be some people from the government who will take you to the lab."

"To your workplace, Father?" Kanae asked back.

Kanae's Father nodded. "They plan to enroll you in Lima School as a special student."

Kanae furrowed her brows. Due to Kanae's Father's identity as part of Nali Family, she and her sister had been studying in Lima School. They could only change school after they reached Junior High School grade. Usually, the two of them would live in the dorm and only returned during holiday.

Currently, it was Winter Holiday.

"Do you mean those students who seem to disappear during some hours, Father?" Kanae asked.

"Yeah."

"I don't want to."

"I know, if you do not want to get the special student role, you need to do all the things in this list tomorrow."

Kanae took the list that her father gave her. Although she's only nine years old, Kanae could already understand that the matter being discussed today was very serious. Looking at the list of things that she needed to do, Kanae frowned.

"Is this really possible?"

"I have already asked some colleagues to help out, so it should be fine," Kanae's Father replied. As long as Kanae could get out of the room during that short period of time, it would be enough.

Her hand tightened around the piece of paper. Kanae nodded slowly. "I understand, Father. I'll do my best."

"Good girl. Don't worry so much, ok? Everything will be fine."

"Mhm…."

Kanae's Father looked at his daughter and sighed internally. He knew that Kanae must have understood more than what he had told her, but this was the only method he knew to not let her get confined in that place. Staying inside there just a few hours could seal her fate and she might never be able to get out of that place forever.

'I can't do much as an ordinary researcher. My hands have long been stained with the blood of other children, but at the very least, I want to protect my daughter. I hope that one day, someone can end this insane research. Even if I have to pay with my own life because of what I have done, I'll create a path to end this all.'

Looking at his daughter's small back, Kanae's Father sighed.

'Because of that, I'm sorry, my daughter. I can't be a good father to you.'

…

(End of Side Story 2)