3 YEARS LATER, RAY IS 16 YEARS OLD
The Director of Experiments said coolly, > "You have grown too quickly, Ray. You've learned everything we intended to teach you, and just in time—the war has begun. Use the knowledge you've absorbed to secure our victory. You are our ACE, our sole hope for triumph."
A seething tempest churned within Ray: >These damn white coats have used me—subjecting me to unspeakable experiments, locking me away in this hellish lab where I never once set foot beyond these suffocating walls. They stripped me of every emotion until my soul lay in tatters. And now, they demand salvation from me. How bitterly ironic! They can rot in hell for all I care. But if I refuse to act, what purpose do all these years of suffering, relentless training, and brutal experiments serve? Still, a restless curiosity about the outside world burns within me. Perhaps if I secure a high rank in the military, I can finally claim the freedom that's been denied me for so long.
The Director continued, > "In recognition of your tireless effort over all these years, you will be granted the title of General."
Ray retorted sharply, > "Interesting… So, I'm a General now, white coats? Or must I endure more of your damned training and twisted experiments?"
Calmly, the Director replied, > "Do not worry, Ray. Your training is complete—for now, you are a General. The military will soon arrive to collect you and deploy you to the front lines of this unending war. Remember: you are nothing more than a weapon, forged for battle. Do not fear the death and carnage that lie ahead."
A few hours later, as the atmosphere grew tenser, a gruff voice broke the silence. General White stepped forward and declared, > "Here's the lad rat you've been experimenting on. Fascinating… What's your name, boy?"
Ray snapped back, > "What do you care about my name, Red Coat? You have no right to speak to me like that—I'm a General."
General White chuckled as he replied, > "I like the fire in you. So you claim to be a General, huh? Well, I'm one too. Perhaps we'll get along—I appreciate boldness."
Inwardly, Ray surveyed the man: >Is he sincere, or merely as easy to manipulate as the rest? His tone reveals a competitor; a man shaped by rigorous training who despises weakness. Perhaps he might prove useful if I play my cards right.
Ray pressed further, > "So, when are we leaving, Red Coat? I want nothing more than to escape this cursed lab."
With a wry smile, General White responded, > "You're impatient, aren't you? Very well. Let me show you what the world looks like beyond these drab walls."
As they moved through the corridors, Ray resolved silently, >I'll say little and listen intently. With the war only just igniting, every hushed conversation and sidelong glance might still hold the spark of future power.
General white: are you ready to see the outside world for your first time in 16 years i think your gonna like it very much kid.
Ray's mind churned with a bitter truth: happiness was a foreign concept. All he could muster was a hollow, aching curiosity. The outside world had always been nothing more than a mirage—glimpsed through the sterile lens of images and videos allowed by his captors. Was joy forever out of reach, or had those cursed white coats shredded his soul to scattered fragments?
"Do you feel happy, kid? Happy that you're finally going to see the outside world?" General White asked, his tone mocking yet curious.
Ray's reply dripped with irony and pain. "Happiness? No. I feel nothing but curiosity. Those white coats—they didn't just damage me; they obliterated me. I thought I was outsmarting them, but it turns out they were the ones playing me all along."
For a moment, General White's eyes grew distant as a silent torment crossed his mind. It's tragic. We were ordered to kill this boy—a boy raised for war, stripped of humanity, molded into a weapon. The lies about a raging war outside were harsh, yet deemed necessary. In truth, the world is at peace. But if we let this monster loose, chaos will reign. He must die, even if it shatters me from within.
Ray's gaze drifted to the window where a bleak backyard awaited—quiet, desolate, a place where unseen fates would be decided. I see it now, he thought bitterly. After all these years of yearning for freedom, they've brought me here to snuff out my very existence. I wish I had wings to soar away from this cage. Even a fleeting taste of the outside would be worth it. I'd rather die with regret than live a life stripped of freedom—regret for not fighting harder against these chains, for too willingly obeying their orders.
His voice turned low and desperate. "Can I at least see the outside before you kill me, Red Coat? I won't try to escape. Death seems a fair price for a life devoid of freedom. Isn't that right?"
General White's expression flickered with surprise. "How did you know?" he murmured. "We planned everything meticulously so you wouldn't suspect a thing."
"Red Coat," Ray continued, his tone heavy with resigned truth, "those white coats didn't create a super soldier. They created something far worse. Perhaps I'm no different from a wild animal—or even a monster."
"I'm sorry, kid," General White said softly, his voice tinged with remorse. "I was only following orders. My hands are tied. I'm truly sorry you never had the freedom you so desperately wanted."
Ray's eyes glinted with defiance. "Don't apologize. I'm nothing more than a weapon of war, right? Who cares if I live or die? I have no one to mourn me. So, as my final request, let me taste freedom—even if it's just for a second." His voice cracked as he added, "I'll die with only one regret."
General White hesitated before asking, "I'll grant your last wish. But what is that regret?"
Ray shook his head, the answer lost in the weight of all he'd endured. "Don't worry about it. It's beyond fulfillment now."
General White then gestured toward a dark door at the end of the hall. "Here's the door to the backyard. Open it when you're ready."
Slowly, Ray stepped outside. The sun touched his skin, and a cold breeze whispered over him—the first sensation that made him feel truly alive. For a brief, fleeting moment, freedom was his.
Then, suddenly, a gunshot shattered the silence. Ray crumpled to the ground, clutching his chest as life slipped away.
With fading strength, he managed to utter, "It's Ray."
A confused General White approached. "What's Ray?" he asked, perplexed.
Between ragged breaths, Ray replied, "My name. You wanted to know, didn't you?"
As his final breath escaped, his gaze remained fixed on the sky—a sky that, in its brilliant beauty, offered a final, bittersweet taste of freedom.