The air in the room was stifling, charged with tension. The cold walls seemed to absorb their breath, as if waiting for the moment to explode. Luna stood beside Five's Wall, her eyes fixed on the door, while he fidgeted with his fingers... a habit of his when he was nervous.
This was the moment of reckoning, the true test.
Seraph, who was supposed to make the first move, remained frozen in place. He stood there, rigid, his breath heavy, his eyes lost in the void. It was as if he were trying to suppress an internal storm, but it was stronger than him.
Then… he remembered.
The night before… In Romanov's office, where the darkness swallowed the corners, Seraph stood before him, his eyes fixed on the floor.
His words came out quietly, without real hesitation, but he deliberately added a slight tremor to his tone.
Seraph: "The plan is set for tonight… They will enter through the side corridor."
Romanov showed no immediate reaction. He simply leaned back in his chair, observing Seraph with an analytical gaze.
Romanov: "Hmm... You know, Seraph? I knew you'd come to me. Because these very hands shaped you... molded you... and no matter how far you run, you'll always return to where you belong."
Seraph clenched his fist slightly… Just as Five had predicted.
Back to the present… The heavy thud of boots against the rough wooden floor snapped him out of his trance. The sound of death was approaching, echoing through the building.
The doors shattered.
Luna and Five's door burst inward, and the guards stormed in like a tempest. In less than a second, weapons were aimed at their heads, but they didn't move… They didn't resist… As if they had expected this all along.
Romanov stood at the threshold, looking at Seraph before letting out a short chuckle.
Romanov: "Heh… Well done, Seraph."
His tone was not just one of praise... it dripped with mockery. He didn't need to say anything more.
Then he turned to Five, narrowing his eyes as a slow smile crept across his face.
Romanov: "I thought you were smarter than this, Five. But it seems you're still just a child dreaming of freedom."
He stepped closer, leaning in to whisper by his ear.
Romanov: "Don't worry… I'll make sure you learn a lesson you won't forget."
But Five didn't respond. Nor did Luna. There wasn't a flicker of resistance on their faces.
Romanov walked ahead as the guards escorted Five and Luna down to the lower cells. The dim lights barely illuminated their path, the damp concrete walls reeking of mold and old blood.
But something wasn't right.
One of the guards reached out to shove Five forward… but his hand passed through him.
Romanov stopped in his tracks. For a moment, no one moved. Then, slowly, everything began to unravel.
The walls… the floor… even the air itself wavered like a mirage in a scorching desert.
Then, as if a curtain had been pulled back, everything vanished. Five's body… then Luna's… disappeared as if they had never been there at all.
Romanov's eyes narrowed in sheer fury.
Romanov: "…That brat…"
Then, without hesitation, he roared at the top of his lungs.
Romanov: "They're still upstairs! Raid the rooms now!"
As the guards rushed upstairs, Five stood in the shadows behind his room's door, staring at the wall ahead.
Five: "Time is running out, Luna… He must start now!"
Luna, despite her tension, moved swiftly toward the opposite wall, her fingers brushing against its cold surface. And as she did, she remembered their conversation the night before…
A few hours ago… She had been leaning against the wall, her eyes filled with concern as she stared at Five.
Luna: "Are… Are you sure!? But what's the point of making Seraph tell Romanov the plan!?"
Five had been staring at the ground, as if carefully weighing his words.
Five: "Because he's the best fit for this mission. In the end, he would've done it even if we didn't ask him to."
Back to the present… She placed her hands on the wall and called out sharply.
Luna: "Seraph!… There's no time, you have to start now!"
On the other side, Seraph stood frozen, his body rigid, his breath heavy. He was still facing the consequences of his decision.
But he had no choice now. He clenched his fists, closed his eyes… and began.
Footsteps pounded up the stairs, while Seraph worked frantically to dissolve the wall. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and the glow from his hands began leaving charred marks on the metal surface.
Five, on his part, was preparing another trick. As Romanov approached, he unleashed another mirage, leading him toward the opposite corner of the corridor, diverting his attention for just a few precious moments.
But Romanov suddenly stopped, his eyes blazing with rage. This time, he realized he had been chasing another illusion. He turned swiftly and shouted.
Romanov: "Open those damn doors now!"
Seraph's fingers pressed against the wall, and flames erupted from his palms, crawling like a burning serpent, consuming the wall layer by layer.
Finally, Seraph broke through the wall of Luna's room. Time was moving slowly… or maybe too fast. None of them were sure.
But in that moment, where screams mixed with smoke, where pain intertwined with hope, everything felt as if it were fading, as if the world itself was suffocating in the chaos of explosions and blood.
Five, his voice sharp and strained: "Right corner, Seraph! Now!"
It was more than just a command… It was a call for survival, a cry that summed up everything they had been through, everything they had fought for.
Seraph didn't hesitate.
He reacted instantly, his eyes locked onto the point Five had indicated, his mind calculating the angle with precision.
