24 YEARS LATER - PRESENT DAY

EVERGREEN RESIDENCE A

VIRTUM, GRATA - 12:01 AM

A single tear rolls down Zack’s right eye before he scrolls to the next memory: August 13, 1993.

24 YEARS AGO

LILY’S HOME

ROSCHER, GRATA - 9:33 PM

Carrying a bouquet of tulips, Zack steps into Lily’s apartment hoping to be greeted by the cheerful secretary, only to find the apartment empty with the lights and air conditioning turned off. Zack calls out her name to no response.

“Lily? You here?”

“...”

Zack tries once more to no avail.

“Lily? Hellooo?

“...”

Before he can try a third time, footsteps prance behind him as a pair of hands grabs him by the collarbones.

“BOO!” shouts Lily, spooking Zack who jumps not from fright, but from the sensitivity of his collarbones. Lily howls in laughter at the sight of the usually stoic scientist, frightened by a basic prank.

“Seriously?” Zack asks, unamused at Lily’s shenanigans. Lily however, continues laughing to the point where she starts to tear up.

“I can’t believe you fell for that!” Lily exclaims, wiping a tear from her face.

“You really had me worried for a second there, you know that? I thought Estreval got to you…”

“Oh, lighten up, would you?” Lily replies before turning on the lights and air conditioning.

“Hey, speaking of Estreval, how’d the meeting with Viktor go?” Lily asks, sitting down on a circular sofa as Zack does the same.

“I think it went well. Obviously he was shocked and appalled to find out, but the look on his face afterwards… There’s definitely a war coming,” replies Zack as Lily begins eyeing the bouquet in his hands.

“And what’s that?” Lily asks, pointing to the tulips.

“Did you need to ask?” Zack replies, handing the bouquet over.

“Happy birthday, Lily.”

“Wow. And here I thought the only time I’d receive flowers was on my grave,” Lily jokes as a huge grin forms on her face.

“Thanks, Zack,” Lily exclaims as she goes in for a kiss, which Zack happily returns.

“Did you order this all the way from Precidia?” asks Lily after pulling away, curious about the flowers’ source. Uncommon was an understatement, they were near extinct in the other portions of South Lavia.

“No, no. I have a coworker who owns a flower shop down south at Lutherford.” Replies Zack, referring to Neverglow.

“Well-” Lily says, putting aside the flowers.

“It’s only fair I give you a gift too, right?”

“I don’t think that’s how birthdays work,” Zack sarcastically replies as Lily signals him to follow her upstairs.

LILY’S HOME

ROSCHER, GRATA - 9:46 PM

Zack turns off the lights as Lily begins to strip naked. Zack follows suit as the two passionately kiss on the bed. As Lily lays down, Zack begins making his way towards Lily’s lower body before noticing her flinching at a touch of her inner thigh. Zack looks up at Lily, written in her face a mix of fear and uncertainty.

“We don’t have to… If you don’t want…” Zack says, trying to comfort Lily.

“No, no, it’s…”

Images of Damon Estreval flash inside Lily’s head, reminding her of the assault on her first day. Lily springs up, covering her body with her arms and curls up, beginning to cry as Zack repositions himself, embracing her from the back.

“...I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

“Everytime I think that I’ve gotten over it… I see his fucking face. That smug look, those words he spoke…” says Lily, wiping off a tear.

“When I came home that day, I locked myself in the bathroom and cried for hours. I felt like complete garbage. Like I wasn’t a human, just some toy meant for the pleasure of others.” Lily continues.

“I… I really contemplated killing myself that night, even though I got my dream job. But… when I heard my mom yelling over the phone about how proud she was of me…”

Tears stop falling down Lily’s face as she turns her head towards Zack.

“I want him dead, Zack. I need him dead. I know it’s unhealthy, but every fiber of my being completely loathes that man- no, that demon,” proclaims Lily as Zack tightens his embrace.

“That’s not who you are, Lily. You aren’t someone who lets hatred consume them, nor are you a tool whose sole purpose is to please others.”

“You’re the silver lining in this crime-filled shithole. Not once have I ever looked forward to work, but I always look forward to stepping inside this apartment and seeing your face one more time,” Zack continues as Lily grabs his hand.

“You’re more than whatever Estreval made you contemplate otherwise. You’re Lily Winchester, the light of my life,” says Zack as the two kiss once more.

“I think Lily Evergreen has a nicer ring to it,” jokes Lily as she and Zack continue their business.

LILY’S HOME

ROSCHER, GRATA - 11:27 PM

Zack’s phone rings on the bedside table, with Viktor Mayhem being on the other end. Zack, half-awake, groggily picks it up while still in bed beside an asleep Lily.

“Hello?”

“Evergreen. The other S-Ranks want to see you.”

“Right now?” Zack asks.

“Immediately. A black van will pick you up near the Raya Hotel in Briken,” Viktor replies.

Zack turns towards Lily, still asleep. He contemplates for a bit before making his decision.

“Okay, I’ll be heading there.”

“See you soon,” says Viktor, hanging up. Zack hurriedly gets dressed and steps inside his vehicle, driving straight to Briken.

RAYA HOTEL

BRIKEN, GRATA - 12:16 AM

Arriving at the Raya Hotel, Zack parks his vehicle inside. He steps outside the parking lot to be greeted by the black van Viktor was referring to. Two men wearing tactical gear step outside, and take Zack in. The van’s windows are tinted externally, thus prohibiting any vision to the outside world. Zack is left to wonder as to why Palladium would overlook such a flawed design, but concludes that it was an aesthetic choice after remembering Viktor’s taste in outfits.

While in the drive on the way to Valcove, Zack tries to make conversation with the two soldiers but fails to elicit any response. Getting bored, he sleeps on the way, being woken up just a few minutes later.

??? - ???

“We’re already here? That was quick…” Zack says, yawning as he steps out of the van. He finds himself in an empty warehouse where Viktor awaits in the shadows.

“I’m here. Where’s everybody?”

“Unfortunately they ran into an emergency in Feez. They are unable to make it here,” replies Viktor, stepping out of the shadows to reveal a tall, brooding man with long black hair. Zack scoffs at the news.

“What? So what’d you bring me out here for?” asks Zack as the two soldiers kick his knees in and begin to restrain his limbs.

“What the fuck?!” exclaims Zack as he looks towards Viktor, who walks up to him, the latter’s appearance abnormally changing. Viktor’s dark hair starts turning blue, his stress lines disappear, his face slowly morphs into…

“...Omega.”

Unbeknownst to Zack, Damon had grown suspicious of him and sent the junior scientist Trent Omega to investigate Zack’s activities. Trent was a demediom with the ability to shapeshift into other creatures, a fact that neither Zack nor Lily were aware about.

“Zack Evergreen. What were you thinking?” Trent condescendingly asks.

“You fucking rat!” shouts Zack, realizing his efforts the past year might amount to nothing.

“I’m the rat? I’m not the one running off to Palladium now, am I?” replies Trent before kicking the restrained Zack in the stomach.

“What did Estreval promise you?!”

“Not much, believe it or not. Just your place as the head scientist…” Trent says, kneeling down and raising Zack’s head.

“...And that phase two of our project finally commences with you as our first experiment,” Trent continues as Zack’s heart drops.

“If you thought Arthur Zeta’s case was terrifying… Well you better brace yourself for what we plan on doing to you,” Trent concludes before a mask is dragged over Zack’s head, knocking him out with an unknown gas.

To Be Continued…