The Breaking Point

Chapter 19: The Breaking Point

The darkness of the night was divided by the neon lights of the city. The wind echoed like a cold whisper between the metal buildings. When Luca accepted Magnus' offer, his body trembled. He had thousands of thoughts running through his mind, but one thing was clear: There was no turning back. Every step he took indicated that he would pay a heavy price for his choices. His heart beat under great pressure, but nothing showed on his face. Even now, he knew what a mistake would mean, but there was no other choice. He had removed all the technological devices from his body and, following Magnus' instructions, had gone through a special security scan to ensure they malfunctioned. There was no turning back now. Luca’s heart sped up for a moment, but nothing more than a slight tension appeared on his face. He couldn't lose his cool. Now, here, in this labyrinth-like dark warehouse, he was walking with Magnus.

Magnus, hitting him roughly on the shoulder, tried to calm Luca further with a quiet tone. "Calm down, kid. I'm about to introduce you to someone really talented. I hope your mind is open enough, or I might surprise you." Something stirred inside Luca. Though he didn’t fully understand what Magnus meant by his words, the relaxed tone felt like a deep threat to him.

Luca swallowed but tried not to show it. "I'll do my best, Mr. Magnus."

As he said this, he looked around. The warehouse exuded a cold metallic air. The air smelled of years of rust and chemicals. Rusted pipes hung from the ceiling, and faint lights wandered weakly across the room. The concrete walls told stories of wear and tear, every crack a narrative. With each step, the ground left a sticky feeling, and Luca's every move echoed. The atmosphere was growing more oppressive. As he moved forward, the air began to thicken. The faint chemical scent that had permeated the room stung Luca’s throat.

At that moment, Camille and Selena moved into action. As the security system of the warehouse was about to activate, Valen Oryn silently stepped forward. The soldiers glanced at him, a momentary hesitation in their eyes. But Valen looked at each of them and shook his head firmly.

"My soldiers, forget what you see here today. Opening this door right now is a necessity for the future of the nation," Valen said in a low but determined voice. "I want you to do as I do."

After a brief hesitation, the soldiers nodded and opened the doors. Camille and Selena swiftly slipped inside. Valen closed his eyes and, for a moment, silently prayed.

When Selena reached the security room, a complex encryption system appeared before her. She cracked her knuckles and opened her laptop. The screen displayed a constantly changing series of number combinations.

"Protect me," she murmured to Camille, her eyes glued to the screen.

Camille lightly gripped her sword and checked the door. Stepping quietly, she moved a few paces. Something felt wrong here. Just then, one of Valen's soldiers appeared and quickly opened the door. Selena flinched for a moment but then rushed inside. Camille followed to secure the room.

Within minutes, Selena disabled the security system and gained access to the footage on the screens. But then she saw something.

Videos of the Chronotoxin experiments.

Her eyes locked onto the screen. She pulled her hands from the keyboard and forgot to breathe. Selena’s hands began to tremble. What she saw in the videos was enough to stop everything. A coldness spread throughout her body. She saw those children, the brutality... The losses from her past merged with these images, and screams echoed in her mind. "Is this real?" she whispered, her voice trembling but somehow filled with a terrifying anger. It was impossible to accept such pain.

"Is... is this real?" Selena whispered, her voice shaking.

Camille noticed Selena’s reaction and quickly moved to her side. When she looked at the screen, her body went cold. Her stomach churned. But she quickly regained her composure. This was not the time to give in to emotions.

Though Camille felt lost in everything, as a leader, she knew what needed to be done. There was a calmness in her eyes. "We need to copy this immediately." Her voice was firm, but she tried to suppress the fear rising within her, placing her hand on Selena's shoulder. They didn’t have the luxury of wasting time. She paused for a moment, a wave of fear sweeping through her body, but she took a deep breath. "We have to stop this."

Selena blinked, her hand still trembling, but she nodded. They quickly copied the important videos: evidence of the Rare Genocide and the Chronotoxin experiments. They erased the surrounding recordings. Valen’s men locked the door again, and everything returned to normal. Camille and Selena quickly made their exit.

Meanwhile, Magnus and Luca had reached the deepest part of the warehouse. Magnus smiled as he placed his hand on the door.

"Luca, let me introduce you to Dr. Malvyn Quirke."

The door opened. The light from inside was dim but gave the room a laboratory-like feel. In the center stood a figure: a tall, thin man with a hunch. His hair was disheveled, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. He wore a faint smile.

Dr. Quirke approached with a faint smile, but his every movement was strangely slow and uncertain. His eyes were bloodshot from years of sleeplessness, and there was a cold madness lurking in his gaze. "Welcome, young genius," he said, his high-pitched voice hanging in the air. "Did I arrive in time, or is it finally my turn to be someone like me?" His smile was more the trickery of a creature than that of a human.

A chill ran down Luca’s spine. If he became Magnus' intern and fully joined this system, his future could be someone like Malvyn Quirke. The thought froze him inside.

Just then, Magnus' watch trembled. A warning appeared on the screen: "Failed entry to the recording room." His eyes narrowed. He looked at Luca with suspicion but, unable to come up with a plausible explanation, suppressed his doubts for the time being.

"That’s the tour," Magnus said, looking at Luca. "I think you've seen enough."

Luca nodded. Magnus guided him toward the door, and they walked toward the exit.

Camille, Selena, and Luca now connected to the city’s screens and broadcasted the videos. As people struggled to believe what they were seeing on the screens, Magnus went mad. He ordered his soldiers to destroy the screens. While the broadcast continued, chaos erupted in the city. People struggled to face what they had seen, and screams echoed on every corner. Car sirens, gunshots, and the footsteps of panicked crowds reverberated in the air. The images on the screens were driving people insane, turning the night into a nightmare. The city began to burn like a giant fire. Everyone searched for an escape, but the only road led into darkness. And thus, the fire of revolution was kindled…