SSS-Ranked Necro-Villain

Bitter Truth (2)

The two boys didn't speak as they left the training center. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the empty field behind the building. Alex's mind buzzed with questions, his pulse still racing from their confrontation.

Peter led the way to an old equipment shed near the edge of the field. He pushed open the rusty door, glancing around before stepping inside. Alex followed, shutting the door behind them. The air was thick with the smell of dust and oil, and faint beams of sunlight pierced through the cracks in the wood.

Peter leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes heavy with something Alex couldn't quite place. Was it guilt? Fear? Both of them?... He just couldn't tell.

"Start talking," Alex demanded, keeping his voice low but firm. "No more excuses."

Peter exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening into fists at his sides. "I didn't want you to find out like this," he said quietly. "But… you deserve the truth."

Alex waited, heart thudding in his chest.

Peter lifted his gaze. "It's about my father."

Alex's stomach twisted. Was it really true? Was Elizabeth really saying the truth? Is his friend's father really behind his predicament?

"My father…" Peter began, his voice rough. "He's the one who killed your mother."

The words hit like a punch to the gut. For a moment, Alex forgot how to breathe. "What?" His voice cracked with disbelief. This wasn't what he was waiting to hear but the news... The news hit quite deep.

"I found out some days ago," Peter continued, his expression hardening. "I overheard him talking that day—bragging, like it was nothing. He said she was getting too close to the truth, asking questions she shouldn't have."

Alex's knees felt weak, but he forced himself to stay upright. His mother, gone—taken by the man whose son stood before him now.

"He made it look like an accident," Peter said bitterly. "He covered his tracks. No one suspected a thing."

Alex's fists trembled at his sides. "Why didn't you tell me yesterday?"

Peter's face twisted with pain. "Because knowing wouldn't bring her back. And because… it's worse than you think."

"How could it be worse?" Alex's voice shook with anger.

Peter hesitated, then said, "Your father's execution? That was him too."

Alex's breath caught in his throat. "No. That can't be—"

"It's the truth," Peter cut in. "Your dad wasn't guilty of anything. My father framed him—made sure the evidence pointed right at him. And when your dad started pushing back, asking questions like your mom… he had him silenced."

The room spun. Alex felt the ground shift beneath him as the weight of Peter's words sank in. Everything he believed—everything he thought he knew—was a lie.

"But why?" he demanded. "Why would he do this? What did my parents know?"

Peter shook his head. "I don't know everything. My father doesn't trust me—he never has. But whatever they were after, it was big. Something worth killing for."

Alex swallowed hard, his thoughts racing. "And the letter?"

Peter pulled a folded envelope from his jacket pocket. "I found it at the clinic before anyone else could. It's from your dad. He wrote it before… before they executed him. Strange, it was kept under the bed."

Alex snatched the letter, fingers shaking as he clutched it. But before he could open it, Peter spoke again, his voice low and darker.

"There's one more thing you need to know," he said. "Teacher Martin… he isn't just some ordinary homeroom teacher. He's working for my father."

Alex's heart slammed against his ribs. "What?"

Peter nodded grimly. "He's been watching you, reporting everything you do. If you make the wrong move, he'll know. And so will my father."

The shed felt colder, the shadows deeper. Alex's anger burned hotter than ever but beneath it, a chilling realization crept in.

He wasn't just uncovering the truth.

The things he thought was true was not, it was now that everything was coming into place.

He was in the middle of a war.

Peter's voice softened. "I didn't want you to face this alone. That's why I took the letter. I was trying to protect you from… from all of this."

Alex clutched the letter tighter, his pulse pounding in his ears. Whatever secrets it held, they were his to uncover now. And if Peter's father thought he could bury the truth forever then he was wrong.

"I don't need your protection," Alex said coldly. "I need answers. And I'm going to get them no matter what it takes."

Peter's expression tightened, but he nodded. "Then I'm with you. No matter how dangerous it gets."

Alex's fingers trembled as he unfolded the letter, the paper worn and creased from where it had been hidden. His father's familiar handwriting stretched across the page—bold, sharp, and urgent. For a heartbeat, he hesitated. Whatever was written here had the power to change everything.

He drew a breath and began to read.

"Alex, if you're reading this, I'm already gone. I never wanted this life for you—to grow up under a shadow of lies and danger—but I need you to know the truth before they bury it forever."

His chest tightened, but he forced himself to keep going.

"It started with questions. Strange disappearances. Resources going missing from the research labs. At first, I thought it was internal corruption—greedy men chasing power. But I was wrong. It was bigger. Far bigger."

Alex's pulse pounded in his ears.

"They call themselves The Dominion—a network of powerful people pulling the strings behind the scenes. Politicians, scientists, even the military—loyal to no country but their own agenda. And at the heart of it… is Gustavo."

Alex's blood ran cold. Gustavo, Peter's father.

He swallowed hard and continued.

"I didn't know the truth until it was too late. Your mother and I, she was always one step ahead of me. We found records connecting

Gustavo's to illegal experiments. He was building something, Alex. Something dangerous. And when we got too close, he turned the world against us."

The words seemed to blur as anger burned behind Alex's eyes.

"The charges against me? Lies. Fabricated evidence. And when your mother wouldn't stop digging, he… silenced her."

Alex's breath hitched. His stomach twisted as he imagined his mother, calm, fearless, relentless, facing down a man powerful enough to destroy their entire family.

"I tried to protect you, but Gustavo always stayed ahead. He doesn't just want to erase us, he wants to control everything. And if he thinks you'll be a threat someday, he won't hesitate. You're in danger, Alex. Don't trust anyone. Especially not those closest to him."

The paper shook in his hands as he reached the last lines.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from this world. But you are stronger than you know. And if you fight, if you uncover the truth, you can finish what we started. Be careful, my son. I love you. Always. Dad."

Silence stretched thick and heavy between them. Alex's heart slammed against his ribs, his mind spinning.

Peter's father. The man he'd known for years—the man he'd trusted was the architect of everything. His mother's death. His father's execution. Every nightmare he'd ever lived through.

Alex clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

"I'm sorry," Peter said quietly, his voice raw. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but… how do you even say something like that?"

Alex's vision blurred with rage and betrayal. "Your father did this," he said, his voice cold. "He destroyed my family."

Peter didn't flinch, but the guilt in his eyes was unmistakable. "I know," he said softly. "And if I could stop him myself, I would. But I'm not strong enough alone."

Alex let out a shaky breath, his mind roaring with questions. How far did The Dominion's power stretch? What were they building? And how much danger was he really in?

One thing was clear—this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

He crumpled the letter in his fist. "We're going to stop him," he said, his voice hard as steel. "Your father, The Dominion—all of them. Whatever it takes."

Peter hesitated, then nodded. "I'm with you. No matter what."

Alex's jaw tightened. The world he knew was gone but if Gustavo thought he could bury the truth forever, he was wrong.

And Alex was going to prove it.