Chapter 169 Towards the Light
With teeth bared, he resembled a ferocious beast poised to pounce, the chains clanging once more in a resonant clang.
The nearby onlookers, witnessing this tense display, hesitated to startle him, swiftly moving to press a button on the iron cage. Instantly, the crackling sound of electricity echoed through the hushed chamber, enveloping the child in a torrent of intense shock. His body convulsed on the cold floor, emitting a primal roar akin to a beast’s anguish.
“No!” Milly gasped, stunned by the unfolding scene. Before she could intervene, her cry had already pierced the air.
Her outcry startled the waiter who had activated the mechanism, causing him to release his grip and cease the flow of electricity. The figure inside the cage fell silent, his howls abruptly halted.
In that tense moment, a chill raced down Milly’s spine, causing her to shudder and instinctively wrap her arms around herself. Memories, long buried and forgotten, surged forth like an overwhelming tide.
The sight before her now and the distant echoes from her past life at the orphanage eerily intertwined…
In that bleak orphanage, nestled within its labyrinthine halls, lurked a dimly lit chamber adorned with a formidable iron cage, a place where justice, or perhaps its shadow, was dispensed.
Once a feisty spirit, Milly had stubbornly resisted yielding, frequently finding herself incarcerated within its cold confines. There, she endured thirst and hunger, subjected occasionally to cruel lashings…
An outcast, she found solace in the furtive kindness of a mute boy, who was the only one who covertly saved morsels of sustenance for her, a lifeline in their shared hardship. They existed in a delicate balance, always wary of discovery and its dire consequences.
Initially shielded by a compassionate elderly caretaker, age eventually rendered her immobile, leaving them vulnerable to the brutality of their oppressors. They weathered these storms, cach time teetering on the brink of oblivion, until the specter of tragedy compelled their reluctant liberators.
The specter of death’s proximity haunted her memory, an indelible scar etched upon her soul.
Yet fate, capricious as ever, soon parted them. The boy, whisked away by the capricious winds of adoption, vanished from her world forever.
All that remained was a poignant recollection, the image of him clinging to the orphanage railings, his voiceless pleas haunting her with echoes of “Milly, Milly.
Others dragged her back, assuring her of his good fortune, the blessing of a new beginning far from their shadowed confines.
Yet if it truly was a blessing, why did they not join him?
There was that time, confined for five days and four nights
That time when she lost the elderly lady and her little brother…
Chapter 169 Towards the Light
offering solace, “Milly, fear not. He will be safe. He’s a subject of experimentation, honed and enhanced to endure high voltages unscathed.”
“Have faith.”
Yet Milly seemed ensnared in her own world, deaf to his words, trembling with a pallid countenance and vacant gaze, exuding a numbness and desolation…
It marked the first occasion George had beheld Milly in such a state.
His grasp on her shoulder tightened, as if she might disappear should he release her.
He had not anticipated her response would be so overwhelming.
A twinge of sorrow gripped him as he enfolded her within his arms and guided her away, “Milly, we need. not linger here. Let us depart
Yet Milly remained rooted in place, clutching his sleeve as though it were her lifeline, teeth chattering, her murmurs faint and incoherent, “Save… save him… I can pay…
“Let us take him with us, then…
Tears welled in her eyes unnoticed, the once resolute and self–assured woman now beseeching him, her gaze lacking its usual vitality.
Observing Milly in this state, George felt as though an arrow had pierced his heart, a pain that penetrated to his very core, rendering each breath a challenge.
“Very well, we shall take him along, George agreed, honouring her wish.
It was a sight he had never witnessed in Milly before, leaving him puzzled about the turmoil consuming
her…
Milly clenched her fists tightly, wrestling with the emotions swirling within. Despite her sorrow, she summoned a smile and uttered. Thank you. I will find a way to repay you.”
In that moment, George felt a squeezing sensation in his heart, a deep ache.
He wished to convey that repayment was unnecessary, yet when he attempted to speak, words cluded him.
She was defending her own dignity.
“Alright, I will follow your guidance, George eventually acknowledged.
Milly breathed a sigh of relief, turning her attention to the figure inside the cage.
With deliberate steps, she approached.
She advanced cautiously, and the young man instantly assumed a defensive posture, fixing her with an intense glare, his canines faintly exposed, projecting the image of a predatory creature poised to strike!
Milly remained composed as she took two more steps forward. Now standing directly in front of the cage, she was just outside the perilous striking range of the experimental subject.
Milly’s voice, gentle as a summer breeze, sought to soothe rather than startle. She asked. “What is your
Chapter 169 Towards the Light
name?”
The test subject, his teeth clenched in defiance, emitted a low growl in response.
Undeterred by his defensive stance, Milly radiated warmth. “My name is Milly, and from now on, you are my little brother. Would you like me to give you a name?”
The test subject remained impassive, his reddish–brown eyes fixed on her, calculating the space between them, ready to strike at any moment.
“How about Apollo?”
Apollo–born under the sun, destined to walk towards the light, with a heart unflinching in the face of life’s trials. His early days, crouched in the shadows of an iron cage, were but a prelude to a future bathed in radiance, towards a brighter existence.
Turning to the waiter at her side, Milly extended her hand gracefully. “Could you please provide me with the key to the cage?”
Glancing uncertainly at George, the waiter hesitated. “Um…”
George’s brow furrowed, a hint of concern shadowing his features. “Milly, he poses a greater danger than you comprehend.”
His intention had been to entrust this experimental subject to Milly’s care, once fully subdued and compliant under her influence.
Presently, the subject remained in a volatile and feral state. Approaching without caution could lead to dire consequences.
“Milly, these experimental subjects are formidable. They possess advanced combat skills and are devoid of emotional or cognitive restraints. Moreover, prolonged exposure to experimental drugs has rendered. them uncontrollable by ordinary means.”
“So, if you truly desire this, you must first attempt to subdue them. Only when they acknowledge your strength will they be of service to you. Only then can you unchain them and forge a bond.”
