Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 234: The Truth

Chapter 234: The Truth

The emergence of superpowers in humans was heavily influenced by their genetic background. Take the Whyte family, for example: they were deeply rooted in military tradition, with most members wielding gravity-based abilities, each varying in talent.

On the flip side, the Shedd family had a rich history of lightning powers. While gravity powers were a rare gem, lightning abilities were more common, so Lyra had never doubted Robin’s true identity.

Unlike Isadora, Robin wasn’t hostile towards her at all. Instead, he seemed eager to show her the most hidden corners of the base.

As they strolled down the dimly lit corridor, they eventually reached the end, where rough, grayish-white rock walls bore the marks of mechanical arms, creating the impression that they had burrowed deep into the earth.

"This is where the real experiments on superpower genes take place. What you see on the outside is just a front; only those who work here can activate the switches," Robin explained.

He leaned against the wall, and a screen flickered to life. After entering a password, the stone wall began to hum and gradually opened up.

Despite his friendly demeanor, Lyra remained on high alert, her mind racing through countless possibilities. But nothing could have prepared her for the joyful laughter of children ringing out from inside.

"Robin! You’re back!" a chorus of young voices exclaimed.

"Did you take Lyra down?" a boy of around ten asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

Before them stood three children: a young man in his mid-teens, a ten-year-old boy, and a little girl who looked no older than four or five.

All of them wore white lab coats, and when they noticed Lyra, their innocent eyes shone with fierce determination. Even the little girl showed an unyielding spirit.

Without a moment’s hesitation, they sprang into action: three bolts of lightning, two waves of ice, and one sonic blast rocketed toward her. Lyra reacted on instinct, unleashing a burst of radiant energy that sent them flying across the room.

She didn’t hold back just because of their age. Grabbing the smallest girl, she furrowed her brow in confusion.

The little girl mirrored her expression, her lips pressed tightly together, looking like a mini version of Lyra.

"Is this a clone?" Lyra demanded, her voice sharp.

"Yes," Robin replied, stepping in to intervene with the other two children. "She is the only successful clone."

Lyra’s gaze turned dangerously focused. The young girl, despite her small stature, instinctively fought back with her powers but was easily tossed aside.

Robin caught her, holding the squirming child firmly. "FIVE, if you weren’t an ice and lightning hybrid but instead ice and healing, you’d be dead by now."

His calm tone hit home for Lyra. She couldn’t let a clone with her exact powers pose a threat; once her unique abilities were no longer exclusive, competition would be inevitable. Ruthless individuals might decide to eliminate her just to secure their own uniqueness.

But this "Lyra" clone was simply a genetic counterpart. Glancing at the four before her, Lyra quickly pieced things together. "So, you’re not just subjects of a power transplant experiment; you’re products of superpower genetics?"

"Exactly," Robin confirmed, cradling the little girl while guiding the other two closer. His gaze remained locked on Lyra. "Our paternal genes come from Tyro, while the maternal genes were handpicked from the best of the human gene pool... That is, except for Isadora."

Lyra’s mind whirled. The four of them, not including the clone and Isadora, were half-siblings. They shared the same father but different mothers. The absurdity of this revelation was staggering, yet she knew it was true.

"I need to see proof," she insisted, desperate to validate this reality.

A hint of a smile broke through Robin’s usually icy demeanor, as if he found her struggle oddly relatable. "Follow me."

Lyra followed Robin deeper into the lab; she was acutely aware of the three kids who watched her with an unsettling blend of fear and curiosity.

They shifted nervously, looking for a chance to pounce, but one piercing glare from Lyra kept them rooted in place. The two younger ones quickly ducked behind the older boy, trembling.

As soon as the adults passed through another door, the little boy broke the tense silence with a pout. "Is this the person ’Doctor’ told us to kill? She’s scary! Will Five grows up and end like her?"

"Wahhh... I don’t wanna be scary!" the little girl whimpered, shaking her head vigorously. She clearly wanted no part in being fearsome like Lyra.

