The group finally arrived at the secret chamber… everyone blankly stared into the dimly lit room.
The faint glow barely offered enough clarity, but even that much was enough to make them freeze.
The group looked around the eerie surroundings with slow, unsure steps. Every single cage that lined the walls contained a different kind of animal—some looked like wild beasts, others mutated or unnaturally still. All of them were locked up, and all of them seemed like they had been experimented on.
“What the…” Kai muttered under his breath, his voice trembling with shock. He walked slowly between the cages, his eyes flicking from one creature to another. “What the hell is this place…?”
Selene didn’t speak. “…” She just kept walking, her foot echoing faintly as she moved deeper in, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. Her eyes were wide, glancing left and right, trying to take in every detail, every abnormality.
Her hand occasionally brushed against the glass of the enclosures, as if trying to confirm it was all real.
Velc, too, looked around, blinking in astonishment.
Aether’s puppet stood silently at the back, unmoving, its hollow gaze fixed ahead. It had an expression of awe. Nothing else showed on its face.
Leon stood beside Vesperine, who hadn’t taken her eyes off Xara. His arms were crossed, silent and unreadable.
Vesperine, however, had a different energy altogether. She was smirking, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she leaned slightly toward Xara,
“You’ve been hiding him all along from your precious little family…” Her tone dripped with spite as she glanced briefly at the glasses, then back at Xara.
“Your filthy secret… How does it feel now, huh? Having it all out in the open?” She grinned wider, taking visible satisfaction in the tension building in Xara’s face.
Xara didn’t say a word. Her jaw clenched tightly. Her fingers twitched by her side. But inside her mind, one thought burned with white-hot rage—she was going to fucking kill this bitch the moment she got her hands on her.
Seeing her silence, Vesperine leaned in a little closer, almost whispering now but loud enough for the others to hear. She grinned in what she thought was triumph.
“Just what are you doing here, Mother-in-law?” she asked with exaggerated innocence. “What kind of wicked, dirty things are you playing with behind your family’s back? Testing monsters? Creating new ones?” Her words rang out in the cold room, each one laced with a loud and clear accusation.
Kai and Selene flinched. They had been quietly staring at the strange creatures inside the cages, but Vesperine’s voice pulled them back. They turned around slowly, their eyes locked onto their mother, waiting—demanding—answers.
The data, the animals, the setup here… everything screamed danger. Something horrifying was going on. It wasn’t just some odd science experiment. This was secret, deliberate, and too deep to ignore.
Xara felt their stares. She inhaled slowly, suppressing the fire rising in her chest. She swallowed the anger, pushed down the urge to lash out, and instead let a weak smile curl on her lips.
“I… I’m not really…” she paused, sighing heavily. Her eyes softened, turning teary, the tears glinting in the dim light. That single look almost made Kai and Selene’s hearts tighten.
Then, without warning, Xara dropped to her knees. Her legs had given out. Her voice came out low, soft, and shaking.
“I didn’t mean to hide this,” she whispered. “But I’ve kind of been working with animals and weird creatures that have been lurking deep inside every empire. I’m studying them… t-testing them… trying to understand them.”
Kai and Selene frowned, their voices rising slightly in confusion and concern.
“Testing??” Selene asked, her brow furrowed. “What are you trying to find, Mom?”
Xara smiled weakly, barely holding her voice steady. “It’s my… hobby… my children.
I… I’ve just been doing this because I wanted to understand what’s out there dangerous… I didn’t want to hide it from you—I swear I didn’t—it’s just… I thought you might find it weird. That you might not look at me the same again… that maybe… you’d leave me—”
Before she could finish, Kai and Selene rushed forward. In perfect sync, they dropped to their knees and pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping their arms around her trembling form.
“It’s fine, Mom,” Selene whispered softly against her ear. Her voice was calm, warm. “I would never leave you. Not for something like this…”
Kai nodded, smiling warmly at their mother. “Don’t worry, Mom. I don’t mind at all. It’s just some animals. There’s nothing dangerous going on, right? No one’s hurt. There’s no need to feel weird or guilty about this.”
Xara’s lips trembled as a smile formed. She looked at both of her children, pride and relief flooding her chest. They accepted her—without hesitation. That alone made her heart ache in the best way possible.
‘Wait! What’s happening here?’ Vesperine thought, her brain scrambling. She hadn’t expected this. She’d thought showing them the secret chamber would be enough to turn them against Xara, to sow distrust and disgust.
But instead… they were embracing her. Forgiving her?
‘I mean… even I didn’t feel weird seeing this,’ Vesperine admitted reluctantly, grinding her teeth. ‘It’s just small animals… and some testing. Creepy, but not enough.’
She had hoped that Xara’s secrets would make Kai feel disappointed—betrayed, even. That he would doubt her, distance himself, maybe even lash out in anger. But none of that was happening.
The plan was falling apart.
Vesperine gritted her teeth harder. Her voice came out low and insistent.
“Are you not angry, Kai?” she asked, trying to inject doubt into him. “I mean… she hid things from you. Who knows what else she might be hiding? What if there’s something worse than this behind your back?”
Kai turned to her, calm and composed, and smiled.
“It’s fine,” he said simply. “I didn’t see any harm here. After all, even in her academy, we have testing animals and professors doing things that are hard to understand. My mom is just like them. She’s curious. That’s not a crime.”
He smiled again at Xara.
Xara gulped, her heart thudding heavily, but nodded quickly. “Y-Yeah…” she whispered.
