It had been raining non-stop since the evening.

The streetlights reflected a yellowish light on the wet road surface. In a small town far from the hustle and bustle of the city, there was a dilapidated workshop that was still open even though it was almost eleven o'clock at night.

The wooden sign in front bore only a simple inscription.

HALE GARAGE

Inside the workshop, a man was bending over in front of an old car.

The sound of a wrench tightening a nut echoed softly.

His hands were covered in black oil stains.

The black T-shirt he was wearing had faded with time.

His hair was a little long, unkempt.

But every movement was too neat.

Too precise.

As if his body was used to doing something much more difficult than repairing an engine.

"Mr. Aiden."

A customer's voice broke the silence.

The man raised his head.

A pair of calm dark eyes looked at the middle-aged man standing at the workshop door.

"Ready?"

Aiden just nodded slowly.

"Yes."

The customer smiled in relief.

"Thank you. If it weren't for you, I would have had to leave this car for a week."

Aiden wiped his hands with a rag.

"No problem."

The man handed over some money.

Aiden took only the agreed amount.

The remaining balance was returned.

"Bro... take it. Consider it a tip."

Aiden shook his head.

"I didn't earn it."

The customer looked at him for a few seconds before chuckling.

"People like you are hard to find these days."

Aiden just smiled thinly.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

After the customer left, the smile also disappeared.

As if it had never existed.

...

He closed the workshop door.

Locked the padlock.

Made sure every window was closed tightly.

Then his eyes moved slowly to every corner of the street.

His eyes swept across the street from left to right, then the rooftops, the reflections in the building's windows and finally the back alley.

But he stood there for almost a minute.

Watching.

Listening.

Counting every sound.

Only after he was absolutely sure it was safe did he step back into the workshop.

At the back was a small storeroom.

He pulled out a metal shelf full of old tires.

Behind it was a hidden steel door.

No knob.

Just a number panel.

His fingers pressed eleven digits.

Beep.

Beep.

Access Granted.

The door opened slowly.

The room was small and empty.

In the middle of it was only a black safe.

Aiden sat in front of it.

For a few moments he just stared at the safe without saying anything.

Then he opened it.

Inside were neatly arranged...

A pair of pistols.

A combat knife.

A special watch.

A satellite phone.

A passport with various identities.

And at the very bottom...

An old photo.

A young man was laughing with a girl holding an ice cream.

Aiden smiled.

This time the smile was truly sincere.

"Lia..."

He touched the picture slowly.

"You're all grown up now."

His eyes were slightly glazed.

"Five years..."

"Five years I managed to hide who I was."

He closed his eyes.

Behind his eyelids...

The image of the night that had never left his memory reappeared.

Screams.

Explosions.

Fire.

Bodies lying around.

A man in a black suit looked at him with a smile.

"You belong to NEXUS until death, Orion."

Aiden opened his eyes immediately.

His breathing became a little faster.

His fingers trembled so slightly that most people would never notice. But to someone like him, even that tiny loss of control felt unacceptable.

He took a few deep breaths before regaining his composure.

"No..."

"I'm not Orion anymore."

"I'm just Aiden."

He closed the safe.

Locked it again.

Then exited the room as if nothing had happened.

However...

On the opposite building, about three hundred meters from the workshop...

A man was holding a camera with a long lens.

Click.

Click.

Click.

All of Aiden's pictures were recorded without him noticing.

The man was wearing small earphones.

"The target is still in place."

The voice on the other end of the line replied calmly.

"Continue observing. Do not act."

"Understood."

The man lowered his camera.

Then looked at Aiden who was turning off the workshop lights.

He frowned.

"Strange..."

"How can an ordinary mechanic have the same level of alertness as an elite soldier?"

He didn't know...

The man he was observing wasn't a mechanic.

But a ghost that the whole world believed was dead.

Aiden turned off the workshop's main switch.

The entire space was plunged into darkness before only the streetlights outside illuminated the front of the premises.

He locked the door.

Then walked home through a small, quiet alley.

Every night he chose that path.

Not because it was closer.

But because there were only two entrances and one exit.

Easy to notice.

Easy to control.

It was an old habit that he had never managed to break.

Even though it had been five years.

...

