Old memories began to surface.

Small hands holding his fingers.

Soft laughter that made his empty days feel alive again after his wife died of cancer.

They were the last warmth holding his remaining sanity together, until even that was taken away from him.

’To think there were parents like him. The more he spoke, the more I wanted to gut him.’

He wasn’t saying it without basis. Samantha’s father kept gaslighting her, making her feel that everything she was, she owed to him.

Which was not true, because she never asked to be born into this world. It was his choice, so he was the one who owed everything to her.

"I hate you!" she finally lost control.

Her father said nothing and simply let her lash out.

"This is why my big brother left us! Because you’re too controlling. You think you own us! You don’t see us as—"

SMACK!

Her face snapped to the side.

Slowly, she pressed a hand against her burning cheek. The sting spread across her face, but the emotional pain hit harder. She already knew he could be an asshole, but he rarely hit her.

Tears gathered in her eyes and slipped down without her stopping them. Her breath turned uneven as she tried to hold herself together.

Her father didn’t apologize. He didn’t even soften.

Instead, he kept talking.

"Don’t you dare speak of that good-for-nothing brat. He was weak, pathetic. I gave him all the help he needed to be successful, and he still failed. That’s why he chose to leave, because he can’t handle being a failure!"

She didn’t say anything yet. She only wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Is that really what matters to you? Can’t you just love us for who we are?"

"You think I don’t love you?" He leaned back and massaged his temple. "You’re too young, that’s why you can’t understand me. Once you grow older, once you have your own family, you’ll understand me."

"You only started paying attention to me when I got my ability," she retorted.

"That’s not true," he sighed. "You just chose to see it that way. You mistake my lack of time for you as a lack of care."

Others might have given in to his words, but Samantha knew better than anyone not trust him. She would be an idiot to believe the act of a serial manipulator.

"I don’t want to listen to you anymore. Let me out."

He didn’t respond.

"I said let me out. If you don’t, I’ll end myself!" she warned.

Finally, he reacted. He signaled the driver, and the car slowed to a stop near a mall complex.

Without saying anything, she got out and walked away without looking back.

She didn’t head straight to work. Instead, she walked into a nearby café and ordered a coffee.

Her hands were still slightly shaking as she took the cup. She sat near the window, staring outside without really focusing on anything.

People passed by like nothing had happened, like her morning had been normal.

Lifting the cup, she took a slow sip. The warmth didn’t help much, but she kept drinking anyway.

In her peripheral view, she saw a security guard carrying his daughter on his shoulders. It looked like he had just finished a long night shift, yet he still played with her while his wife took pictures of them.

Even through exhaustion, he still made time for his family.

It was so simple, yet she never got to experience it.

She couldn’t help but feel envious.

Her father only showered her with gifts and money she never asked for, barely acknowledging her existence. In his eyes, she was just one of his many children.

In fact, the only reason he gave her attention now was because of her unique ability, which boosted her value in his eyes.

"My life sucks," she muttered under her breath. "I wish I wasn’t born."

Others might think she was being too hard on her old man, but that was how she truly felt.

She ordered a slice of cake and finished her coffee. After she had calmed down enough, she checked the time and took a cab to her workplace.

Francis, who had been keeping a low profile, also began preparing for any unexpected scenario.

He would have preferred if she didn’t go to work while he was still in a weakened state, but doing so would risk alerting her to his existence.

Soon, the tall walls of the Defense Force Main Branch came into view.

Her cab was not allowed access inside, so she got out and walked through the pedestrian lane.

The main building towered over the others. Glass and steel reflected the morning light, making it appear even more imposing.

Guards were stationed at the entrance.

"Lieutenant, you’re as beautiful as ever," one of them joked.

She would normally have smiled and joked back, but she wasn’t in the mood right now.

"Here." She showed her ID without slowing down.

The guards, realizing their mistake, could only nod apologetically and salute.

Without saying anything, she just walked past them.

Fortunately for Francis, there was nothing like a scanner or radar system in place to protect the area.

It seemed the Defense Force didn’t enforce such safety measures, likely because they never expected an intelligent parasite-type beast to infiltrate their HQ.

If the security in the main branch was already this lax, then the others would be far worse.

’Good thing I made this gamble,’ he thought, satisfied with his decision.

Now he needed to use this opportunity to gather as much information as possible about this place.

He recalled a famous saying from his old world.

’Know your enemy and know yourself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.’

Inside, the atmosphere changed at once. The noise from outside faded, replaced by non-combatants busy with their work.

They might not be the ones fighting monsters in the field, but their work in maintaining operations was equally important.

The hallway stretched wide and clean, lined with white marble floors that reflected the soft overhead lights. Every surface looked maintained with care, as if even dust was not allowed to exist here.

Tall pillars stood along the main lobby path, giving the space a sense of order.

Far above, glass panels let in natural light that spread across the interior like a soft glow, making the entire place feel more like a high-level institution than a workplace.

She didn’t stop to greet anyone. Her steps stayed direct.

An elevator ride took her upward. Numbers on the panel climbed quickly until it stopped at the upper level.

The corridor stretched ahead, leading straight to the Director’s office.

Samantha entered after knocking twice.

Inside, a man in his fifties sat behind a wide desk. His hair had already turned white in several places, but his black eyes carried weight of experience.

He leaned back slightly, hands folded.

"Lieutenant Samantha, I just got a call from your Senator Liner" His words quickly turned her mood sour.

"Please don’t mind him, Director. He’s just abusing his authority."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Although that might be the case, he’s still the Senate President and the primary benefactor of the Defense Force. Please don’t make it hard for us. You know what he can do."

She bit her lip in frustration. ’Why is everyone so spineless?’