(Leo's memories, the underground testing lab)
Just a few minutes after Leo sent out a distress signal.
*KABOOM*
A violent explosion rattled the underground laboratory, as grains of sand fell from the ceiling onto the floor.
Emergency alarm sirens began to blare, and as Leo looked into the surveillance footage, he could see that some unknown organization seemed to be infiltrating the base through the front gate, as the local security teams scrambled to respond.
Then, suddenly the lab doors unlocked with a hiss, probably in response to the emergency override protocol, as two guards burst in with weapons drawn, expecting to find panicked scientists and sedated test subjects inside— only to be shocked when they found a free standing Leo instead, moving towards them with a scalpel in hand.
"Get down!" Luke shouted, diving at the first guard before he could even take proper aim, while Alia flanked the second and slammed a metal tray into his helmet.
Leo arrived last, slashing with the stolen scalpel, as blood of the two men sprayed across the floor.
*Splat*
The fight was quick and brutal.
The guards were trained, but unprepared for a coordinated ambush from desperate survivors. And once they dropped, Leo retrieved one of the rifles, swaying slightly as his vision pulsed, before tossing it to his father, who he knew could use it well.
"We move. Now," Luke said, already leading the way out, as Amanda and Elena helped support Leo from both sides until he regained his footing.
Together, they weaved through the chaos, slipping past distracted patrols and half-destroyed corridors, but it wasn't without resistance.
In one hallway, they had to fight a mutated test subject that had escaped containment.
And in another, they clashed with reinforcements trying to seal off the tunnels, as throughout, Leo fought till the limit of his capabilities, but unfortunately for him, his strength was fading fast.
He wasn't in an optimal condition to fight after his blood transfusion, and desperately needed proper rest, however chose to fight on the vanguard nonetheless.
He felt dizzy and disoriented, with his current strength and stamina being extremely limited compared to his usual energetic self, which made him sloppier than usual in combat.
Going through just two short battles, he received a deep cut across his shoulder, another across his lower leg, and the worst at the side of his neck, where a curved blade managed to tear off a chunk of flesh.
As in the end, his knees buckled just as the group approached a blast sealed exit that looked like a dead end.
The last thing he remembered seeing before his vision gave out was the wall beside them being blown apart, as a red-haired figure stepped through the smoke, caught him before he hit the ground, and slung him over her shoulder with a firm grip.
"Follow me if you want to live," Mu Fan said, her eyes scanning the area sharply, as she led the entire family out in one swift, decisive motion.
And then everything went dark.
—-----------
The next time Leo woke up, he found himself lying on a soft bed, sunlight pouring down across his face through a tall window lined with white curtains.
As he squinted, the haze in his vision faded just enough for him to make out a vast green field stretching beyond the glass, its surface dotted with blooming wildflowers that swayed gently in the breeze.
But his attention quickly returned to the room, where he spotted Fan seated quietly beside him.
"Where am I? How long was I out?" he asked, his voice dry and groggy.
"You're safe… and you've been unconscious for over three days," Fan replied with a soft sigh, watching as Leo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Three days? My family must be losing their minds. Can you let them know I'm awake?" he asked, already beginning to sit up.
But Fan shook her head.
"They're not here anymore, Leo. Your actions at the lab turned you all into fugitives. For their safety, we had to send them away."
Leo's entire body tensed as he forced himself upright, his gaze sharp as a dagger as he glared at her.
"Sent them where? Who are you really… and what did you do to my family?"
His killing intent flared instinctively, but it evaporated almost instantly as Fan's eyes narrowed, her presence alone enough to freeze him in place.
His breath caught in his throat, and for the first time in a long while, he felt genuine fear. Not from pain. Not from injury. But from the invisible pressure she exuded, one that even actual dragons in VR game Terra Nova Online couldn't replicate.
"Don't test me, boy," Fan said, her voice low and laced with restraint. "I've been patient with you. But you're still too naive."
She rose slowly, brushing the side of his bed with her robes as she spoke.
"I suspected from the start that you weren't ordinary. That there was something divine in your bloodline. The way you played the game… the forbidden skill you awakened that no player was ever meant to touch—it confirmed it for me. That's why I stepped in to save you. That's why I risked everything."
She paused, her tone turning colder.
"But then you had to throw it all away. You ignored my plan. You returned to the Arc Ship like a fool and got caught.
Because of that, not only did you destroy your own future, but you delivered your entire family— every last one of them carrying the blood of the Timeless Assassin— into the hands of a cult hungry for their next savior to appear."
Leo's fists clenched, but she wasn't finished.
"Your actions sealed your brother and father's fates.
As whatever it is in your blood that makes you special, also runs through them, and the Elder I report to has decided to prepare all three of you for the post of the dragon... separately."
She took a step back and folded her arms.
"Your mother, your girlfriend, and your sister-in-law— they're safe. The cult has no interest in them. They're being protected and treated with dignity."
"But your brother… he wasn't so lucky. The Elder has arranged for him to be hunted every day by trained assassins, without him knowing it's a simulation.
He will live his life as a beggar, a drifter, scraping by, always running, always hiding. They'll chase him, break him, and watch to see if he rises.
Until he grows strong enough to either kill them all or breaks beyond the point where he's useless." Fan said, as she exhaled deeply, her expression darkening.
"And your father… Well, let's not talk about your father. You won't be able to handle it."
Leo's chest tightened as he listened to Fan speak, rage beginning to swell inside him like a storm.
"What do you mean I can't handle it? What do you mean they're torturing my brother?! Free them! Tell me where they are! I'll kill every last one of you if I have to!"
But before he could move, she was already there, faster than his eyes could perceive, as her hand clamped over his mouth and forced him back down.
"Listen to me, you arrogant brat," she said, eyes boring into his. "You want to save them? Then stop yelling. Stop threatening. And prove your worth."
Her grip loosened just enough for him to breathe.
"If you want the cult to lose interest in your family… then outshine them. Become the next dragon. Become the one they want."
Her voice softened, just barely.
"And if you succeed, I promise you this, your family will walk free."