The small two-story house stood at the end of a housing estate.

Its white paint had begun to fade.

In the yard, there were several well-kept flower pots.

The living room light was still on.

Aiden sighed.

"Not yet asleep..."

As soon as the door opened...

"Brother!"

A girl ran to Aiden and hugged him.

"It's been a while since you've been back!"

Aiden chuckled.

"The workshop has a lot of work."

Lia pouted.

"Brother said that yesterday."

"Yesterday there was a lot of work."

"Yesterday too."

"Yesterday too, there was a lot of work."

Lia glared at him before laughing to herself.

"Brother..."

Aiden gently stroked his younger sister's head.

Lia Hale.

The only reason he still chose to live.

Since their parents died in an accident six years ago, only the two of them were left.

Lia never knew...

The accident was no ordinary accident.

Aiden promised himself that he would take the secret to his grave.

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes."

"A lie."

Aiden fell silent.

Lia immediately headed to the kitchen.

"I've cooked."

"No need to bother."

"It's not difficult."

A few minutes later...

A bowl of hot noodle soup was placed on the table.

"After eating, go to bed."

Aiden looked at the bowl.

Hot steam slowly rose.

For some reason...

His heart felt calm.

This was the life he had dreamed of.

A small house.

Dinner with his sister.

No gunshots.

No explosions.

No blood.

No orders to kill.

"Delicious?"

Lia looked at Aiden hopefully.

Aiden nodded.

"Delicious."

Lia smiled proudly.

"Well. I told you."

Aiden could only reply with a smile.

He was willing to sacrifice his entire life...

As long as that smile never disappeared.

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains, washing away the darkness of the previous night.

The clock only showed 7.15 am.

Lia went down to the living room while adjusting her headscarf.

"Brother, I'll go first."

"What time does class end today?"

"Around four o'clock."

"Lia, I'll pick you up later."

"No need. I'll go back with my friends."

Aiden shook his head slowly.

"No, Lia. I'll pick you up."

Lia chuckled.

"Overprotective, that's right."

"Promise."

"Yes... promise."

Before leaving the house, Lia turned around.

"Brother."

"Hm?"

"Thank you for taking care of me all this time."

Aiden just smiled.

"Go away. It'll be late."

As soon as the door closed...

The smile on his face slowly disappeared.

He stood at the window.

Making sure Lia really got on the bus.

Only then did he go back into the house.

But when he wanted to head to the kitchen...

His eyes were fixed on something.

Under the door of the house...

There was a black envelope tucked in.

No stamp.

No address.

No sender's name.

Just a silver symbol.

A crow with open wings.

Aiden's heart stopped beating for a moment.

His calm face turned pale.

His hand slowly grasped the envelope.

Impossible...

The symbol...

He knew it.

Too well known.

With slightly trembling hands, he opened the envelope.

Inside was only a white card.

No sentence.

No threat.

Just two words.

WELCOME HOME.

The card felt heavier than any weapon he had ever held.

At the bottom...

There was a signature.

— ZERO

Aiden's eyes widened.

His breathing turned uneven. For the first time in five years, fear slipped through the cracks of the mask he had perfected.

For five years, he had disappeared.

Five years he disguised himself as an ordinary person.

But with just a card...

He realized one thing.

Five years of hiding. Five years of pretending to be an ordinary mechanic. All of it shattered by a single white card.

They had found him.

And this time...

They weren't going to let him disappear again

.

7:32 am.

The small house was quiet.

Aiden was still standing in the living room, holding a white card that felt much heavier than a piece of iron.

WELCOME HOME.

Two words.

But enough to bring back all the nightmares he had been trying to erase for five years.

He closed his eyes.

"...They found me."

Not the police.

Not the gangsters.

But NEXUS.

An organization that never failed to track down its targets.

If they knew Aiden was still alive...

Then they would also know about Lia.

And that was the thing he feared the most.

Without delay, Aiden took out his cell phone.

He dialed Lia's number.

"Hello?"

"Lia."

"Ha, brother?"

"Listen here."

Aiden's voice sounded unusually serious.

"Don't leave the university grounds today."

Lia chuckled.

"Why not?"

"Promise me."

"You're weird this morning."

