Chapter 13:
Shawn's Point of View
Flashback
"Where are we going, Mom?" I asked when I saw my mother getting ready. She turned around, meeting my gaze, and took a deep breath before inviting me to sit on her lap. I was seven years old at the time, but I already understood how harsh the world could be.
I had a good relationship with my parents and Nathalie's parents. However, I had also witnessed them fighting for no apparent reason. I had a sister who was an accomplished scientist, always striving to be the best she could be. Pursuing her dreams was her passion, but something unusual had happened today. It wasn't just her; they had all changed.
"Please, Shawn, don't be upset while I'm gone. We're going to your grandma's house. We'll leave you there first while we meet up with your father. We promise to come back to you as soon as we're done," she explained. I looked at her with shock in my eyes as we exchanged glances.
"Grandpa has the money, Mom. He has a lot of money," I said simply to my mum.
"You'll soon understand what I'm talking about. Now, go ahead and freshen up. Your father is waiting for you," she replied, leaving me no other option but to follow her. I wasn't sure what had happened between them, but my father had warned me not to get involved. He is also a scientist, while my mother is a simple housewife. The last time I saw my father, he expressed his desire to leave. I could still understand what they were saying, and if they wanted to leave me with my grandmother, I was fine with it.
I assumed my life would be great under my grandmother's influence, but that was a big mistake. I hadn't seen my grandmother since I was a child, and I had no idea how she looked until my mother brought me here. She turned out to be a true devil, inexplicably enraged at me. I decided to keep quiet and do what she told me until I overheard them talking.
They're talking about me, and despite my youth, I understand what they're saying. My grandfather wants me to participate in the experiment and hopes that I will succeed. I have no information about my sister, and I have no idea where my family is going after leaving me here. Still, I can't say I blame them. They've decided to leave me here because they don't want my grandfather to lure me away with his ambitious dreams, which I now understand.
According to my father, Grandpa wants more money and desires to elevate his status as a scientist and businessman. But his efforts have been unsuccessful, leading him to search for alternative chemicals for his research, which resulted in the creation of Fentanyl E000. They are all striving to find the Fentanyl E000 because no one else has, and that's why my grandfather wants me to be a part of it.
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I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. My grandfather has taken me in for now, and I have no reason to protest. Grandma just let me stay for a few days and didn't chastise me. Perhaps she is aware of the dangers of Fentanyl.
I ate quietly, unconcerned with my grandfather's presence. He's been waiting for me, and I've been eating slowly to pass the time. This is how terrible the world is in general. I can't seem to stop myself from checking the time. Time is still ticking away, and all I can do now is pray for my survival.
In the lab, I remained calm, monitoring what was going on. Does my mom have any knowledge of this? I don't want her to jeopardize her life by interfering. I'd like to keep her out of this situation. Be it as it may, if this is meant for me, I'll take Father's advice to be strong and face it head-on. I'm not a heartless person, and I'm well aware of it. I am constantly hurt and want to cry, but I am unable to do so. My family is both a source of strength and vulnerability for me.
"Prepare yourself for that. We'll get started on the experiment as soon as we can," Grandpa issued an instruction to the scientists in front of us, and I overheard it. They all silently nodded and began making plans.
After they finished, Grandpa held me tightly, and the scientist helped me lie down in the hospital bed. I wasn't sure what they were going to do with me. I just sat near the bed where I was laying after they injected me. I tried to close my eyes and remember my father's advice in such circumstances. I would try my best to avoid getting hurt and being exploited by others around me. They were taking advantage of me because I was a child, and they were doing it without any compassion.
The man said, "Ready the syringe with Fentanyl," and he was the one who did it. I wasn't sure who he was. Curious, I decided to open my eyes and see what they were doing. Another man brought a tray with many syringes.
