8

Beyond the Veil: Kiran's Supernatural Hunt

Chapter 8: A Decision

"How did you get in such bad shape?" Colin asked as he entered the room, his gaze scanning the major bandaged wounds on Kiran's body.

"The wounds look terrifying, but they're not serious. Don't worry too much," Kiran lied with a smile.

Colin looked at Kiran without saying anything more on the topic. After all, he realized that Kiran had no intention of revealing his current situation.

Kiran was a serious man who cared infinitely for the people closest to him. Both as a child and an adult, something that characterized him a lot, especially with his best friend, who was, in fact, his only love since high school, was that he didn't like to share his pain.

The mere fact of worrying the people closest to him was something that angered him greatly. That's why he learned to bear everything himself.

After learning about a possible death, Kiran didn't want to worry about the people who mattered to him. He didn't even have an idea of how his superiors would react if they found out he leaked confidential information.

Old Colin knew that something was going on, but he still decided not to pry into the matter and said, "Don't worry, Kiran, everything will be fine."

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Just as they were about to continue their conversation, Kiran's phone suddenly rang. After checking who it was, he answered the call. Then, that voice that he hadn't heard in a long time resounded.

Colin looked at Kiran and said with a smile, "Well, I'll leave you to answer your call in peace. Call me when you're discharged; I'll come to pick you up."

"Take care of your health. I hope they can handle the workload until you return to the station," Kiran said in a joking tone as he bid farewell to his boss.

"Hahaha, you better come back to work soon... But I want you to know something: the higher-ups said you can take all the time you need, and you'll have that time paid. It seems like you've impressed them," Colin muttered as he exited the room.

Kiran, seeing that he was alone, took a deep breath and said with an imposing voice, "Captain Kiran Jones is reporting, sir."

On the other end of the phone, there was silence followed by a sigh. "You son of a bitch, I warned you not to get involved in those problems, Kiran. How many times did I tell you it's better to find a wife and live your life as best as you can?"

"I lost some memories, but I know that all my decisions are always to help others, and I would never forgive myself for being ignorant of what's happening around me."

"I'm aware of your situation. It's the first time someone in your state undergoes such a special treatment," said the voice coming from the phone.

Kiran paused and said, "I don't want to end up crippled again when there's a way out."

"The possibilities are your death!" the voice shouted with an agitated tone.

"Lieutenant Edmund, I will survive whatever is coming, sir." Kiran felt a deep pang in his chest of contained pain.

"You know I can't say anything more; damn it, Kiran, that's your decision." Lieutenant Edmund's voice was cold and harsh.

After taking a deep breath and containing his emotions, Kiran said with a calmer voice before hanging up, "Thank you for your wise words, sir."

"Hmm..."

After hanging up the phone, Kiran remembered how Edmund took care of him at the military base. Thanks to him, he could become a captain and maintain his military rank even while working as a detective. He knew this was strange, but he didn't know the reason behind it.

He recalled when he joined the military service: he was just a kid with dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. He had no family other than his uncle, who later died, and with no possibility of facing his future well, he decided to put a lot of effort into his military career.

Few countries still had mandatory military service in 2016, but Kiran knew South Korea had that military system because of its neighbor. Still, there were two kinds of people regarding military service: those who wanted a stable career as a military person and those who only entered to fulfill their mandatory service before going back to studying.

Every man usually decides to do their military service around the middle of their professional career in university. Since military service is well integrated into society, universities offer the time necessary to fulfill military service and then return to finish their studies.

Kiran had no intention of going back to school. First, he had no money for professional education, and second, he didn't want to compete in such a demanding system in this country. And Kiran thought of the military because Colin, the captain of the department he worked in, recommended the military as a great opportunity. The police academy was also an option, but the chances of getting in were slimmer than those of a military person. Even if Kiran didn't want to be in the military for life, he had a strong hand waiting for him to become a violent crime detective.

Just like that, a boy with great aspirations for success entered the South Korean military as a simple recruit. In his journey, he discovered there were only two types of people on the base: those who were only there out of obligation and those who wanted something more.

And when he finally stood out above the rest, he met Edmund, a lieutenant colonel on the base.

Toc! Toc! Toc!

Three consecutive knocks sounded on the door moments before many doctors entered. Seeing this scene, Kiran thought it was unnecessary for so many doctors to treat a simple patient.

"Mr. Kiran Jones, you'll be transferred for your operation," said the lead doctor.