"Lia."

The tone of her voice changed.

Firm.

Lia remained silent.

"...Okay."

"If someone you don't know tells you..."

"Don't listen to them."

"If someone follows you..."

"Go into a crowded place."

"If..."

"Brother."

Lia's voice cut off slowly.

"Brother..."

"Are you okay?"

Aiden was silent for a few moments.

"...Okay."

She hung up.

The truth was...

He was lying.

Workshop.

8:15 a.m.

A customer drove in with an old Proton Saga.

"Brother Aiden!"

Aiden put his mask back on.

A small smile.

A calm tone of voice.

"Morning."

"My car's giving me trouble."

"I can see."

No one would have thought...

As his hands were repairing the engine...

Aiden's eyes were always watching the side mirror of the workshop.

The white car.

Since eight o'clock.

Still not moving.

The man inside pretended to read the newspaper.

But every thirty seconds...

He looked towards the workshop.

Aiden noticed it.

But he pretended not to know.

11:40 am.

The white car finally left.

But five minutes later...

A black van stopped on the other side of the road.

"Good..."

Aiden whispered softly.

"They're starting to take turns."

He deliberately wiped his hands and walked outside to buy a bottle of water.

As soon as he passed the van...

His eyes only glanced at it.

Enough.

Four people.

Ex-military.

The way he sat.

The way he held the radio.

The way he watched.

They were all too trained.

"Not NEXUS."

Aiden concluded.

"Contractors."

They hired outsiders.

This means...

NEXUS is still not one hundred percent sure of his identity.

They are verifying.

And Aiden must remain a normal man.

Evening.

Glenmarie University.

Lia walks out with two of her friends.

They laugh while chatting.

Suddenly...

"Assalamualaikum, sis."

A well-dressed man reprimands.

Lia stops.

"Yes?"

"I'm from the scholarship company."

He holds out a card.

"We want to ask a few questions."

Lia smiles politely.

"Sorry, I have to go back."

The man is still smiling.

"Just five minutes."

"Sorry."

Lia walks away.

But the man's smile slowly disappears.

He touches the small earphone in his ear.

"Target didn't engage."

A cold voice answers.

"Don't touch that girl."

"Focus on his brother."

At the same time...

Aiden is driving towards the university.

For some reason...

His heart felt bad.

Very bad.

The phone rang.

The number was unknown.

He answered.

"Who?"

No voice.

Just the sound of breathing.

Then...

A hoarse male voice was heard.

"How long are you going to keep acting like a normal person..."

Aiden continued to brake.

The tires rubbed hard against the road.

His eyes widened.

The voice...

He knew it.

Impossible.

The man should have died five years ago.

The phone rang again almost immediately.

"We miss you..."

"...Orion."

The line was disconnected.

Aiden gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

His face turned cold.

For the first time in five years...

The name was mentioned again.

Orion.

And far away in a skyscraper...

A man in a black mask was looking at Aiden's picture on the computer screen.

He smiled faintly.

"Long time no see..."

"My brother."

In the car, Only the hum of the engine broke the silence.

Aiden's fingers were still gripping the phone until his knuckles turned white.

"...Orion."

The name echoed in his head.

Five years.

Five years he had killed that identity.

Five years he had lived as Aiden Hale.

But in less than twenty-four hours, everything had begun to fall apart.

He took a deep breath.

Then he restarted the engine and continued on his way to Glenmarie University.

At the university...

Students filled the campus.

Some walked laughing, some hurriedly headed for the lecture hall.

Aiden parked his car in the parking lot facing the main door.

He didn't get out.

Instead...

His eyes watched everyone who passed by.

A man dressed as a food delivery man.

Two male students.

An old woman selling cookies.

A security guard.

Aiden's gaze stopped.

The guard was wearing a perfect uniform.

But his shoes...

Military tactical shoes.

Not safety shoes.

Aiden narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you really..."

The man pretended to check the student card.

However, his position was always facing the main door.

He was not guarding the university.

He was waiting for someone.

A few minutes later...

Aiden's phone rang.

LIA CALLING

"Hello?"

"Brother, I've finished class."

"Okay."

"Where are you?"

"In front of the faculty."

"Okay, wait a minute."

