It didn't take long for the two men to approach him.
Their steps were calm - too calm - carrying a set of tools that looked far more sophisticated and alien than those of the other officers. There was an agonizing sense of pressure in their every move. Silent, they wore medical gloves, their movements neat... systematic... like executors who already knew what they would find.
Liam held his breath. His throat was dry. His body felt cold even though cold sweat began to trickle down his temples.
"We meet again, William," Thiago said, his voice containing the satisfied tone of a hunter who finally found the quarry that had been missing. "Hopefully this time, we'll get some answers."
Liam tried to smile, though his lips felt so stiff. "I... won't let you down," he replied, almost in a weak whisper. Even he wasn't sure if it was an answer or an admission of defeat.
Her trembling hands were placed on the table.
She could feel her own pulse, rapid... uncontrollable. It was as if his body knew in advance what was going to happen.
Thiago began to roll up the sleeve cuffs of his uniform, then cleaned the surface of Liam's skin with alcohol. The cold touch was like a bone-chilling ice knife. Liam closed his eyes for a moment, trying to resist the tremors that began to run through his entire body.
"Are you that scared?" Thiago quipped in a flat, almost dismissive voice.
But before the needle could pierce his skin, a voice stopped everything.
"Wait," Eren said quietly, but firmly.
The man's gaze pierced straight into Liam's soul. Their eyes met-and for a moment, time seemed to stop. Liam knew... he knew this wasn't just an examination anymore. This was judgment.
"William..." Eren said, his voice turning deeper, almost pleading. "Please don't hide anything anymore."
"S-I don't-"
The sentence didn't have time to finish.
In an instant, Eren's hand touched his face. The movement was fast, precise, and merciless. His fingers grabbed Liam's face, forcing him to stare. And in one decisive movement-
Plak.
Dark brown contact lenses fell to the floor, spinning briefly before stopping.
Silence.
Time seemed to freeze.
All eyes looked at one point.
Liam's right eye glowed bright red. Red like an ember. Red like an unhealed wound.
Eren's face changed. Not angry... yet. But there was clearly an ember beginning to burn beneath his sternness.
"Can you explain all this?" he asked coldly, almost callously.
"Is your left eye... the same?"
Liam couldn't speak. His neck seemed to be locked. He just nodded slowly, full of shame and fear that tore him up inside.
Slowly, Eren repeated his movements. The lens of Liam's left eye was removed-and now, all secrets could no longer be sealed.
The two red eyes stared ahead. Clear. Striking. Undeniable.
Then came the sounds-like thousands of knives plunging in from all directions.
"Uh... are those Liam's eyes?"
"Very scary, like a demon."
"So he was lying all along... I knew he was weird."
Whispers turned into murmurs. Mumbles became jeers. And it all echoed inside Liam's head like an echo of torment.
Liam looked down. His hands gripped the edge of the table, hard... but his body kept shaking.
"SHUT UP!!!"
Eren's voice exploded, shaking the entire classroom. His hand pounded on the front desk until the vibration was felt all the way to the very back. Everyone immediately fell silent. No one dared to breathe too loudly.
"Don't anyone ever mess with me in this examination! Understand?"
Silence again. Like a graveyard. Only the sound of Liam's heartbeat kept pounding in his chest, getting louder... faster.
"Continue," Eren said in a flat, yet threatening voice.
Without a word, Thiago continued his task. The needle finally pierced Liam's skin-cold, sharp, but nothing compared to the fear that had been eating away at his soul for so long.
His blood was drawn slowly. The dark red color flowed into a small tube. And as drop after drop of blood was introduced into the clear solution...
The liquid reacted.
The color changed. Unusual. Inhuman.
And Liam knew-all the defenses he had built up so far, had all collapsed.
The blood turned pitch black.
The color changed. Unusual. Inhuman.
And Liam knew-all the defenses he had built up so far, had all collapsed.
The blood turned pitch black.
"William Louren, you passed the first stage. Good, I'll move on to the next stage," Eren said in a satisfied tone.
William was getting restless. His hands hidden under the table shook violently, and cold sweat broke out on his temples.
"Calm down... Calm down. I've prepared everything. I just need to stay calm... Damn, even thinking clearly seems impossible now," he muttered to himself.
But before he could calm down, a voice sounded faintly in his mind.
"William... Liam... Do you want me to lend you my strength?"
The voice was low, almost a whisper... but it became clearer and clearer.
"I won't let that bastard interfere with my life!!!"
The voice was so booming, so angry, that Liam reflexively turned his head, looking for the source. But there was no one.
Eren suddenly touched Liam's head. He was startled, but his body was unable to move. A probe was aimed at the hump of his neck, and soon...
BIPPP!
The device made a loud sound. The indicator displayed the maximum level.
Eren and Thiago looked at each other, shocked.
"This... this is the maximum level..." muttered Eren, unable to hide his shock.
"Dangerous if left unchecked... Anomaly at the highest level," Thiago said in a serious tone.
Liam looked down, shocked, trying to deny reality. "Maybe... maybe it's broken?" he thought. But that faint voice was back in his head, calling his name softly but resoundingly. He looked around-all he could see were the faces of his classmates. They looked scared. Some were angry. Some even radiated hatred.
No one said anything, but their gazes felt sharper than knives.
Liam's breathing began to get irregular. He saw Thiago on the phone with someone. The sound of the conversation added to the noise in the classroom. On the other side, Eren was ready, the same tool aimed again at the hump of Liam's neck.
DUARRR!
A loud noise, like a gunshot, shook the entire class. Everyone fell silent.
Liam felt something hard and hot hit the back of his neck. His body
was pushed forward, almost hitting the table, but Eren swiftly held him back, pressing his chest to keep him upright.
Liam's body shook violently... and blood suddenly came out of his mouth. He coughed loudly, vomiting thick, thick blood. The pain was unbearable.
Eren said in a low but firm voice, "Take it easy... I'm just installing the chip. Making sure we can always find you... no matter where you go."
Liam fell silent. His head lowered, his breath caught. The world around him seemed to fade, as voices began to drown in the fog. But anger and fear mingled inside him, erupting without direction.
The look in her eyes changed. Faint, but clear-the red color returned. Fine cracks formed patterns on his irises, almost like strange symbols glowing dimly.
Eren stared at Liam intently. He realized something was awakening... something even NEXARIS didn't fully understand.
It didn't take long for Liam's breathing to become heavy. His body relaxed, as if all the energy had been forcibly taken out of him. His vision blurred... but suddenly, in one blink of an eye, his consciousness returned.
But now there was something different.
His eyes burned a fiery red like embers, no longer faint, but bright and piercing.
Eren, who was still holding Liam's body, suddenly took a step back with a shocked expression.
Liam was staring at him fiercely-a cold, savage, and deadly stare. It was as if he was no longer the Liam from before... but another bloodthirsty figure.
PRAKK!
BRAKHH!
A loud slapping sound exploded in the air, followed by the clink of glass breaking from the window next to Liam. The cracks spread rapidly, before the window finally shattered. Shards of glass flew through the air, clawing at Thiago's skin and scratching Liam's own face.
Instantly, Eren sprang into action. He dropped Liam to the floor brutally, flipping him onto his stomach. One hand pressed firmly on Liam's back, while the other locked and cuffed his wrists behind his back.
Thiago immediately blindfolded Liam with a black cloth, binding him tightly.