Kiran nodded.

With Kiran's approval, the doctors and nurses began moving equipment and placing different instruments, and when everything was in place, the transfer began.

Passing through the hallways, the lead doctor looked at Kiran's pale face and asked with a serene voice, "Mr. Kiran, is there anything you're uncertain about?"

Kiran smiled bitterly. "No, doctor, I've consulted with reliable people, so I'm at ease."

"After we get there, I'll be in charge of your operation," said the doctor with a complicated face.

Kiran nodded with seriousness and said, "Then I'll be under your care."

He could still feel the pain in his bones all over his body; the areas where there was intense pain were mainly his shoulder and knee. It was that burning and stabbing pain that was torturing him slowly.

In his mind, he was already preparing to receive the deadly treatment; he didn't know if he would live to tell the tale. But if Kiran asked himself right now if he was in reality or in a dream, he wouldn't know how to answer.

After passing through the hallways and taking the elevator down, an ambulance was already waiting for his transfer.

...

Two hours later,.

Upon arriving at the location where he was supposed to be treated, Kiran was amazed by his surroundings. He speculated that it should be a temporary base in this abandoned building.

After Kiran arrived, soldiers with masks were waiting for him. Kiran was moved to what seemed to be the site to receive the treatment. Approximately half an hour later, two familiar figures arrived.

"How do you feel? Are you comfortable?" a voice with a rough tone asked.

"Captain Kiran Jones, sir," Kiran said, attempting a military salute.

But before he finished, he was stopped by the man in front of him, who was Lieutenant Edmund.

"Enough; I'll be monitoring the progress of the operation. I'll take care of your funeral; there's nothing to worry about."

"You're always so charming, sir," Kiran replied to the lieutenant colonel in front of him with a faint smile on his face.

"So, Mr. Jones, as we discussed a few hours ago, Once the process is complete, if you survive, you won't have to undergo any experiments or anything of the sort. You can return to your normal life as a detective, away from the military, if you wish." Gabriel, the NIS director who had also entered, said.

Kiran nodded in approval. He didn't know why an NIS director was involved in this kind of process; it was totally out of his jurisdiction, but he didn't question anything. It wasn't the time, after all.

"Very well, you'll have to endure a lot of pain. No anesthesia will be applied since it won't help you anyway. Let's hope you don't die from the pain."

"Don't worry about that, director." Kiran hadn't considered stepping back from his decision at this point.

"Then I'll leave; I wish you the best of luck," Gabriel said as he left the room.

"Don't you dare die without getting married and having children, Kiran?" Edmund said as he left without looking at Kiran once more.

Kiran understood this old man very well; he knew that now he was extremely worried about his outcome.

The last person to enter was the lead doctor, who transferred him from the hospital to this place.

"Can we start, Mr. Jones?" When the doctor entered, he looked at Kiran attentively and asked.

Kiran nodded.

"Good, go ahead, and prepare the subject." The doctor ordered three military doctors to enter with two different boxes.

The first box was opened, revealing three syringes with a white liquid. "The first injections are to temporarily numb your damaged areas and prepare your body for the main treatment."

Without waiting for Kiran to respond, the three military doctors took the injections and moved.

When the three were in position, they began injecting the liquid. The first dose was in the left shoulder, the second dose in his right leg, and the third dose in his chest.

"30 seconds..." said the lead doctor.

The three military doctors didn't waste time and adjusted the reins on the stretcher.

"Why are those reins for?" Kiran asked with a weak voice.

"They're to prevent you from moving. Normally, subjects tend to move a lot in the process."

Kiran would lie if he denied that he was scared right now. He didn't like feeling helpless under any circumstances. And now, under the reins holding his limbs, he felt extremely powerless.

"Ready, start securing..." ordered the lead doctor as he took a rather large injection.

The military doctors moved and tied Kiran more tightly to the stretcher.

After making sure everything was in place, they looked at the lead doctor and left the room without saying anything.

Everything had happened in less than a minute.

"Once your body receives the serum, you'll feel a burning pain throughout your body, and all you can do is endure it," explained the lead doctor as he put on a type of gag to protect Kiran's teeth and tongue.

"Doctor..."

"Yes?" the lead doctor asked, looking at Kiran.

Kiran took a deep breath and said, "Today is not a good day to die."

"I hope you survive," said the doctor as he prepared the area where he would inject the HDW-37 serum.