Not long after...

Lia appeared with two of her friends.

She waved at Aiden with a big smile.

"That's my brother."

One of her friends chuckled.

"Your brother's handsome too."

Lia continued to glare.

"Eh, don't be silly."

Aiden just nodded politely to them.

"Be careful."

"Bye, brother!"

Lia opened the car door and sat next to the passenger.

"Come on."

Aiden started the engine.

As the car started to move...

He looked through the rearview mirror.

The security guard was talking through a small communication device in his ear.

Then...

A black SUV started to slowly leave the parking lot.

Following them.

"Brother."

"Hm?"

"You've been really quiet today, brother."

"Tired."

"It's not because of work, right?"

Aiden didn't answer.

Lia looked at her brother's face for a few moments.

Even though Aiden tried to hide it...

She could see something.

Her brother was worried.

Very worried.

"Brother..."

"If there's a problem..."

"Tell Lia."

Aiden smiled slightly.

"It's nothing."

"That's the obligatory sentence, brother."

"There really isn't."

Lia snickered.

"Liar."

They both laughed.

Laughter that made Aiden forget for a moment that death might be following them.

The black SUV was still about a hundred meters behind.

Inside...

A man in a black coat was looking at Aiden's picture on a tablet.

"Stable movement."

"No suspicious actions."

The driver looked at him.

"Sir..."

"If it's true that he's Orion..."

"Why does he live like a normal person?"

The man smiled sarcastically.

"Because he wants us to believe."

"But humans..."

"...can't run away from instinct."

"Sooner or later..."

"He'll show who he really is."

That evening...

Aiden stopped at a supermarket.

"Let's buy some groceries."

Lia continued to smile.

"Great! Lia's cooking tonight."

They walked in together.

The supermarket was as busy as usual.

Children were running.

Mothers were choosing vegetables.

Workers were arranging items on the shelves.

But for Aiden...

Something felt odd.

Too many men alone.

One in the drinks section.

One in the frozen food aisle.

Another near the checkout counter.

They didn't buy anything.

But their position...

They were forming a loose circle.

Surrounding himself and Lia.

Aiden slowly grabbed the trolley.

"Four..."

"Five..."

"Six people."

It wasn't a coincidence.

They were testing the situation.

Lia was still busy choosing chocolates.

"Brother..."

"Is this delicious?"

Aiden forced himself to smile.

"Take it."

While his mind was working out an exit plan.

If they attacked now...

Aisle three was too narrow.

The emergency exit at the back of the store was closer.

But...

No.

He couldn't act.

Not yet.

Once he showed Orion's skills...

Everything would be over.

But unbeknownst to the two of them...

On the second floor of the supermarket...

A man in a gray coat was looking straight at Aiden.

He picked up the phone.

Then whispered quietly,

"I've found him."

On the other end of the line, a cold voice replied,

"Keep watching."

The man smiled thinly.

"No need."

"I'm quite familiar with the way he stands..."

"...Orion."

Aiden didn't take his eyes off the man in the gray coat on the second floor.

They were almost thirty meters away.

Too far to see his face clearly.

However...

The way the man stood.

The way he held the phone.

And the way his eyes never left the target.

Not an ordinary person.

"Not a contractor..."

Aiden whispered to himself.

"He's NEXUS."

Lia, who was choosing chocolates, didn't notice the change in her brother's expression.

"Brother."

"Hm?"

"Why?"

"It's nothing."

"You're overthinking again."

Aiden smiled faintly.

"Let's go back."

"Uh... wait a minute. I haven't chosen the sauce yet."

Without replying, Aiden pushed the trolley to the sauce section.

But his eyes were still watching the reflection of the refrigerator mirror in front of him.

The man in the gray coat...

He was gone.

On the second floor.

The man in the gray coat put his phone in his pocket.

He stepped into the quiet emergency corridor.

The iron door closed tightly as soon as he entered.

At the end of the corridor, a woman with short hair was waiting for him.

"How?"

The man nodded slowly.

"I'm sure."

"One hundred percent?"

"Yes."

The woman exhaled.

"Orion is still alive..."

The man smiled thinly.

"That's not all."

"What?"

"She's changed."

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Changed how?"