The oldeer boy gently patted their heads, trying to soothe them. "Don’t worry. Some traits come from genetics. Five is super sweet, and so, I believe that Lyra isn’t just gonna go around killing people. Let’s follow them and see what’s up."

With that, he took one kid by each hand and led them down the corridor.

They entered a room buzzing with complex machinery and flickering monitors, and Lyra found herself captivated by the footage displayed on the screen.

"Success," Westros said, pressing a button.

A white machine whirred to life, revealing a chair cradling a baby, no older than a year. He carefully lifted the child and turned around. "She has two S-class superpowers and has successfully merged both human and our genetic codes. She’s nothing short of perfect."

As the camera angle shifted, two familiar figures came into view: Tyro and Seren. Gone were the gentle, nurturing parents Lyra remembered; their faces now radiated ambition and excitement as they gazed at the infant.

"Who would’ve thought our genes would align so perfectly?" Seren exclaimed, her voice brimming with awe as she cradled the baby.

The child in her arms giggled, that joyous sound echoing—it was a young Lyra!

Then Robin presented Tyro’s experimental notes, and the first line hit Lyra like a ton of bricks:

"I thought I would lead a mundane life as an ordinary human in this undisturbed universe... until I discovered a new meaning that revitalized my existence."

Tyro detailed his meeting with Seren from the Calvin family on Stardate September 17, 2983, explaining how he stumbled upon her role in human gene experiments.

Instead of reporting it, Tyro became intrigued by the goal of creating new humans with dual or even multiple superpowers, eventually joining the project.

"When Seren needed exceptional male genes, we naturally became partners," he wrote.

On November 11, 2990, their combined genes, fused with the power of "the Stellar Devourer," led to the birth of the first successful experimental subject: Lyra.

Just two years later, during a playful moment, Tyro was gravely injured by the Experimental Subject No. 1, which exposed her extraordinary abilities.

Westros, stunned by the results, concealed the truth, merely claiming that her healing power was unique, coining it "Vitality Glow."

Lyra’s mind raced as she read the final entries of the diary.

On May 25, 2994, Seren had given birth to the second experimental subject through natural pregnancy, but it had ended in failure.

Unfortunately, Seren had developed feelings for the child and named him Kail, refusing to allow his destruction. She declared that she would no longer provide her genes for experimentation.

In response, Tyro and Westros decided to combine Tyro’s genes with those of other women.

On July 8, 3000, the dual superpower gene experiments were exposed, prompting Tyro and Seren to make a desperate decision to flee.

The diary abruptly ended, leaving no doubt that Tyro and Seren had met a grim fate, executed by the military for treason.

Lyra closed the notebook with a heavy heart. The narrative of victimhood she had clung to crumbled away.

The notion of a happy family was nothing more than an illusion crafted by two individuals driven by self-interest.

She realized that she, with her almost unfair superpower, was simply a product of their experiments, a selection of genetics for their own ambitions.

Her grip on the notebook tightened until her knuckles turned white, but then she released it, a sense of acceptance washing over her.

Humans were creatures driven by gain, and her parents had merely exemplified that truth.

Yet, it wasn’t entirely devoid of emotion; the diary revealed Seren’s bond with Kail, a hint of humanity amidst the cold calculations of science.

That bond, however, was just a glitch in the machinery of experimentation.

Robin leaned casually against the lab table, arms crossed. "Any questions?" he asked, his tone nonchalant.

Lyra focused on the details that mattered most to her. "What did Westros hide from Tyro about my unique superpower?"

"During the observations, Westros discovered that because you merged human and Stellar Devourer genes, your abilities exceeded all expectations. Furthermore, you manifested an extreme variant of the Stellar Devourer superpower—what we call Vitality Glow."

As he spoke, an odd glint flickered in Robin’s eyes. "This shifted the experiment’s focus: Westros became determined to create a being capable of countering you. And thus, we were born."

"Lyra, we were all brought into this world for you," he continued, his tone turning serious. "There were many failures before us, beings who came into existence only to be destroyed."

Isadora, he explained, was the first successful subject created based on Lyra’s data, which explained her intense, unyielding gaze whenever she looked at Lyra.