"What's your name?"
Silence.
"Answer."
More silence.
"Alright then. From now on, you'll be known as... 001."
I. THE ROOM WHERE NAMES DIED
The overhead light buzzed. Not just flickering buzzing. A low hum that scraped against the inside of the skull like a dull blade.
001 stared straight ahead, legs crossed, back straight, hands resting calmly on his knees. His eyes were a storm of icy steel, always wide open, never blinking longer than necessary. The silence didn't bother him. It felt like home.
Surrounding him, twelve other children sat in identical positions. All donned the same sterile grey uniform, devoid of any markings or identification. In this room, names didn't exist. Only numbers. And even those could be wiped away if they didn't make it through the next trial.
A voice crackled through the wall-mounted speaker.
"Trial 43: Psychological Threshold. Begin."
Instantly, the lights dimmed, and holograms flickered to life around them. Screams. Blood. Simulated executions. Rotating footage of loss, betrayal, and fear. For 001, this was just another day. He focused on a single point in space, regulating his breathing. It wasn't real. None of it was.
But the boy next to him twitched. A flicker. A flinch. His breath caught in his throat.
As the lights dimmed, holograms flickered to life all around them. There were screams, blood, and simulated executions images of loss, betrayal, and fear spinning in a chaotic loop. For 001, this was just another day at the office. He zeroed in on a single point in space, steadying his breath. It wasn't real. None of it was.
But the boy beside him twitched. A slight movement. A flinch. He could feel his breath hitch in his throat. 001 kept his composure on the outside, but inside, he took note: Candidate 006. Weakness confirmed. The door hissed open, and two guards stepped in, striding straight toward 006.
"Failure detected. Remove subject."
Screams erupted, but not from 006. It was 004, the girl who had shared some stolen bread with him just three nights ago. That connection that emotional weakness was the real target.
001 observed without a hint of judgment. Another lesson learned: Attachment leads to vulnerability.
II. PROJECT NEMESIS – THE TRIALS
"Project Nemesis" wasn't the name on the official government papers. But for those involved, it felt like it was etched into their very souls. 001 had made it through every challenge:
The Assassin Trial: Twelve kids entered, but he was the only one to walk out unscathed. The instructor had dubbed him a phantom.
The Political Trial: He negotiated peace, then ignited the flames of war all while wearing a smile.
The Military Simulation: While others rushed in recklessly, he cleverly redirected drones to neutralize threats without ever pulling a trigger.
But the most harrowing?
The day they were locked in a room with no food. No water. For an entire week. The only way out was to "solve the puzzle." And that puzzle? A poisoned child in the middle. The one willing to take the antidote and give it... would survive. Only one would make it.
001 gave the antidote. Not to save a life, but to earn trust. Then, as the boy slept, he gently suffocated him. Trust was just a commodity. Nothing more.
III. A PROMISE BENEATH THE FLOORBOARDS
In this vast world, there were just two people he had ever truly chosen to care about. The first was Evelyn. His twin sister. She had cried during the first trial, while he stood there, stoic. But when he caught a glimpse of her trying to mask her fear, something ignited within him. It wasn't weakness or pity it was something deeper. A protective instinct.
He struck a deal with their father to let her go. "Let her leave, and I'll take on twice her trials." Their father had grinned. "Then die trying." But he didn't die. She walked away.
And he couldn't shake the memory of her tears. The final embrace. The gentle kiss on his forehead. The way she pleaded with him not to go through with it. And how he had lied, assuring her he had a plan.
He didn't. All he had was rage. He was just sixteen when the facility went up in flames. Some whispered it was a security breach. Others claimed it was sabotage. But only 001 held the key to the real story:
Lucien Blackthorne. His uncle.
The only other Blackthorne who seemed to despise the patriarch as much as Sylvester did. Lucien had slipped a virus into the system, creating a massive distraction. And in the midst of the chaos, he swooped in by helicopter.
_"Time to go, nephew."_
_"Where to?"_
_"To become someone new."_
And just like that, 001 vanished.
V. ACADEMY ENTRY – A NEW NAME
Saint Halstead Academy loomed like a bastion of decorum. Students in blue blazers, gleaming floors, and cafeterias buzzing with too much light and laughter.
001 arrived under the name:
Sylvester Aldric Blackthorne.
To the other students, he was just another transfer with a quiet demeanor and piercing gaze. To the teachers, he appeared as a polite, observant boy who preferred solitude.
But to himself? He was a facade draped in calm attire.
He wasn't here to fit in.
He was here to wait.