The convoy moved in silence.
No sirens now. No chaos. No public attention. Just armored vehicles cutting through the dark roads like shadows with engines.
Inside the lead vehicle—Kai sat still.
Axel was tense beside him. Leo watched the encrypted map on his device. The commander sat across from them, expression unreadable.
No one spoke for a long time.
Only the sound of the road outside.
Axel finally broke the silence.
"…So we're just trusting them now?"
Leo didn't look up. "We're not trusting them. We're gathering information."
Kai stared forward.
Calm. Cold. Focused.
But not empty.
Not anymore.
The convoy slowed.
A massive underground facility entrance came into view. Hidden beneath an old government building. Heavily guarded. Bright scanners. Armed units everywhere.
Axel whispered, "This is definitely not a normal police station…"
The commander spoke.
"Welcome to Central Intelligence Division."
Kai stepped out first.
No hesitation.
No fear.
The air changed the moment they entered.
Cold. Sterile. Controlled.
Every wall felt like it had eyes.
They were led down long corridors. Security scanning them at every step. Doors locking behind them.
No escape route.
Axel leaned toward Leo. "If this goes bad… we're trapped underground with the entire government."
Leo replied quietly. "Then we make sure it doesn't go bad."
Kai didn't react.
He was listening. Observing. Calculating.
Finally, they entered a large briefing room.
Screens covered the walls. Files already loaded.
The commander turned to them.
"…You wanted the truth about Dragon."
Kai nodded once.
"Start talking."
The commander tapped a control panel.
The screen lit up.
A symbol appeared.
A Dragon mark.
Then footage began playing.
Facilities. Experiments. Soldiers. Political figures.
And inside it all—Dragon agents moving freely through government systems.
Axel's eyes widened. "So it IS real…"
Leo leaned forward. "They're embedded everywhere…"
Kai didn't blink.
"…Why?"
The commander looked at him directly.
"Because Dragon isn't just an organization."
A pause.
"It's a system inside the system."
The screen changed again.
A classified document appeared.
PROJECT: HOST CANDIDATES
Kai's expression shifted slightly.
The commander continued.
"Dragon was originally created to control abnormal abilities before they became uncontrollable threats."
Axel frowned. "So like… containment?"
"Yes," the commander replied.
"But it evolved."
The screen showed more files.
More subjects.
More experiments.
Leo whispered, "…This is bigger than I thought…"
Kai stepped closer to the screen.
"Get to the point."
The commander nodded.
"You're not the first."
Silence hit the room.
Kai turned slightly.
"…Explain."
The commander changed the file again.
A list of names appeared.
Most were crossed out.
Some marked "terminated."
Some "lost."
Then one file remained highlighted.
SUBJECT ZERO: UNDERLORD LINK
Axel stepped back slightly. "…No way…"
Leo's voice dropped. "Kai…"
Kai stared at it.
Completely still.
The commander continued.
"The Underlord is not just inside you."
A pause.
"It is part of a failed containment lineage."
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"…Lineage?"
The commander nodded.
"You are not the origin."
Silence again.
Heavier this time.
The screen changed once more.
A woman appeared.
Kai's mother.
Alive. Standing in a lab coat. Working. Speaking with top officials.
Axel froze. "…She really was here…"
Leo looked confused. "But why would she work with them?"
The commander spoke quietly.
"Because she was one of the original researchers of the Underlord project."
Kai didn't move.
Didn't react outwardly.
But the air around him changed slightly.
"…Continue," Kai said.
The commander nodded.
"She believed it could be controlled. Contained. Even used to protect humanity."
The screen showed an early containment chamber.
A dark entity restrained inside.
The Underlord.
Axel swallowed. "That thing is ancient…"
Leo whispered, "And she helped build the system around it…"
Kai stepped forward.
"…And me?"
The commander looked at him.
"You are the final host."
Silence shattered the room.
Kai turned slightly.
"…Final?"
"Yes," the commander said.
"If every previous host failed, the system would eventually force full integration into one perfect vessel."
Axel's voice cracked slightly. "So Kai… is basically the end result?"
Leo shook his head. "That's insane…"
Kai stared at the screen.
Long silence.
Then he spoke quietly.
"…And my mother?"
The commander hesitated.
"…She disappeared during the collapse of the project."
Kai's voice sharpened slightly.
"Did she die?"
Another pause.
"…Unknown."
Silence again.
Kai closed his eyes for a moment.
Just one breath.
Then opened them.
Cold again.
Controlled again.
"…So everything," he said quietly,
"was planned."
The commander didn't deny it.
Axel stepped forward. "So what now? You expect us to just accept this?"
The commander looked at Kai.
"No."
He tapped the screen again.
A new file opened.
ACTIVE THREAT: DRAGON INTERNAL FRACTURE
Leo frowned. "…What is that?"
The commander answered.
"Dragon is no longer unified."
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"…Explain."
"The faction you fought," the commander said,
"…is only one part."
Silence.
"There are others."
Axel blinked. "So we're dealing with MORE than one Dragon?"
The commander nodded.
"And someone is trying to take full control of the system."
Kai stepped forward.
"…Who?"
The commander looked directly at him.
"…The same people who created you."
The room went completely silent.
Kai stood there for a long time.
Not speaking. Not reacting.
Just thinking.
Processing everything.
Then finally—
"…Take me to them."
Axel snapped. "Kai, wait—!"
Leo added quickly. "This is a trap level situation!"
But Kai didn't look back.
His voice was calm.
Cold.
Final.
"…If this started with me," he said,
"…it ends with me."
The commander studied him for a moment.
Then nodded slowly.
"…Prepare him."
The lights dimmed.
The screens shifted.
And somewhere deeper in the facility—
Something old began to wake up again.
Inside Kai…
The Underlord whispered softly.
"…Now we move forward."