"......."

"......."

Both of us stared silently towards each other's faces. After a while I decided to break the silence.

"Hmm...I don't understand the code numbers at the end." I said trying to deny what she had said earlier.

"......" she was somehow dumbfounded by what I had said and was looking at me with wide eyes.

What? Well did I say something wrong? I was instructed many times not to reveal project details to anyone by my faculty and others officials, so you won't get your way so easily ahem! "Ma'am" Ahem! Hehe—

"Hmm.... My apologies, that was the first time someone has spoken to me like that, I guess there is a first for everything."

Her expression had somewhat relaxed from before and she was somewhat at ease now.

"Anyway! Not to get distracted by such hindrances, why I am here today is because I have some business regarding the current situation you are in."

She got up and looked towards one of the cameras in the room and signaled something with her hand. She looked at the other cameras for a few moments and then sat down.

"Well then! Let's start shall we!" she said and proceeded to open the black briefcase and took out a folder with red markings on it. I instantly recognized that folder, I have seen it multiple times in the past while I was at that place, what does she want? and how does she even have it? That should be restricted to even the top-level commanders......... Just who in world is she?

My mood just took a 180 degree turn cause at this point I was starting to get nervous and somewhat interested in knowing how she got her hands on it.

She then proceeded to remove a file from that folder with the big digits MER—2168101003. It is—or was my identity while I was at that place. Discomfort and uneasiness arose from within me when she opened the folder.

"Have a look." she said and proceed to turn the folder in her opposite direction and pushed it in front of me.

Subject ID: MER—2168101003

Subject Status: [No entry after 9011]

SEMP: None [Abnormal]

IVS: [Disguised entity presence last detected]

But after the IVS, everything else was redacted with black Lines and cross marks. It continued till the end of the folder.

"We know this much that you are this subject, I won't tell you how but I am quite interested in you. Considering the old vixens at the HORT (Higher Order Round Table) went till unimaginable lengths to hide such a failed experiment proves to me you are quite the important person who was silenced and buried deep enough to avoid the failure of the HORT from coming out."

Well, considering how much of a pain my existence is to the HORT, I very well agree with you. HORT or call it Higher Order Round Table is the so-called big mama or God you could say that controls not only the imperial Army but also the imperial state. So, if the HORT is criticized then the reputation of it will not only fall but it will also make the powerful households distrust the HORT. To put it in other words failure is not an option cause HORT is the single most powerful existence in the whole of the imperial state which could determine close to anything and you don't want to lose trust in something whose decisions you follow blindly.

I was unable to say anything because maybe I knew that my existence was a thorn to all sides...to my mom, to the house, to my elder sister and even to my sister. Wherever I went, whoever came in contact... I always ended up alone whether I liked it or not. Looks like concept of family doesn't apply to me even though I tried to not cause problems for others.

"Enough with the details, I seem to be running out of time here henceforth, I will be rather candid with you here... since your family will probably be under scrutiny and from that Imperial seal that was issued will probably bring the attention of HORT and they will try to eliminate or make you disappear, you will have silver children chasing after you with their monstrous power anyway if you try to escape."

"......"

What she was saying or rather I say predicting was all true, since I will probably become an enemy of HORT, they will do everything in their power to make thorns disappear to the stability of the imperial state and cause of that my family or should I say the "Scolentia" family's reputation will go down. I think about various other things too, but the main things that resounded in my head till this day......

"Your pathetic existence amounts to nothing but still mother keeps you here...WHY?! WHY?! All you ever do is read books all day and for some reason you coming here was the worst thing that has happened in years! Why? If only you were never BORN! YOUR whole existence is a mistake! I hate you!"

It doesn't matter anyway because elder sister hates my guts but.... I feel bad the trouble I caused mom, heh! I scoff as I suddenly remember the words when mom took me in.

she said "You're family from now on don't dare look down on yourself."

Perhaps elder sister was right after all the thorn that was affecting the family was me.

"I am willing to offer you a chance." She said while a devilish smile crept on her face. She took out another folder from inside the briefcase. She opened it on the table and turned it upside down and slowly slid it towards my direction.

"Join the Lunar U—282 or die as an hinderance."

My eyes grew wide upon comprehending the words that were just spoken and I looked toward her, upon noticing this she simply acted innocent and tilted her head with a small smile.

"Finally! you show an expression, what are you some kind of rock?"

That's rude calling me a rock, compare that to yourself you smirking vixen.

"I have a request."

