Façade of Memories

"Papa, what is that?"

Turning his attention to the boy inside the tube before them, the man gently patted his son's head, trying to comfort him in this unique and emotional moment.

"From now on, you'll be having a new brother," he said, his voice filled with hope for the future.

The young boy's eyes sparkled with excitement as he clapped his hands joyfully, eagerly looking forward to meeting his new sibling.

"Now now, there's no need to be too excited. Your brother is still resting inside the machine," the mother chimed in playfully, sneaking up behind her son and pinching his cheeks affectionately.

"Yeah..." the boy replied, his anticipation mingled with a hint of uncertainty.

The three of them stood there, gazing at the boy inside the tube, a mixture of emotions running through their hearts.

Unbeknownst to them, the boy inside the tube opened his right eye slightly to take a glance at their direction before closing it back again.

...

..

.

Three years later, the bond between the brothers had developed in a unique way. The boy, full of energy and enthusiasm, tried to engage his brother in a game, holding up a caterpillar he had caught.

"Brother, look at this!" the boy exclaimed, his eyes bright with excitement as he showed the insect to his brother.

His brother glanced at the caterpillar with indifference, still engrossed in the book he was reading. "A caterpillar?" he said, his tone flat.

"Yeah! Do you want it?" the boy asked, hoping to share his enthusiasm with his brother.

However.

"No," came the simple reply, his brother not even bothering to look up from his book.

Undeterred, the boy persisted, playfully teasing his brother and urging him to put the book aside for a while. Despite the indifferent exterior, the brother eventually gave in, realizing the importance of spending time together.

"Come on, brother! You should stop reading for a while. You won't make any friends if you continue being a loner~" the boy teased, trying to take the book from his brother's hand.

Instead of surrendering his book, his brother swiftly moved his foot in front of his brother's face, preventing him from reaching the prized possession. "You are being annoying," he stated matter-of-factly, though annoyance seemed to flicker in his eyes.

"No! You should hang out with me instead of reading that book!" the boy persisted, taking a step back after a few unsuccessful attempts.

"I'm already hanging out with you," the older brother replied, his expression still impassive.

"Yes, but... You should play with me!!" the younger brother protested.

His brother tilted his head to the side, considering the offer, before heaving out a long sigh in defeat. "Fine... What do you want us to play?" he asked, placing the book on his seat before standing up.

The boy's face lit up with joy. "What about hide and--"

Before he could finish suggesting the game, their mother's voice rang out from the distance, interrupting them. "Kids! It's time to go back now! It's already evening."

The two boys turned to see their mother approaching them in the forest.

"But mom... We haven't even played yet. Brother had been stuck into that book for hours..." the boy protested, his disappointment evident.

"You two can do that next time. You guys need to head back to the lab because we still have to do some testing on your brother," their mother explained, her expression suddenly turning cold as she crossed her arms on her chest.

The boy glanced at his brother, his concern evident. "But mom... Every time you and dad test on my brother, he always comes back after a few weeks feeling weak."

Before his mother could respond, their father came up from behind and patted her shoulder with a soft smile. "Don't worry, the testing today will only be light. You and your brother will be able to play again tomorrow."

Hearing this, the younger boy's face brightened. "Really? Yay!" he exclaimed, a beaming smile spreading across his face.

Suddenly, he next question made their parents tensed.

"Then, after tomorrow, can we finally go outside?"

At the mention of going outside, both their parents' faces tensed up, but the father tried to ease the tension. "No... But you two can go outside after a few more years!" he said, trying to reassure his son.

With the light source they had been exposed to was only artificial without any benefits from the real sun, the boy gradually became bored.

The younger boy's expression turned gloomy. "Fine..." he muttered, turning his attention back to his older brother. His face softened, and he said, "Let's go!" gesturing for them to head back to the lab.

His brother gave him a brief nod, silently following behind him.

As they were about to step inside, the older brother took a brief glance at the younger boy and listened to his mumble.

"I wish to be free..."

For a moment, he stopped in his tracks, his expression uncharacteristically conflicted. He looked back at their parents with a cold stare, hinting at some hidden intentions in his eyes.

"As you wish..."

...

A year later.

At the same place of where he was born, the brother confronted his parents, who had subjected him to this life of experiments and control.

"Where's the key," the boy asked sternly, holding a gun aimed at his father, who was now kneeling in a pool of his own blood.

His father clicked his tongue in frustration, but weakly took out a key card from his pocket and handed it over. "You monster... I shouldn't have created you," he muttered, filled with regret.

The boy's expression softened for a moment, unconsciously letting out a smile before quickly regaining his cold and indifferent demeanor. "I know," he replied, his voice carrying a hint of coldness.

I'm just fulfilling my brother's order...

"Rest assured, your wife is coming along with you next," the brother said, his tone chilling.

His father's face contorted in frustration. He gritted his teeth, anger and fear intertwining within him. "My son will never forgive you for this if he finds out!" he spat, trying to assert some form of authority.

But the boy's remained resolute, showing no emotions through his cold exterior. "Goodbye," he said, placing his index finger on the trigger.

"Father."

Bang!

...

..

.

[Synchronizing memory '1'... Complete]

***

(Vallen POV)

"Haaaa...."

Finally recollecting the forgotten fragments of my rebirth into this existence, I found my hand involuntarily rising to cup my chin, contemplation etched on my features.

"So these are the threads of my true memories...?" My face faltered, a flicker of disbelief coloring my expression.

"There's no way..." My voice wavered slightly, a feeble attempt at denying the reality that loomed before me.

Me, committing mass murder, and worse, extinguishing the lives of millions from many worlds? The mere thought was absurd, a grotesque distortion of reality that clashed vehemently with my understanding of self. I mean, I can barely stand the sight of tarantulas, for crying out loud! And now my own memories dared to assert that I was some twisted genius psycho, driven to commit heinous acts out of sheer boredom?

I would only commit such thing if I had reasons!

"Yeah... There's absolutely no way that person could be me." Each word carried the weight of stubborn denial, an attempt to shield myself from the uncomfortable truth that my memories unveiled.

Reattaching the mask that concealed my countenance, I deftly pressed a button located on its side, setting the mechanisms in motion. Within moments, the visage projected onto its exterior shifted into a mask of jubilance, a stark contrast to the depths beneath.

"I'll just pretend that none of that ever happened in the first place...."

With purposeful strides, I ventured forth, guided by an intrinsic compass to the place that marked the beginning of my daily routine.