"After I've given him an injection, check his pulse. Clear?" I heard the man say, and fear made me tremble. Could it be true that I was going to die? I couldn't predict what would happen next. If I survived the injection, they wouldn't check my pulse. My body was weak, and nobody seemed to be aware of it.
As the man prepared the syringe, he quickly injected it into my arm. Despite trembling, I closed my eyes and tried to block out the pain. But I was mistaken; it wasn't just pain that was killing me; it was death itself.
It felt as though my insides were being obliterated. Something was flowing inside me, and I knew it was Fentanyl. Each surge of it was followed by excruciating agony. When it came to a halt in my core, I gasped for breath.
"Mama..." That's all I could manage to say as tears streamed down my face for the first time. The tears were evidence of the excruciating pain I was experiencing. I was tired of pretending to be invincible, tired of fighting when all I wanted was to rest. "Please forgive me, Papa. If I'm not strong enough, please forgive me," I whispered in a trembling voice.
Just before the darkness engulfed me, there was a commotion in the lab, and I caught a glimpse of a familiar woman. I managed to smile faintly, at least knowing she was safe and well.
"Ate..." I murmured as the darkness consumed me.
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I awoke to a gentle caress. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw my sister smiling at me.
"I'm sorry if I was too late, big brother. What are you thinking?" My sister's voice was filled with sorrow as she gently massaged my cheek.
"A-ate... T-they injected me," I confided in my sister, letting her see my true emotions. She gave me two nods to show that she understood.
"I only had one Fentynol. I'm sorry, but I couldn't save her. I'm sorry, but I couldn't save our mother."
Hearing those words, I stiffened. Our mother? My sister broke down in tears and hugged me tightly. I don't know what happened, but just thinking about it feels like my heart is being squeezed. We have no choice but to cry. What happened to her?
"What happened to them, anyway? Where is our mother? And what about Daddy? What happened to them?" I couldn't stop crying, and Ate hugged me closely, trying to comfort me. They were driving me crazy. My grandmother, grandfather, and even myself are all people I loathe. I feel like I failed to protect my family from harm. I know about Fentynol, it's my sister's cure.
I recently learned that Mama was committed to a mental facility after someone was killed. Because of her involvement in that filthy experiment, she lost her sanity. My anger has stayed with me ever since. They will regret why I was revived.
Nathalie's mansion was where I found myself. My father and sister left me there, assuring me that I would be safe. But being there made me realize how powerless I was. The experiment had no impact on my ability to develop good reflexes, or else I would have died until my sister healed me. She also revealed why she was carrying our mother. As they were leaving, Grandpa discovered their intention to relocate temporarily, and he refused to let them go. As a result, my parents were kidnapped, and my mother became a victim of their greed. It was during this time that my sister saved me and her men rescued our mother and father. She also mentioned that the Company was secretly forming, and she nicknamed it Red-In-A00, but she didn't explain why she chose that name. There was something she wasn't telling me.
"Big brother, you'll soon understand what I mean. I want you to help us defeat our grandfather. And when I'm gone, I'll entrust it to someone you can rely on," my sister said to me during our conversation, and my cousin overheard it.
Growing up, I held a grudge against my grandfather. According to what I've heard, Dad was once Grandpa's headmaster at Ottawa Green University, but I'm not sure of his true intentions or allegiances. As I grew older, I learned everything I could, up until my eleventh birthday. My grandfather once ruled the entire world and now wields immense power. Every scientist aspires to be a part of his organization. It was within this organization that the Fentanyl E000 experiment originated. Nobody could successfully complete the experiment, leaving E000 still in existence. They have always been ruthless and monstrous, willing to kill innocent people without mercy. I'm grateful that I was saved from becoming one of those monsters.
It was then that I developed the ability to read people's minds, as not everyone was being healed. Some of the outcomes continue to justify my decision to take on the Peur Organization. My father also assisted me in creating a training room.
And I fell in love with the girl at the wrong moment and in the wrong place. It happened when the conflict broke out.
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