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Chapter 183: The Web of Lies

Chapter 183: The Web of Lies

Chapter: The Web of Lies

The room was eerily quiet after Adam delivered his last kick to Atlas, leaving him sprawled on the floor, bound to the chair. Atlas’s mind raced with questions.

Why had his team not come for him yet? Were they even looking for him? The uncertainty gnawed at his confidence, but he wouldn’t let it show.

As the minutes dragged on, the silence was broken once again by the sound of footsteps. Adam reappeared, his presence as commanding as before.

Atlas instinctively tensed, his frustration spilling out in a defiant shout.

"Why are you playing these mind games with me?!" he yelled. "Coming and going like this—what do you want from me?"

Adam, clad in black and his face concealed by a mask, walked forward without a word.

He carried himself with an unsettling calmness, the kind that made Atlas’s anger seem futile.

Taking his time, Adam reached the wooden chair that had toppled during their earlier scuffle. He grabbed it and set it upright in one fluid motion before lowering himself into it.

Sitting opposite Atlas, he finally spoke, his voice steady and devoid of emotion. "I only need answers to a few questions. Give them to me, and I promise you, nothing more will happen."

Atlas scoffed, his frustration boiling over. "Most people promise to release their captives after they get what they want. But you? You’re not even pretending, are you?"

Adam leaned forward slightly, his masked face inches from Atlas’s. "You don’t have the privilege to negotiate terms," he said coldly.

Atlas’s fists clenched in anger, the bindings around his wrists cutting into his skin.

After a moment of silence, he let out a long sigh, as though resigning himself to the situation.

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Ask your questions. Let’s get this over with."

Behind his mask, Adam smiled faintly.

Adam’s chair creaked slightly as he adjusted his position. He locked eyes with Atlas, his gaze penetrating and unyielding. "Tell me," Adam began, his voice low, "how many members are in the The Commission?"

Atlas hesitated, his thoughts churning. He considered lying but realized the futility of it. With his team nowhere in sight, the reality of his situation was beginning to sink in.

Taking a deep breath, he finally answered. "Including me? Four. There are four members."

Adam leaned back in his chair, processing the information. So it had been the entire Commission that had ambushed him during their last encounter.

He found the thought intriguing and filed it away for later consideration.

Without missing a beat, he asked his next question. "Who’s in charge?"

At this, Atlas’s expression darkened. He remained silent for several moments, his jaw tightening.

Adam tilted his head, as though studying him.

"You don’t have to answer," Adam said mockingly. "But it won’t help you to keep quiet."

Atlas exhaled sharply, breaking the silence. "It’s Hang," he admitted reluctantly.

"Technically, we don’t call him our boss. But..." He trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he continued.

"But Hang’s intelligence and power make it obvious. Subconsciously, we all know he’s the leader. He plans every move and dictates our actions."

Adam’s mind flashed back to his last battle with the Commission. Hang had been relentless, nearly overwhelming him with strategy and strength.

If not for his quick thinking and teleportation ability, Adam might not have survived. That memory burned in his mind, solidifying Hang as a significant threat.

Adam’s gloved fingers tapped lightly on the arm of his chair. Hang’s tactics during their fight had been almost flawless, and his power was formidable.

Adam realized he’d underestimated just how dangerous the Commission could be.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he refocused on Atlas. "How did you get your powers?" he asked, his voice calm but demanding.

Atlas blinked in surprise at the question. "Didn’t Zora already explain that on TV?" he replied, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"I’m asking you," Adam said, his voice firm. "How did you get your powers?"

Atlas sighed, clearly annoyed. He looked away for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts.

"Fine," he muttered. "We were just kids back then. The four of us... we were loners, misfits. We didn’t fit in anywhere, so we stuck together."

"It started as a school club. We called ourselves the The Commission, and our mission was to uncover every secret about the school—who was dating who, who cheated on exams, all of it. We were just kids trying to feel important."

"Then one night, everything changed." Atlas’s voice grew quieter as he continued. "We were on the school grounds, just messing around like always. It was late—past midnight. That’s when we saw it."

Atlas’s eyes seemed distant, as though he was reliving the moment. "A meteor," he said finally. "Or something like it. It fell from the sky like a burning star, fast and bright. We watched it land near us, shattering into pieces."

He paused, his breathing quickening. "There were... particles. Glowing, almost alive. They came toward us, into us. We didn’t understand what was happening, but... after that night, everything was different. Each of us discovered powers we never imagined were possible. And that’s how the Dark Commission came to be."

Adam listened intently, piecing together the story. The origin of their powers explained a lot—the Commission’s unique abilities, their bond, and even their arrogance.

