Rain continued falling across the battlefield.
Stella couldn't move.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't breathe.
The girl standing before her looked almost identical.
The same glowing crimson eyes.
The same Blood Agent markings.
The same unnatural aura.
"My sister?" Stella whispered.
Lucien smiled.
"Yes."
The mysterious girl slowly stepped forward.
Water dripped from her black hair as she studied Stella curiously.
"You really don't know anything, do you?"
Stella clenched her fists.
"You're lying."
The girl laughed softly.
"I wish I was."
Raven immediately stepped between them.
"Don't listen to her."
Subject 13 smiled.
"Still protecting people from the truth, Raven?"
For a brief moment, anger flashed across Raven's face.
Lucien noticed.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Stella looked from Raven to Subject 13.
"What truth?"
Nobody answered.
The silence made her even more frustrated.
Finally, Subject 13 sighed.
"Fine."
She pointed toward Lucien.
"Years ago, Black Veil created multiple Blood Agent embryos."
Stella's stomach dropped.
"What?"
"Most died."
The rain seemed colder now.
"Only two survived."
Subject 13 pointed first at herself.
Then at Stella.
"You."
The world spun around Stella.
Everything she thought she knew about her life was falling apart.
"So we're... related?"
Subject 13 nodded.
"In a way."
Stella looked horrified.
"No..."
Lucien stepped forward calmly.
"You were both designed to become humanity's greatest weapons."
Raven's shadows immediately darkened.
"Enough."
But Lucien continued.
"Your parents stole you before the project was completed."
Stella remembered her mother.
Her smile.
Her laughter.
The way she used to hug her.
Tears formed in Stella's eyes.
"No. My parents loved me."
"They did," Lucien admitted.
"Then stop talking about me like I'm an experiment!"
The ground shook violently beneath Stella.
Her emotions were becoming unstable again.
Raven noticed immediately.
"Stay calm."
Subject 13 watched carefully.
Unlike Lucien, she wasn't smiling anymore.
Instead...
she looked sad.
Almost jealous.
"You were lucky."
Stella blinked.
"What?"
"You had a family."
Silence.
The words hit harder than Stella expected.
Subject 13 lowered her eyes.
"I grew up in laboratories."
The rain fell quietly around them.
"I learned how to fight before I learned how to read."
Even Lucien looked slightly uncomfortable.
Subject 13 continued.
"I never had birthdays."
Her voice became softer.
"I never had parents."
For the first time, Stella saw something human behind those crimson eyes.
Loneliness.
Years of it.
Raven remained silent.
Because he understood exactly how she felt.
He had lived the same nightmare.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
An explosion erupted nearby.
Everyone turned.
The Hollow Beast had become restless.
Its red eyes glowed brighter than before.
The creature growled while staring into the forest.
Raven's expression changed instantly.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The Hollow Beast wasn't afraid of soldiers.
It wasn't afraid of Lucien.
It wasn't even afraid of Raven.
Yet now...
it looked terrified.
Raven immediately looked toward the dark forest.
"What is it sensing?"
Then the answer came.
A deep roar echoed through the mountains.
The sound shook the trees.
Every soldier froze.
Lucien's calm expression disappeared instantly.
"No..."
The roar came again.
Louder.
Closer.
Subject 13's eyes widened.
"That's impossible."
Even the Hollow Beast took several steps backward.
Stella looked around nervously.
"What is everyone afraid of?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Then Raven finally spoke.
His voice was colder than ever.
"The First Agent."
The rain seemed to stop for a moment.
Lucien looked genuinely nervous.
"He escaped?"
Subject 13 slowly backed away.
"No. He was supposed to be sealed."
Stella's heartbeat accelerated.
"Who is the First Agent?"
Raven stared into the darkness.
"The first successful Blood Agent."
Thunder flashed.
And for the first time since meeting him
Raven looked afraid.
"He was stronger than all of us."
Another roar echoed through the forest.
Closer.
Much closer.
Trees suddenly exploded in the distance.
One after another.
CRASH!
CRASH!
CRASH!
Something enormous was moving toward them.
Fast.
Very fast.
The soldiers began panicking.
"It's coming!"
"We need to leave!"
Lucien shouted orders.
"Get the transport vehicles ready!"
But it was already too late.
The forest ahead split apart.
And a massive figure slowly stepped from the darkness.
Stella's breath caught in her throat.
The figure looked human.
But only barely.
Black armor covered its body.
Crimson energy leaked from cracks in its skin.
Its eyes glowed like burning stars.
And chained around its wrists were broken restraints.
The First Agent had escaped.
Silence filled the battlefield.
The monster looked around slowly.
Then its glowing eyes stopped on Stella.
A terrible smile appeared on its face.
And it spoke only three words:
"She's finally awake."