"Go ahead... the power of Lunar U—282 is diverse and vast."

Considering the behavior change she must really want to join her as I see her hand movements have changed which means she is relived.... Hmm so her earlier hand movements were meant that she was nervous? Hmm quite interesting.

"I want to disappear."

"Consider it done."

Ok.... A Rather quick response.

"We were going to do that anyways after you joined the unit because we can't have hindrances from other units or even the IA investigating your background, and since your identity is not even known in the capital, it has made it even simpler."

She took out a pen and clicked it so the lid had come out and kept it on the document she had took out earlier.

"Sign the agreement and you will be the pre-liminary candidate for the unit."

I looked at the contract and flipped through the folder reading through the document, it was legit. There even was the seal of the Head chief of the Unit.

After flipping through more pages, I finally spotted the small box where the letter signature could be read. I thought about it for a moment, the drawbacks and the benefits, the information I had access to during my time in the program and also the information that I head from the scientist while I was in the room. I finally came to a conclusion after thinking about it for a few seconds.

Well considering how useless I really am, this really is my golden opportunity to shine.

I took the pen and signed the contract with my signature and as soon as I finished signing the contract, I looked up and saw a smirk appear on her face. She immediately took the document and stuffed it in her briefcase. She proceeded to once again look at the camera and make some hand movements and immediately after that my cuffs and the collar around my neck clicked open in an instant.

I removed them and started rubbing the part of skin that was once covered by the cuffs.

"Welcome onboard!" She said while cheerfully smiling with her rather angelic voice "You are the 100th applicant who signed the form! Congratulations on gaining the rank of "cadet." As said that she handed me ID card with the initials UWA. After handing me that card a rather grim smile appeared on her face as she cast her gaze upon me rather playfully and said-

"Oh, I'm so looking forward to this." Before turning away and knocking at the door.

"Well, you certainly are something special......Afterall it was the Head who chose you."

Shortly after the door opened with a gentle movement and a different woman dressed similarly as miss Alina who was also clad in red but what set her apart was her lustrous black her and a half mask with what look like respirators on either side.

She opened the door for Alina and seem to lead her outside. Once Alina left the room she glanced in my direction and threw an envelope in my direction before tuning the other direction and hoarsely closing the door. I examined the envelope; it was plain white envelope with nothing special about it, opened it and inside was a code written on a small card.

MER—2168101003 AaA CvT SoS JaV SaC AaA

This was not the first time I saw this code, rather I knew this code by heart as it had been etched into my memory back in the Program days. It was code used for my activation and deactivation. Basically, to put it in simple words, these were orders to be "activated" that meant after 4 fucking years they are re-initiating me.

I knew what this meant, "report for mission briefing". Back then I was the only kid from the failure squad who was used for missions and cause of this I carried out very special so called "TASKS" ordered by high-ranking individuals from the HORT and other officials I apparently can't disclose. A lot of those "TASKS" involved killing merchants and Angel supremist, but it also including assassinations of high-ranking individuals from ANGELS ASSOCIATION OF PONIFEX or commonly referred to as (AAOP). This occurred while we were at war with the state of PONIFEX which is governed by the AAOP. The whole Human Fine Tuning Program itself was started cause of the war with PONIFEX.

But as far as this goes its better than getting chased around the state by Imperial military's best units out for my head. As I turned the envelope around, I saw what was a message in small handwriting saying—

P.s—I have already arranged for transport, report to the transport bay—A6 at 1600hrs, if you can that is hehe~~

I looked at the clock in the room and it was reading 1540hrs. Oh that bitch I wish she'd take that smile and—

Suddenly the door opened and the IA official who verbally threatened me earlier appeared.

"Oi! How did you remove your cuffs and collar?!"

I forgot that her visit was not an official one she removed my collar and cuffs on purpose, didn't she? I hate her even more now.

As the IA official who was about to do God knows what to me but all of a sudden, the alarm sounded and I realized this was my chance to escape. Even though I knew that I had less time, even though I had the capability and power to run past her, but I don't know what came over me stopping me my tracks. This sense of dread, emptiness, despair and the gaping hole in my heart......

NO! I can't let it consume me, I had made a promise to everyone back and they even put faith in me and saw me as someone who could escape this hell.... Something they couldn't do. Past memories flooded my consciousness and the words...

"Promise me! Struggle till the bitter end even if you have to go kill the gods!"

Emotions welled up inside me and forcefully drew out the power from within me.

Ahh.... I hate this shit.