Then, a massive surge of energy burst from him, waves of light rippling around his body, filling the space with a blinding force that scattered through the air.
His power shot slightly off-center to the right, a lethal burst strong enough to tear through everything in its path, but… it still wasn't enough.
In an instant… the wall began to crack. The fracture was close, and the sounds that followed were filled with looming threat. Dust and debris collapsed inward, yet the wall remained in place, stuck at the edge, as if the world itself had paused for a brief second.
The barrier between him and Five began to split, cracks spreading in all directions like an incomplete scream. The gap left behind revealed a glimpse of the deep darkness beyond, while chaos unfolded before his eyes, as if it were paving the way for their escape.
But… they didn't have enough time.
On the other end of the corridor, the guards were moving fast.
The sound of rushing footsteps echoed, followed by Romanov's furious shout.
Romanov: "Open the room in the middle! Now!"
One of the guards rushed with the keys, approaching the room door… but before he could insert the key, he froze.
His eyes widened in horror, as if his mind had disconnected from his body.
Luna had moved first. It wasn't a conscious decision… It was instinct.
Her eyes shimmered with an eerie glow, as if something inside her had shattered and been rebuilt in an instant.
Her ability had activated.
Neural Synchronization... the power to momentarily merge with another person's consciousness, to see what they saw, feel what they felt, and control their body for brief moments.
From within her cell, she whispered softly.
Luna: "Show me what you see…"
Her eyes glowed faintly, her ability already affecting him. For a fleeting moment, she felt everything the guard felt... the cold sweat on his forehead, the chill of the key between his fingers, the overwhelming fear of the man standing behind him... Romanov.
She seized those precious seconds and threw the keys through the gap beneath the door.
But… Romanov saw it.
Without hesitation, he raised his gun and fired.
The guard collapsed, a black hole in the center of his forehead, blood slowly seeping onto the cold tile.
Romanov, unfazed, turned to the next guard, his eyes burning with fury.
Romanov: "Bring the spare keys. Now!"
And as the guard sprinted away, Romanov had no intention of waiting.
His hands trembled with rage as he gripped his gun, lowering it through the gap beneath the door.
Then, he started shooting.
Blind bullets, without a clear target… except to kill.
And in that moment… Romanov kept firing aimlessly, as if each bullet carried the weight of his suppressed rage. Each shot was an expression of the control he had lost. The rapid succession of gunfire filled the air, echoing like rebellious screams. Bullets tore through the space, striking walls, shattering glass, but never finding a body. His eyes darted around, tense and searching... searching for something to anchor him. But there was nothing… nothing but chaos.
Seraph had reached the point of no return. His glowing energy responded to his instincts before his mind could.
But the bullet was faster.
It fired... piercing through his left shoulder. His body froze for a moment. Then… he collapsed to the ground, gasping in pain, his vision blurring.
A strangled gasp escaped him as he staggered backward, his hand moving instinctively to his side... where another bullet had torn through his chest. Blood seeped into his shirt. The flames around him trembled, and the wall he had been trying to break through quivered under his fading strength.
Luna: "Seraph!!"
Her voice shattered the silence, thick with raw panic as she rushed toward him. She dropped to her knees beside him, her wide eyes frantically searching for his wound, for any way to save him. But before she could even touch his shoulder...
Two gunshots tore through the air.
Everything froze.
Seraph saw it… but he couldn't stop it.
The bullets ripped through Luna.
Before she could reach him…
Two more bullets.
One tore into her shoulder, the other burrowed straight into her chest. Her body jolted, her breath faltering as she staggered back a step... then… she collapsed beside him.
There was no time for screams. Her body trembled… then fell still.
On the other side of the wall, Five hadn't seen what happened.
But he felt it.
Five, stammering: "W-what's happening?! Why did you stop?!"
But silence was the only answer.
Romanov remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the door. After a moment, he slowly turned to his guards, cold triumph gleaming in his eyes.
Guard, smirking: "Looks like you finished them, sir."
Romanov didn't respond. He simply took a step forward, calm and unbothered, as if nothing had happened.
Inside… Seraph heard nothing. He only saw.
He stood frozen, his eyes wide in a trance-like horror.
Seraph, whispering, voice shaking: "L-Luna… Luna!... Luna, please don't leave me!... LUNA!!"
Luna's blood dripped slowly, pooling beneath her. Drops slid from her lips, her half-lidded eyes still locked onto him, as if trying to memorize his face one last time.
And then… she smiled.
A smile he couldn't understand. A smile he wasn't ready to see.
And suddenly, everything lost meaning.
Everything… except this moment.
Seraph stared at her, his eyes filled with absolute horror. She was smiling at him... despite the pain, despite the blood staining her lips.
Luna, weakly, whispering: "Run… with Five…"
She reached for him... But her fingers never made it. Her hand fell lifelessly before she could touch his.