"Before..."

"She would kill anyone who threatened her mission."

"But today..."

"She's holding back."

"What do you mean?"

The man looked down through the small window of the emergency corridor.

Aiden was seen walking beside Lia, pushing a trolley.

"She's already weak."

"That woman."

The woman looked too.

"Lia Hale."

"The only family she has."

The man nodded.

"As long as that woman is alive..."

"Orion won't be able to think calmly."

The woman was silent for a moment before saying slowly,

"Director Zero will love this news."

That evening...

Aiden and Lia arrived home.

"Brother!"

Lia picked up a plastic bag.

"We're having a good meal tonight."

Aiden helped carry the items to the kitchen.

Seeing Lia smile as she arranged the kitchen items made his heart ease a little.

Maybe...

Maybe she still had time to protect her sister.

"Brother."

"Hm?"

"Let's watch a movie later after eating."

"A movie?"

"Just at home."

Lia chuckled.

"You're always busy, aren't you."

Aiden smiled.

"In that case..."

"Okay."

Lia's eyes continued to shine.

"Yeayy!"

Seeing the joy, Aiden felt his chest slightly relieved.

However...

The joy didn't last long.

Night.

11:48 p.m.

Lia was asleep.

The whole house was quiet again.

Aiden stood on the back porch holding a cup of coffee.

The night wind blew softly.

He looked at the dark sky.

"If they really found me..."

"They'll be here soon."

Suddenly...

Click.

A soft sound was heard from the back fence.

Aiden didn't turn around.

He just put his coffee cup on the table.

A second sound followed.

Click...

Footsteps.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

An ordinary person would definitely not notice it.

But Orion's senses never really disappeared.

Without changing his expression, Aiden reached for the broom leaning against the wall.

It looked like he just wanted to tidy up the yard.

While his eyes were calculating the enemy's position through the reflection of the kitchen window.

One...

Two...

Three...

"Not one."

"They came in three."

One of the men dressed all in black jumped into the yard.

The second cut off the path to the front door.

The third stood on the roof.

They moved in unison.

Silent.

Trained.

Aiden sighed softly.

"It's no use..."

"I've tried to live like a normal person."

He gripped the broomstick a little tighter.

His eyes changed.

No longer the eyes of a mechanic.

But the eyes of a hunter.

On the roof, one of the intruders pressed the comm.

"Target is in visual."

"Instructions?"

Director Zero's cold voice came through.

"Don't kill him."

"I want to make sure..."

"...does Orion still remember how to kill?"

The night wind blew softly.

Dry leaves rustled on the cement floor of the backyard.

Aiden was still standing with his back to the fence.

In his hand was only a worn-out wooden broom.

He looked like an ordinary man enjoying the night air.

In fact...

Every muscle in his body tracked the enemies' movements.

One on the roof.

One behind the fence.

Another was approaching through the side of the house.

They were deliberately surrounding him.

Testing his reaction.

Aiden took a slow breath.

"If I act..."

"They will confirm my identity."

"If I don't act..."

"Lia might be in danger."

That was the dilemma that had haunted him for the past five years.

On the roof.

A man in a night mask was holding a gun with a silencer.

His finger was on the trigger.

"The target still hasn't noticed us."

His friend below smiled sarcastically.

"Ordinary people are like that."

But the man on the roof didn't answer.

Years of hunting instinct told him something.

"That man..."

"...too calm."

Aiden slowly lifted the broom.

Then...

He began sweeping the dry leaves in the yard.

As if completely unaware of their presence.

The man behind the fence chuckled.

"Boss..."

"Looks like we got the wrong person."

Before he could finish the sentence...

Aiden suddenly stopped sweeping.

The leaves he was sweeping formed a long line on the floor.

His eyes looked at the line.

Then...

A thin smile etched on his lips.

"Four..."

He whispered softly.

The masked man on the roof frowned.

"Four?"

While there were only three of them.

Out of nowhere, a voice from his earphones rang out.

"Delta Team, report position."

No answer.

"Delta Team?"

Still quiet.

He looked back.

Empty.

The fourth man who was supposed to be guarding the back alley...

Gone.

No sound.

No scream.

No report.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

At the same time...

In the back alley of the house.

