Chapter 1: Do You Truly Desire to Be Free?

In the heart of the forsaken laboratory, where shadows crept and despair lingered, a young woman named Lu Zhi floated inside a large incubator, submerged in water. She was the most powerful and invisible subject of a malevolent experiment, confined to the innermost chamber where the darkest secrets were forged. Neurological implants, devices embedded throughout her body, granted her captors control over her very being. Each movement, each thought, all manipulated by the cold touch of technology.

Amidst the chaos of the laboratory, a man with an extraordinary presence, an enigmatic figure with a chiseled physique and a face that seemed to hold the stories of a thousand lifetimes, found himself lost within its depths. He was an intruder, caught amidst a desperate escape from the clutches of the laboratory's pursuers. Fate led him to the most dangerous place within the facility, where he discovered her.

There she was, a vision of ethereal beauty, floating like a goddess with her cascading white hair and slender figure, an enigma wrapped in an oppressive aura. His instincts drew him closer, his slender hands reaching out to touch the glass that separated them. As he gazed upon her, her eyes slowly opened, revealing alluring silver pupils filled with indifference and playful mischief, even in the face of a stranger.

A symphony-like voice resonated in his mind, her words echoing through his very being, "Leave... Or you will die."

His face remained stoic, masking the waves of shock and curiosity in his heart. With a calm demeanor, he dared to inquire, "Do you want to leave with me too?"

Her enigmatic smile widened, and she responded, "Hehe. No. I can't leave... But you, I can make you escape from here now."

Inexplicably drawn to her, he hesitated but agreed, "Alright."

Her next request, however, caught him off guard, "Can you kill me after I open a portal for you to escape?"

Opening a portal to safety required an immense amount of energy, especially with the faint loosening of control over her body. Yet, despite the darkness that had swallowed her soul, she was willing to embrace eternal night if it meant freedom from her captors.

A pang of emotion twisted within him, memories of a similar plea resurfacing from the past. However, he found the strength to deny her request, asserting, "No."

Unyielding, she persisted, "Yes, you can. If you don't kill me now, I will become a threat to humanity. Do you comprehend the purpose of this wretched place? I refuse to be a puppet to selfish people who seek dominion over the world in this end of times."

"And you," she continued, "Isn't it your mission to dismantle this place? To bring about its destruction?"

Her penetrating gaze locked with his, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. He began to speak, but she interrupted, "I've been observing you ever since you were brought here. How can someone so formidable end up in this forsaken realm? You're no fool either."

A subtle smile tugged at her lips, a rare display of levity in the face of her two-year confinement. Little did he know, this was the first time she had smiled at anyone during her time here.

"Do you truly desire to be free?" he finally asked, torn by the very idea.

With exhaustion concealed beneath her facade, she met his gaze with unwavering determination and replied, "More than anything."

The man's eyes flickered with uncertainty as he contemplated her words. He knew the atrocities committed within these walls, the lives destroyed, and the world-altering potential of her abilities. But he also saw the strength in her defiance, the glimmer of hope in her eyes, and the potential to break free from the chains that bound her.

He realized that Lu Zhi wasn't just a mere test subject; she was a soul yearning for liberation, a person whose spirit had been imprisoned just as much as her body.

The laboratory's alarms suddenly blared, signaling the approaching footsteps of the pursuers. Time was running out. In that tense moment, the man made a decision that would change both their lives forever.

"No. Not here. Leave with with me then I will fulfill your request."

As he help her get out in the incubator she was in, Lu Zhi summoned her ability [tome of arcane secrets] under the power of [ANCIENT INSIGHT] which can access an ancient grimoire containing forgotten spells and magical knowledge and create a portal leading to their escape. The shimmering vortex opened before them, offering a glimpse of freedom.

However, as they stepped through the portal, Lu Zhi's body trembled, her strength waning rapidly. The years of experimentation had taken their toll, and her body wasn't yet fully adapted to the power she wielded.

The man looked at her in pain and panic, noticing her weakened state. It was then that he saw a birthmark in her ear, identical to someone important to him—the one who had saved him in the first days of the apocalypse and spent a year with him alone.

Lu Zhi struggled to maintain her composure, but her trembling figure betrayed her. With a heavy heart, she looked up at him and smiled weakly, "Please end me here... I think I can't follow you anymore than here." She took his hand and pointed to her heart. "At least let me have my freedom through your hand."

Tears welled up in the man's eyes as he understood the weight of her request. He knew she didn't want to be a burden, to endure the pain and suffering that awaited her outside the laboratory. But he couldn't bear to let her go.

"No, I won't do it," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I won't let you die."

Lu Zhi shook her head still holding his hand. "No you don't understand even if you don't kill me here. I will die within a day... So please..."