Seraph froze. His entire body trembled, as if his very soul had shattered with the fall of her hand.
Seraph, his voice barely audible, trembling: Luna… let's go… please…
No response.
And in that moment... something inside him broke.
His head lifted slowly, his gaze empty.
But inside him… a storm was raging.
The air grew heavy… suffocating…
And then... Seraph's scream tore through the corridor, raw and deafening, as he clutched her lifeless body, his entire form trembling violently.
A guard sprinted forward, his heavy footsteps pounding against the floor. The spare keys in his hand swung wildly with each hurried step. His face was drenched in sweat, his expression twisted with tension.
He skidded to a stop in front of the door, casting a frantic glance at Romanov before passing him the keys.
On the other side of the wall, Five still didn't know what had happened.
He kept shouting for them... But there was no response.
Only muffled sobs. Only the sound of guards unlocking the door.
In a moment of desperation, Seraph looked at Luna's body... then at the wall he had built.
His eyes burned with rage. Then, he screamed. A furious, earth-shaking roar... And fire exploded.
The explosion tore through the wall, turning concrete into shards that sliced through the air like sharpened blades.
Seraf's hands trembled as the heat surged through him. The intense fire that erupted from within his body seemed to amplify, and with it, his veins began to glow. Three distinct veins on his hands lit up like bright, pulsing lights, their fiery radiance illuminating the darkness around him. The veins glowed with a power that seemed almost otherworldly, burning with a fierce, unnatural brilliance. Each pulse felt like a heartbeat from deep within his very core, as if his blood itself had been infused with fire.
Flames surged like ravenous beasts, devouring the wreckage, crawling over the fractured ground, staining the rising smoke with a hellish glow. The heat pressed against the walls, making the very air tremble. With each pulse of fire, the structure groaned, cracking under the weight of destruction.
At the heart of this inferno stood Seraph, his figure surrounded by embers, his eyes burning like twin embers in the dark. He was no longer human in that moment... he was a shadow standing in the storm, his stillness deceptive, like the silence before the sky itself comes crashing down.
On the other side of the flames, Five felt the sting of heat searing a mark onto his cheek, but the pain never reached his mind. All he could see was Seraph, standing there as if he had been born from the very depths of this hell. Before he could utter a word, Romanov emerged from the thick smoke, his steps unfaltering despite the devastation around him. His gaze, cold and calculating, remained untouched by the raging fire reflected in his eyes. There was no fear. No anger. Only absolute judgment.
He raised his hand slightly, his voice barely cutting through the roar of the flames.
Romanov: "Capture them."
Gunfire erupted instantly, tearing through the air, striking the debris, ricocheting off cracked walls. Sparks flew with every bullet, and hurried footsteps echoed across the ruined floor. There was no time for grief. No space for hesitation. But Five stopped, his feet frozen in place, his breath catching in his throat. His eyes ignored the fire, ignored Seraph, ignored everything... except for the body lying amidst the wreckage.
Luna.
She lay there, motionless, blood spreading slowly around her, her half-open eyes fixed on something distant, something no one else could see. And on her face, despite the pain, despite the cruel finality carved into her features… a smile, faint yet unwavering.
Five couldn't move. Time had shattered around him. The sounds vanished. The fire no longer crackled, the bullets no longer whizzed past, even Seraph's voice calling his name had faded into a distant echo. There was nothing left but the lifeless form before him, the blood that had lost its warmth, the inexplicable smile frozen in place.
Five: "Luna…?"
He barely whispered the name, as if afraid to disturb the stillness. He took a step forward, needing to reach her, to understand...
But the gunfire didn't stop.
The air cracked with another shot, and before Five could register it, a force yanked him back with brutal strength. A grip like iron latched onto his arm, pulling him away, away from the body, away from the moment...
Seraph jumped.
He hurled them both into the abyss, the fire behind them shrinking into nothingness. The air slammed into them like a frozen wall, the wind roaring past, dragging them downward, the sky flipping, the world spinning...
And beneath them, the raging river loomed, dark and violent, an open maw waiting to consume them whole.
The impact was like a lightning strike.
The cold wasn't natural... it was a thousand knives piercing straight to the bone. The water wasn't a refuge, it was a beast pulling them under, the current a relentless force dragging them deeper. Air vanished. Sight blurred. Five felt himself being swept away, his lungs burning, his mind screaming, but his thoughts weren't in the water...
They were with Luna.
That last smile. That unreadable expression.
The pain he hadn't had time to feel yet.
Darkness crept in.
Above, standing at the cliff's edge, Romanov peered down at the river that had swallowed them. Smoke still billowed behind him, the gunfire had ceased, and the flickering light of the flames cast his shadow long against the ground, like a beast crouched in silent watch. There was no concern in his gaze, no regret in his features.
He pulled out a cigarette, lit it amidst the burning wreckage, brought it to his lips, inhaled deeply, then exhaled a slow stream of smoke.
"No matter… they won't get far."