A man dressed in black lay unconscious.

There was a small pressure mark on his neck.

No blood.

No broken bones.

He was just unconscious.

Beside him...

Standing Aiden.

His face was calm.

His hands were still in his pants pockets.

"Since when..."

Aiden's voice was low.

"...I said I wasn't conscious?"

Apparently...

While he was pretending to sweep earlier...

He had deliberately used the reflection of the kitchen window to see the positions of all the enemies.

Then he took advantage of the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves to slip into the back alley unnoticed.

It all happened in less than fifteen seconds.

On the roof.

"We're missing one!"

"What?"

"Where is he?"

Before they could find him...

A small rock bounced off a nearby wall.

Tok!

Both of them turned around at the same time.

Their biggest mistake.

A black shadow jumped from the side of the house.

Thud!

Aiden's elbow hit the back of the first man's neck.

He collapsed immediately.

The second man tried to point the gun.

But Aiden was already in front of him.

His hand twisted the man's wrist.

Krak!

The gun went off.

Aiden didn't take the gun.

Instead, he used his elbow to hit his opponent's chest.

The man was thrown onto the roof before rolling onto the yard.

It all happened in a matter of seconds.

No shots were fired.

No long screams.

Just the sound of bodies hitting the floor.

Aiden stood still.

His breathing was still regular.

He looked at the three men who were now unable to get up.

"If five years ago..."

"...you were all dead."

He turned to enter the house.

Before anyone reacted,

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The sound of clapping echoed from outside the fence.

Aiden stopped.

A man in a black coat stepped out of the darkness.

His face was half hidden under his hat.

He smiled.

"Still the same..."

"Not much has changed."

Aiden narrowed his eyes.

His heart beat faster for the first time that night.

The man took off his hat.

Short brown hair.

A small scar under his left eye.

And a very familiar sly smile.

"...Raven."

Raven chuckled.

"Long time no see..."

"...Orion."

"...Raven."

The name came out slowly from Aiden's lips.

The man in front of him was still the same as before.

His body was strong.

His face was calm.

A sarcastic smile that made it difficult for anyone to guess what he was thinking.

The difference...

Now Raven's eyes were no longer filled with the enthusiasm of an agent.

Instead...

They were empty.

Cold.

Like the eyes of a murderer who had lost all emotion.

Raven looked at the three agents lying unconscious in the yard.

Then he shook his head slowly.

"I told Director Zero..."

"...there's no point in sending kids like this."

Aiden didn't answer.

He just stood in front of the back door of the house.

A position that allowed him to protect Lia if something happened.

Raven smiled at the action.

"You're still the same as before."

"What do you mean?"

"Always putting other people behind your back."

"Even if your own life is at stake."

Aiden clenched his jaw.

"I'm done."

"Stopped?"

Raven chuckled.

He spread her hands wide.

"If you really did stop..."

"...why are these three still alive?"

Silence.

The night grew colder.

Aiden knew what those words meant.

Five years ago...

Orion never left a witness.

Every mission...

Every target...

Everything ended in death.

But tonight...

He chose not to kill.

Because Lia was sleeping in the house.

He didn't want his sister to see her brother become a monster again.

"I'm not Orion anymore."

Aiden spoke softly.

"I'm Aiden Hale."

Raven looked at him for a few moments.

Then...

He laughed.

The laughter that grew louder as it went on.

"HAHAHA..."

"Aiden?"

"Do you really believe that name is yours?"

Raven took out a thin file from inside her coat.

She threw it at Aiden.

The file fell onto the grass.

Slowly Aiden opened it.

On the front page...

It was written a confidential file.

PROJECT ORION

STATUS: DECLASSIFIED

REAL NAME: UNKNOWN

AGE: UNKNOWN

DATE OF BIRTH: UNKNOWN

FAMILY: NONE

Aiden's eyes widened.

He flipped to the second page.

There was a picture of a boy.

He was about nine years old.

His hands were handcuffed.

His face was covered in bruises.

Under the picture it said...

Subject O-01

Aiden's breathing began to quicken.

"What..."

"...what is all this?"

Raven looked at him without a smile.

"You think..."

"...you really remember your past?"

Aiden raised his head.