Vesperine’s lips twitched violently. Her stomach turned. She had counted on this moment. She knew—she knew—that once she revealed the secret chamber, it would shatter Xara’s bond with her children.
That everything would break. And yet… nothing was falling apart.
In fact, Kai seemed to be more connected to his mother than before. More trusting. More protective.
‘Mother… what should I do now?’ Vesperine screamed inside her head. ‘Is this mission wrong? Was there really… nothing here?’
Xara sighed deeply in relief, her body finally relaxing as her heart slowed. She silently thanked herself for installing the hidden door at the far end of the racks, tucked neatly into the shadows—out of everyone’s immediate line of sight. If she hadn’t done that, if someone had spotted it earlier… things might’ve gone very, very differently.
She had almost lost everything—her life, her children’s trust, all of it.
But for now, the crisis was averted… She needed to shift the mood, get them away from this room before anything else unravelled.
‘Mother… what should I do now? is this mission wrong? Was there nothing here?’ Vesperine screamed inside.
“Why don’t we… talk outside?” Xara offered with a strained but hopeful voice. “This place is really sensitive to light. Too much exposure might damage the creatures.”
Kai and Selene exchanged a glance, then turned back toward the shadowy room. The darkness was thick, heavy, yet maintained with an intentional care. It was obvious their mother had put serious effort into building all of this.
It wasn’t some sloppy hideaway—it was a deeply personal space. A passionate, maybe even obsessive hobby. And neither of them wanted to trample on that.
They nodded in agreement and turned to walk out as Xara guided them toward the stairs.
“I was almost worried for a second, you know,” Kai muttered as they ascended, his voice carrying a relieved chuckle. “I mean… I really thought Mom had some kind of deep, world-ending secret locked away down here.”
A single drop of sweat formed on Xara’s forehead.
Selene shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips, though her tone was more introspective. “Yeah… I still don’t get why she even tried to hide this. I hate that we made her feel like she had to.”
Another appeared… but still, Xara maintained her cool.
Vesperine’s steps hesitated behind them. Her jaw clenched. Her smile had long vanished.
“W-Wait? That’s it? No arguments? No screaming? No betrayal or hate toward your mother for hiding something this big from you?” Her voice was rising, desperation leaking through every syllable. “Are you really okay with this?”
Kai halted his steps and muttered with disappointed tone, “I cannot believe you acting like this”
Vesperine’s gapsed in fear seeing his visible displeasure.
Her eyes darted between them, almost wild. She couldn’t accept it—wouldn’t accept it. If they kept this bond, if nothing broke them apart, then Kai would never drift away from Xara.
He would never be truly hers!!
Just as they reached the stairs, a sharp sound pierced the silence.
Crack… trrnnggg!!
The unmistakable shatter of glass breaking echoed throughout the room. Everyone flinched, spinning on their heels.
Xara’s eyes flew wide open, a sudden bolt of panic striking through her. She knew exactly where that sound came from—and it wasn’t good.
Vesperine’s ears twitched. Her instincts kicked in. Without hesitation, she dashed toward the noise.
“W-Wait!” Xara cried out, trying to stop her, her voice shrill with urgency. “Don’t go there!”
But it was too late.
Vesperine reached the far corner of the racks, and her grin spread as she stood before a dor…. Her eyes sparkled with smug satisfaction.
“There’s another door here,” she announced loudly, turning her head with a victorious grin plastered across her face.
Everyone froze on the stairs.
Slowly, Kai, Selene, and the others turned back around, curious…Their steps echoed as they walked back toward the racks.
Xara’s breath caught. Her legs trembled slightly.
“T-There’s nothing here!” she blurted out too quickly, the panic rising in her throat. “Just… more animals! Just like the ones outside. Nothing more, I swear!”
Vesperine’s grin only grew. “Then why are you trying so hard to hide it, hmm?” she asked sharply, her tone mocking. “If it’s really just more animals… why the panic, Mother-in-law?”
She reached for the handle. Xara moved quickly to block her path, pressing her back against the door.
“These ones are different!” she hissed, her voice trembling. “They’re dangerous… They might attack. I don’t want my babies to get hurt!” Her eyes pleaded as she turned to Kai and Selene, her voice cracking with motherly fear. “Please… believe me. I just want to keep you safe.”
Kai frowned deeply. His heart clenched at the sight of his mother’s desperation.
But then Vesperine’s voice cut through again—softer now, but laced with calculated intent.
“Kai… I truly believe something important is in there,” she said, her tone suddenly serious. Her eyes locked onto his. “I’m not saying your mother is evil. But if you trust her… why not just look? What’s there to fear?”
Kai looked between them—his trembling mother, and the determined, almost pleading Vesperine.
He clenched his fist.
“…Mom, I believe in you,” he said, his voice calm, though his eyes now steeled. “But… if it’s just more animals, then there’s no reason to panic, right? Let her see it end this. I’m old enough now. Strong enough. I can handle any kind of dangerous creature that comes my way.”
Xara bit her lips so hard they nearly bled. Her entire body screamed at her to stop them—but she couldn’t think fast enough. Before she could make another move, Vesperine seized the opportunity. With a swift yank, she shoved past Xara and threw the hidden door wide open.
The group slowly entered the newly revealed chamber…
And stopped.
Everything was empty.
Not a single creature. No equipment.
Except… for one thing.
At the centre of the room stood a single, towering glass tube. And floating inside it… was a
“…Kai?” Vesperine muttered in a horrified tone.
Kai stared at the tube.
Something inside him… cracked.