The Truth They Buried

Chapter 11: The Truth They Buried

The underground chamber was completely silent.

Dozens of armed guards stood with their weapons aimed directly at Ethan.

One wrong move…

And they would fire.

Ethan slowly raised his hands.

“Okay,” he said carefully. “Before anyone starts shooting, can someone explain why everyone suddenly wants me dead?”

No one laughed.

The commander’s cold eyes never left Ethan.

Lucian leaned casually against the armored vehicle behind them, but his golden eyes had become sharper.

Raven stepped forward quickly.

“Commander Hayes, this isn’t necessary.”

The man—Commander Hayes—did not look at her.

“Stand down, Agent Raven.”

Her jaw tightened.

“With respect, sir, Ethan is not the enemy.”

Hayes finally turned his head slightly toward her.

His expression remained hard.

“You witnessed the awakening yourself.”

Raven didn’t answer immediately.

Because she had.

The storm.

The monsters kneeling.

The raw power tearing the street apart.

Hayes spoke again.

“Four Reapers appeared tonight.”

His voice echoed through the chamber.

“Four.”

He looked back at Ethan.

“Do you know how many Reapers have been seen in the last century?”

Ethan slowly shook his head.

“Zero.”

The word hit the room like a hammer.

Hayes continued.

“And they appeared the same night you awakened.”

Ethan swallowed.

“That’s… probably not a coincidence.”

Lucian chuckled quietly.

“Sharp boy.”

Hayes ignored him.

His attention remained locked on Ethan.

“You are an Alpha King.”

The words carried a weight that made the guards shift nervously.

Ethan looked confused.

“Apparently.”

Hayes stepped closer.

“Five hundred years ago, the last Alpha King nearly destroyed this world.”

Ethan frowned.

“That sounds like a very bad reputation.”

Hayes’ voice remained cold.

“The war that followed wiped out entire cities.”

The guards around the room exchanged uneasy looks.

Hayes continued.

“The Order was created to stop creatures like that from ever rising again.”

Ethan slowly lowered his hands.

“So your solution is to kill me before I become dangerous?”

Hayes answered without hesitation.

“Yes.”

The room went silent again.

Raven stepped in front of Ethan.

“No.”

Hayes’ eyes narrowed slightly.

“Move aside, Agent.”

“I can’t do that.”

Her voice was firm.

“He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Hayes’ expression hardened.

“He awakened the monsters.”

Lucian pushed himself off the vehicle and stretched his arms lazily.

“Technically,” he said, “the monsters woke themselves.”

Hayes’ sharp gaze turned toward him.

“And you are?”

Lucian smiled.

“A concerned observer.”

Hayes studied him for a moment.

Then his eyes widened slightly.

“Golden eyes…”

His voice lowered.

“Impossible.”

Lucian bowed slightly.

“At your service.”

Murmurs spread among the guards.

Hayes stared at him.

“You’re one of them.”

Lucian smiled wider.

“Yes.”

Hayes turned back toward Ethan.

“This just keeps getting worse.”

Raven clenched her fists.

“Commander, Ethan saved lives tonight.”

Hayes scoffed.

“He controlled monsters.”

“Yes.”

“That is exactly the problem.”

Ethan finally stepped forward.

“Enough.”

Everyone looked at him.

Ethan’s voice was calm now.

“I didn’t ask for any of this.”

His eyes moved around the room.

“You think I wanted monsters chasing me?”

No one answered.

Ethan continued.

“I spent my entire life believing I was just some random guy trying to survive.”

He looked directly at Hayes.

“Then tonight I find out monsters are real, some secret army wants to kill me, and apparently I’m some ancient king with powers I don’t understand.”

His voice hardened.

“So yeah, I’d also love some answers.”

The commander stared at him silently.

For several seconds the entire room remained still.

Then Hayes spoke again.

“Fine.”

He turned and began walking toward a large metal door at the far end of the chamber.

“Follow me.”

Raven looked surprised.

“Sir?”

Hayes didn’t stop walking.

“You want answers.”

He opened the door.

“Then come see the truth.”

---

The Archive

They followed Hayes through several long corridors deep inside the facility.

Security doors opened one after another as they passed.

Finally they entered a large circular room filled with old books, digital screens, and ancient artifacts.

Ethan looked around.

“This looks like a museum.”

Hayes walked toward a large glass case in the center of the room.

“It’s an archive.”

Inside the case was a faded photograph.

Hayes pressed a button.

The glass lifted slowly.

He picked up the picture and handed it to Ethan.

Ethan looked down.

His breath caught.

The photo showed two people standing together.

A man and a woman.

Both smiling.

The woman had kind eyes and long dark hair.

The man stood tall beside her.

His expression confident.

Ethan’s hands began to shake.

“Where did you get this?”

Hayes answered calmly.

“From the ruins of a battlefield.”

Ethan looked closer.

The man in the picture…

Had the same eyes as him.

Silver.

Ethan looked up slowly.

“Who are they?”

Hayes gave the answer that changed everything.

“Your parents.”

Raven gasped softly.

Ethan stared at the photo again.

“My… parents?”

Hayes nodded.

“The woman was Dr. Elena Cole.”

He pointed to the man.

“And the man…”

His voice became heavier.

“…was the last Alpha King.”

Ethan felt the room spin slightly.

“No.”

Lucian crossed his arms.

“Well.”

He looked impressed.

“That explains a lot.”

Ethan looked at Hayes.

“You’re telling me…”

His voice shook.

“My father was the monster you’ve been talking about?”

Hayes corrected him.

“No.”

His eyes locked onto Ethan’s.

“He was the king who started the war.”

Ethan felt his heart pounding in his chest.

“And my mother?”

Hayes’ voice softened slightly.

“She was the only human who believed he could change.”

Ethan stared at the photo again.

Hayes continued.

“They fell in love.”

The room was silent.

Hayes finished the story quietly.

“And when the war ended…”

His eyes hardened again.

“…they both died protecting you.”

Ethan felt something deep inside him crack.

All his life…

He had believed he was alone.

But now—

Hayes spoke one final sentence.

“And the monster who killed them…”

Lightning flashed outside the mountain.

“…is the one who just woke up tonight.”

Ethan slowly raised his head.

“Who?”

Hayes answered in a single word.

“The Overlord.”

Lucian’s golden eyes darkened slightly.

“Well…”

He muttered.

“Now things are getting interesting.”