The landscape is filled with fire and crumbling houses. People are running about frantically to escape the terribly catastrophe they are currently in. The sky begins to crumble as a visible crack stretches across it. Sungyeol watches with his frightened eyes as the sky begins to collapse.

The scene changes soon after, into a place Sungyeol has never been before. It has technologies that something only television shows and movies would have – sliding doors that require a passcode or access card and machines that Sungyeol has never seen before. A faint sound of heels clicking the concrete floor can be heard as it gets louder and louder. Then, the owner of those heels appears before Sungyeol, separated with just a thick piece of glass as she watches from the outside. A creepy smile forms as she watches the procedure taking place. The machines within the room begin to start up and position itself above of Sungyeol. The said boy tries to get out but is to no avail when he just realizes that he is firmly strapped onto a metal table. The machines start to lower its blade and pierces mercilessly into Sungyeol’s abdomen, causing the male to scream out with pain.

Sungyeol’s eyes instantly open as his breath quickens with fear. He pushes the duvets off to feel his abdomen and exhales a sigh of relief when he process that all those are just a dream. However, his heart did not calm down at all, not when he is not an ordinary boy at all. What if the dream he just had comes to life? It always has happened and has never failed once.

A knock on the front door brings him out from his thoughts. He glances briefly at his clock to find that it is just four in the morning. He hops of his bed and makes his way down briefly, maneuvering through the dark and quiet house. At this time, his father would probably be still drinking or lying drunk somewhere, leaving Sungyeol alone to the house.

The intervals between knocks increases and one is able to feel the anxiety of those knocks. Doors in the slums do not have peepholes, leaving Sungyeol with no choice but to open the door, wishing the fact that it isn’t someone to mug his house but since he hasn’t dreamt of it, it most probably would not happen.

The person standing on the porch is a young woman, probably three to four years younger than Sungyeol. She has similar features to his best friend and grows the same black hair as him. Myungsoo’s Sister, he deduces. Sungyeol gives a questioning look at the female as in why she is here at a very glorious time of the day.

“Have you seen my brother?” She asks.

“Shouldn’t he be sleeping?” Sungyeol replies with an arched eye brow. The girl shakes her head.

“He hasn’t return. He said that he is just going to apply for the job at Red Dawn Corporation and will return for dinner but he hasn’t. I told him to wait for tomorrow since the company provides a transport service there but Myungsoo refuses and decides to transverse through the forest himself. Please help me find him.” She pleads with a teary expression.

Sungyeol rubs the back of his neck, annoyed that he couldn’t get his sleep but he nods his head nonetheless. He sends the girl back home as he returns back upstairs to change out of his pajamas. He probably may get a scolding and a possible beating from his foster father but his best friend comes first though the thought of it scares Sungyeol quite a bit.

Not wasting a single second, Sungyeol now stands before the entrance into the forest where no one actually dared to walk by themselves because there exists a law stating that going into the forest is forbidden. Some people have ventured in however none has ever returned. Some say that the forest is cursed while the other say that the forest is so thick and huge, once you enter – you will not be able to find your way out anymore.

Sungyeol muster his courage as he takes a few steps forward, into the thicket. The absence of light makes his journey difficult but Sungyeol knows where he should go. From people who have worked at Red Dawn, they have stated that just moving in a straight path will eventually lead to the company. Although no one has question about it, Sungyeol occasionally finds it strange how a company is built in the middle of nowhere and inside a forest where the natives are forbidden to transverse on foot.

 Surprisingly, the forest is not as huge as it is said and SUngyeol manages to reach the other end of it, into a wide clearing. As he takes another step, his foot finds itself landing on a piece of crumbled paper. He takes it up and unwrap it to read its contents.

The command of the mind

Sungyeol frowns into confusion as he throws it aside, not able to decipher it and thinks that it probably isn’t for him. His journey towards Red Dawn did not take long when he is being place onto a halt by something he has never thought he would ever meet – guards.

There are two guards, standing there prowling the area for anyone who do not belong. Behind them, is a large metal door that seemingly connects to nowhere. The guards raises their guns when Sungyeol approaches them with raised hands, a sign showing that he is not armed and not wishing to pick a fight.

“Why are you here, get back to your house.” They commanded.

“I’m just looking for my friend, Myungsoo. He came here to apply for a job but he hasn’t return yet.” Sungyeol replies.

“I said return to your house.” They pressed but Sungyeol is not going to give up just like that, feeling irritated with their tone and aggressiveness and as well as his own lack of sleep.

“Where is Kim Myungsoo?” Sungyeol repeats with a forceful and powerful voice that echoes loudly. The guards stiffen as their movements seem to become unreadable. They nod their heads obediently and points towards the metal door.

“Let me through.” Sungyeol requested and without further hassle, they proceeded to open it. Sungyeol doesn’t know why the guards have become so nice all of the sudden but as long as it benefits him, Sungyeol doesn’t have to worry about it. Sungyeol finds it amazing how the door leads to somewhere else; even there isn’t a building behind it.

But his perception changed the moment he steps through it. The environment around him is nothing like the slums and is something very familiar. The walls are made from metals and the floor from concrete. The blinking lights and holographic controls state the level of technology that exists within this place.

Then, an alarm went off with the place filled with red lights and an alert command is being played throughout the facility.

“Subject Zero has left Zone A-1. All personnel are to subdue Subject Zero on sight. Do not kill him. Keep him alive.”

-

Myungsoo’s sister walks back to her apartment but pauses as her body begins to glitch out from her own holographic program. A male dressed in black from top to bottom steps out from the clearing with a device in his hand. He presses a button and the hologram of Myungsoo’s sister disappears. He glances downwards at a dead woman an idential look as the hologram and sighs to himself before taking out his cellphone, dialing a number. The ringing tone quickly ends as the other side picks up the call.

“This is Nexus-1. Subject Zero has left the zone. Commence Operation Darknight.

To be continued in Chapter 18: Darknight

A/N

Today's chapter! It is okay if it is still confusing at this point since there is MUCH to go about it :/ 

And no, batman isn't goint to appear :)!