"What are you trying to say?"

Raven took a step forward.

"Orion."

"You were never born Aiden Hale."

"You..."

"...made."

The words pierced Aiden's heart.

"No..."

"That's impossible."

"Impossible?"

Raven pulled out another picture.

The picture showed a scientist standing next to several children.

One of them...

It was Aiden as a child.

On the back of the picture was a name.

PROJECT GENESIS

Raven looked straight into Aiden's eyes.

"All the memories of your parents..."

"...maybe not yours."

"What do you remember..."

"...maybe just an implanted memory."

"LIE!"

For the first time in five years...

Aiden raised his voice.

Raven wasn't surprised.

Instead, he smiled contentedly.

"That's the Orion I know."

Suddenly...

The lights in the upstairs room of the house turned on.

Both of them looked up at the same time.

Lia's voice was faintly heard from inside the house.

"Brother?"

"Are you outside?"

Aiden's heart seemed to stop.

"No..."

"Lia don't go out..."

But it was too late.

The sound of the doorknob being gently turned.

Raven looked towards the door with a smile that made Aiden's blood freeze.

"Finally..."

"...I was able to find the biggest weakness of the Ghost of Orion."

"Lia..."

Aiden's voice was soft but firm.

"Don't come out!"

Upstairs, the sound of the doorknob stopped.

"Brother?"

Lia's voice sounded surprised.

"Why?"

Aiden didn't answer.

His eyes never left Raven.

Raven was still smiling.

"Interesting..."

"You were willing to shoot a hostage to complete the mission."

"Now?"

"You're afraid your sister would see who you really are."

Aiden clenched his fist.

"That's none of your business."

"Oh?"

Raven shrugged.

"If it's none of my business..."

"Why are your hands shaking?"

Aiden looked at his hands.

It was true.

His fingers were trembling slightly.

Not because he was afraid of Raven.

But because he was afraid of Lia seeing his dark side.

Five years of building a new life.

Five years of being a loving brother.

He couldn't bear for everything to be destroyed tonight.

The back door of the house opened slightly.

"Brother?"

Lia looked out.

"What are you doing outside?"

Before she could see Raven...

Aiden turned away.

A small smile forced itself onto her face.

"It's nothing."

"It's just..."

"A cat came into the yard."

Lia rubbed her still-sore eyes.

"Huh?"

"Cat?"

"Yes."

"Going to bed."

"Okay..."

Lia nodded slowly.

"Don't be too long."

The door closed again.

The light in her room was also turned off.

Aiden breathed a sigh of relief.

But Raven just chuckled.

"You're still good at lying."

"But baby..."

"Soon she'll know everything."

"What do you want?"

Aiden asked.

Raven took out a pack of cigarettes.

He lit one.

He took a slow drag.

"Originally..."

"I came to kill you."

"Why didn't you do it?"

"Because Director Zero changed the order."

"What order?"

Raven looked Aiden straight in the eye.

"He wants you to go back."

Aiden laughed sarcastically for the first time.

"Go back?"

"After everything they did?"

"After they killed..."

He stopped.

His parents' faces played in his mind.

Raven interrupted slowly.

"Who said your parents were killed by NEXUS?"

Aiden kept raising his head.

"What?"

Raven threw a cigarette butt to the ground.

"Orion..."

"You trust your own memory too much."

"When you know better than anyone..."

"...memories can be changed."

The words made Aiden's chest feel tight.

Since he was a child...

He only remembered a little bit of his childhood.

His mother's face.

His father's voice.

The accident.

The fire.

The screams.

After that...

Empty.

He always thought the trauma was causing his memory to blur.

But...

What if Raven was telling the truth?

What if all he remembered was a false memory?

Suddenly Raven's phone rang.

He looked at the screen.

Her smile immediately disappeared.

"Director."

She answered.

"Yes."

For a few moments she just listened.

Then his gaze shifted toward Aiden's house.

"Instructions received."

The line was disconnected.

"What were his instructions?"

Raven put the phone in her pocket.

"It seems..."

"Our conversation ends here."

"Answer my question."

Raven shook her head.

"Director said..."

"...you haven't suffered enough."

Before Aiden could respond...

Raven already disappeared in the dark night.