"The Corruption of Knowledge"
Chapter 12: The Door of No Return
Author: Frenames
I asked again.
"What… is an Ascendant?"
A brief silence settled between us—a silence that carried weight, heavy and suffocating.
"I cannot tell you."
His voice was gentle. Not cold—but not open either. Like a door left slightly ajar, just enough to show that you are not allowed inside.
I didn't press further.
There are truths… that are not given.
They are taken—at the cost of whatever you are willing to sacrifice.
So I changed my question.
If I couldn't understand the path—
then at least I wanted to know where it would lead me.
"If that's the case… what will happen to me?"
The words left my mouth weak—like a fallen leaf drifting in the wind, without direction.
He smiled.
And in that moment, I felt even more uneasy.
Because that smile—
held no warmth.
"You have two choices," he said.
"First… you will be executed. Or imprisoned for life."
My chest tightened.
It felt like a hand was slowly choking the air out of me—not enough to kill, but enough to remind me how close I was to death.
But—
Two.
There were two.
And if there were two… then there was hope.
No matter how small.
"What… is the second option?" I asked softly, as if it might disappear if I spoke too loudly.
His smile widened slightly.
"You join the Beta Military Department."
For a moment—
A faint light slipped through the cracks of my mind.
Between death and danger—
a person will always cling to life.
"Where there is life, there is hope."
But that hope…
carried a shadow.
I couldn't feel at ease.
Something was wrong.
I couldn't explain it—
but I could feel it.
It was as if what he was offering wasn't freedom—
but a larger cage.
"What does your department do?" I asked.
"You'll only know… if you join."
I smiled.
A smile without joy.
Like a trap coated in honey—
sweet on the outside, deadly within.
"So, will you choose… or will you be executed?" he added.
"Even a fool knows which one to pick."
I bit my lip.
That wasn't a choice.
It was a wall slowly closing in—
until there was nowhere left to run.
Three minutes passed.
But in my mind—
it felt much longer.
I thought about everything.
The possible outcomes.
The risks.
The price.
But no matter how I turned it over—there was only one ending.
This wasn't a decision.
It was a sentence.
I took a deep breath.
"I'll join… I don't have any other choice."
My voice was weak—like admitting defeat.
But it was the truth.
Not all choices are made freely.
Sometimes—you are chosen by circumstance.
His smile grew wider.
And that—
made me even more uneasy.
"Welcome…" he said.
He paused.
And his next words—
felt like cold metal pressed against my skin.
"…to the door of death and madness, child."
I swallowed.
My throat had gone dry—like land untouched by rain.
At that moment—
I felt the true weight of my decision.
This was not salvation.
This was not freedom.
This was a step—
into darkness.
Once you step into the darkness, you no longer control when you leave.
And now—
I stood at the door.
---
Slowly, I regained my composure.
I tried to push his words away—but like ink on paper, they kept spreading through my mind.
There was one question that refused to stay silent.
So I spoke again.
"What happened after I lost consciousness yesterday?"
He looked at me.
For the first time—
there was a slight change in his expression.
"Kid… you've been asleep for two days and three nights."
My eyes widened.
Two days?
Three nights?
It felt like something dropped deep into my stomach.
If I had been gone that long—
what happened during that time?
"What happened…?" I asked again, more firmly.
But he didn't answer.
Instead—he stood.
And that's when I truly saw him.
Tall. Solid.
Like a pillar that could not be shaken.
He walked toward the table, picked something up—
And tossed it at me.
I caught it instinctively.
A uniform.
Clean. Neatly folded.
As if it had been waiting.
"Get dressed first," he said.
"We'll talk after you dressed."
He turned and walked out.
Each step he took felt heavy—like he carried secrets he had no intention of sharing.
And when he was gone—
Silence remained.
And me…
with the uniform in my hands.
I ran my fingers across the fabric.
Cold.
It didn't feel like clothing—
but chains.
That's when I understood.
This wasn't coincidence.
This wasn't chance.
This was a plan.
From the very beginning—
he already knew what my decision would be.
And I—
was just a piece in his game.
I smiled.
A lifeless smile.
Like a puppet—
only now realizing the strings tied behind its back.
"I've been played…"
I whispered.
And the worst part—
I never even realized
when the strings began to pull.
To be continue...