Kael couldn't breathe.
"…Kael Veyron died three years ago."
The words replayed again.
And again.
And again.
Like a loop he couldn't escape.
"…You're lying," he said, but his voice was weak.
Too weak.
Lira didn't respond immediately.
She just watched him—
Like someone observing a ticking bomb.
"I was there," she finally said.
The air grew heavier.
"I saw your body."
Kael's fingers trembled.
"Then… what am I?"
Silence.
Then—
A faint smile.
Not from Lira.
From him.
Kael froze.
"No… not again…"
His hand moved on its own.
Slowly rising toward his face.
Touching it.
Like it didn't belong to him.
Inside—
The void returned.
The other Kael stood there.
Waiting.
"You're starting to understand," he said.
Real Kael shook his head violently.
"No… NO! I'm me! I'm still me!"
The other Kael walked closer.
Each step echoing like a hammer.
"Then answer me this," he said calmly.
He raised his hand.
And snapped.
Memories flooded in—
A cold room.
White walls.
Machines humming.
People in lab coats.
Kael… strapped to a chair.
Screaming.
Begging.
"Please… stop… I don't want to remember…"
A voice answered him.
Cold.
Clinical.
"Subject K-17 is unstable."
"Proceed with memory extraction."
Kael's eyes widened in horror.
"That's… me…"
The other Kael leaned in.
"You begged them to erase everything," he whispered.
"Your past. Your sins. Your name."
The memory shifted—
Blood.
So much blood.
People lying on the ground.
Not moving.
And Kael—
Standing in the middle.
Smiling.
Real Kael collapsed.
"No… that's not me…"
The other Kael crouched beside him.
"You're right."
A pause.
"That was us."
Everything shattered again.
Back to reality—
Kael screamed—
But no sound came out.
Lira grabbed his shoulders.
"Kael! Listen to me!"
His vision blurred.
Her face… flickering.
"…they're coming," she said quickly.
Kael blinked.
"What…?"
Then he heard it.
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Organized.
Not normal people.
Soldiers.
The door—
EXPLODED open.
Three armed figures rushed in.
Black suits.
No faces.
Only masks.
"Target located."
"Subject K-17 confirmed."
Kael's heart dropped.
"They know me…"
Lira cursed under her breath.
"Damn it… they found you too fast."
One of the soldiers raised his weapon.
"Do not resist."
"You are property of the facility."
Something inside Kael… snapped.
Property?
Inside the void—
The other Kael smiled.
"You hear that?" he said softly.
"They still think we belong to them."
Real Kael clenched his fists.
"No… I don't…"
The other interrupted—
"Then take it back."
A pause.
Heavy.
"Take… what?"
A slow smile.
"Control."
Back to reality—
The soldier stepped closer.
Weapon aimed directly at Kael's head.
"Final warning."
Lira moved slightly.
Ready.
Tense.
"Kael…" she whispered.
"Don't—"
Too late.
Kael lifted his head.
His eyes—
Changed.
Cold.
Sharp.
Empty.
"…You shouldn't have come," he said.
The soldiers didn't hesitate.
They fired.
But—
Kael disappeared.
Gone.
In less than a blink.
The soldiers froze.
"…What?"
Behind them—
A voice.
"You're too slow."
CRACK.
One of them dropped instantly.
Lira's eyes widened.
"…No way…"
Kael stood there—
Unharmed.
Looking at his own hand.
"…So this is what we can do…" he whispered.
Inside—
The other Kael laughed.
"Now you're starting to remember."
The remaining soldiers turned—
But it was already too late.
The room turned into chaos.
And in the middle of it—
Kael smiled.
Not like before.
Worse.
Like someone who just found out…
He was the monster all along.
After seconds—
Silence returned.
The soldiers—
Didn't move anymore.
Lira stood frozen.
Watching him.
"…Kael…" she whispered.
He slowly turned toward her.
Eyes still cold.
"…Tell me everything," he said.
A pause.
Then he added—
"…before he takes over again."
Inside the void—
The other Kael stopped smiling.
"…Oh?"
A dangerous whisper echoed—
"So you're going to fight me now?"
Real Kael stood up.
For the first time—
Not afraid.
"…I'm taking my life back."
Silence.
Then—
The other Kael smiled wider than ever.
"…Then let's see who survives this time."
—End of Chapter 4