It was the look of a man who had trained himself to suppress emotion and make necessary decisions with courage and clarity. A true commander, through and through.
Shiao Yi looked at him with quiet respect. If he had ever served under someone like Dominic, he would've gladly laid down his life without hesitation. In fact, if someone like this had existed in his old world, maybe that terrible war, and all those inhuman tactics, would never have happened in the first place.
"It was an accident caused by a lot of different conditions happening at once," Shiao Yi said. "That's why something like this probably won't happen again—and even if we tried, it couldn't be repeated. In other words, I'll never be able to leave this world or return to my original world."
In fact, he was almost relieved by that. For Shiao Yi, going back wasn't an option. There was no place for him in his old world. If he went back, they'd just execute him like an animal.
"In the world I came from, there's no such thing as magic. Magical beasts don't exist either. That's why I was so shocked when I saw your magic. The power I used is called telekinesis. It's the ability to move things from a distance using only the mind. But even in my world, not everyone can do it. Only very rare people have this ability. Apparently, their brains are developed in a very unique way. People like that were called ability users."
"You must've been treated with great care," Dominic said. "People who have such rare powers surely held a high position."
That comment made something snap inside Shiao Yi.
"Ha! Treated with care? Are you kidding me? We were seen as monsters!" he spat, unable to hold it back. "We were feared, hated, used like tools. And once we were no longer useful, we would be discarded."
He had jumped to his feet without realizing it, the words spilling out like poison he could no longer keep in.
Dominic and Louis had nothing to do with what had happened in his past. Still, all the pain, anger, and injustice that had been bottled up inside him exploded in that moment.
People like him were still human. Just like everyone else. Their blood was red too. They felt happiness, sadness, and pain—just like any other person. And yet...
Just because he had a rare ability, his body was modified, and his brain was enhanced—giving him even more unnatural power. All of it was done for one purpose: to turn him into a weapon.
Bio Organic Weapon—they called it B.O.W for short. That was the unit he had belonged to.
Faces of his old comrades came back to him. They had all been treated like disposable tools in a war. Even those who survived were feared and hunted, seen as threats, and killed without mercy. Shiao Yi was the last one left.
He hadn't realized how deeply he'd gotten lost in his thoughts. Even with two people right there with him, he had completely let down his guard.