For a moment, the room was silent. Atlas seemed lost in his memories, while Adam processed everything he had learned.

Adam leaned back in his chair, one gloved hand resting on his masked face as his thoughts churned.

Almost everyone he had encountered seemed to have acquired their powers through strange, almost otherworldly events.

His own origin wasn’t much different. But there was one detail that had been nagging at him—why were the powers so unique to each person?

Were they derived from their personalities? Or was it all random, a cosmic lottery determining who got what ability?

These questions clouded his mind, but he shook them off. There was something else he needed to focus on.

Straightening in his seat, Adam turned his attention back to Atlas, who sat across from him, still bound.

Adam’s voice was low and calm as he asked, "What is the The Commission’s plan for the future?"

The question lingered in the air like an unspoken threat. Atlas looked visibly conflicted, his eyes darting toward the dusty floor as he considered his options.

Revealing the plan could mean betrayal, but withholding it might cost him his life. He sighed heavily, realizing he had little choice in the matter.

"Our goal was simple," Atlas began hesitantly, his voice laced with both fear and frustration. "We wanted an alliance with the government. Once that was secured, we could operate freely, doing whatever we wanted without interference."

Adam’s eyes narrowed behind his mask. "An alliance? What kind of alliance?"

For a fleeting moment, Atlas seemed to relish Adam’s shock. It gave him a twisted sense of satisfaction to unsettle the masked figure.

"We made a secret deal with the government," Atlas explained. "In exchange for turning over high-level vampires and certain power holders, they agreed to overlook most of our actions. Hang called it a win-win."

Adam’s posture stiffened as the weight of Atlas’s words hit him. "Experiments," Adam muttered, almost to himself. "What kind of experiments?"

Atlas shook his head. "We don’t know. Hang never told us the details, and honestly, none of us cared to ask. He said it was the best deal we’d get, so we agreed. In return, the government gave us special ranks. Within their circles, we were known as Rangers."

Adam sat in stunned silence. The implications of this revelation were staggering.

For a moment, his mind drifted to the recent presidential announcement—the one where the President had declared nationwide investigations into power holders.

"So that’s where their confidence comes from," Adam thought bitterly.

He realized now that the government’s ability to detect power holders wasn’t a result of conventional technology. It was built on the suffering of countless individuals, experimented on like lab rats.

Rage simmered beneath Adam’s composed exterior. "How naïve was I to think the government would stick to ethical means of advancing their agenda?" he thought.

The idea of power holders, possibly people like him, being tortured and dissected for the sake of progress filled him with a cold fury.

He clenched his fists, the leather of his gloves creaking as he tried to suppress his anger. He couldn’t let it show—not yet.

Atlas watched Adam carefully, sensing the shift in his demeanor. For once, he remained silent, unsure of what Adam might do next.

Finally, Adam broke the silence. "How many power holders have you handed over to the government?"

Atlas hesitated, clearly weighing his words. "We haven’t turned over any power holders yet," he admitted cautiously. "So far, we’ve only given them vampires. High-level ones. But I have no doubt that power holders will be next on their list."

Adam leaned forward, his voice sharp and commanding. "Where?"

"What?" Atlas asked, his confusion evident.

"Where did you hand over the vampires?" Adam demanded, his tone leaving no room for evasion.

After a brief pause, Atlas answered, "There’s a secret base in the West Mountain Range. That’s where we delivered the vampires. The place was crawling with military personnel, so I doubt anyone could break in."

Adam processed this information carefully. A mental map of the West Mountain Range began forming in his mind.

He would have to send Mikasa to monitor the area and gather intel. Surveillance would be crucial if he intended to uncover the full extent of the government’s operations there.

Atlas shifted uncomfortably in his chair, the weight of his confession sinking in. He had given away sensitive information, and there was no taking it back.

"Hang’s not going to forgive me for this," he thought grimly.

Meanwhile, Adam rose from his seat, his movements deliberate and precise.

He towered over Atlas, his masked face unreadable. "You’ve been... helpful," Adam said, his voice cold and detached.

Atlas looked up at him, his expression a mix of defiance and resignation. "What now?" he asked cautiously.

As the silence enveloped him once more, Atlas slumped in his chair, his thoughts racing. He had given Adam everything he knew, but the questions still haunted him.

Would his team come for him? Would they even know where to look?

The weight of his predicament pressed down on him, and for the first time, Atlas felt truly alone.

Adam, meanwhile, was already formulating his next move. The West Mountain Range held the answers he needed, and Mikasa would ensure those answers came to light.

For now, though, Adam would bide his time, watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

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