Talent Awakening: Draconic Overlord Of The Apocalypse - Chapter 442

Chapter 442: • Devastating News
Finally, they reached a reinforced door with a large observation window.

The glass appeared black at first, an impenetrable void that refused to reveal what lay beyond.

But it wasn’t the glass itself—it was the room on the other side, swallowed in complete darkness.

The alchemist hesitated. His fingers hovered over a switch on the wall, his gaze flicking to Lila with something that was not just caution, but sympathy.

“Lady Lila,” he murmured, his voice softer now.

“Please… brace yourself.”

Lila’s breath hitched. Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears, feel it in her throat.

No.

She didn’t want to hesitate. She didn’t want to let fear take root.

Just turn on the damn light already.

The alchemist pressed the switch.

Bright white lights flickered on inside the room.

And then—

A sharp inhale.

A single, broken breath.

Lila’s eyes widened in sheer horror.

Lila whipped around, her eyes burning as she stormed up to the alchemist, her voice trembling… desperate.

“T-There must be some kind of mistake,” she said, grabbing him by the collar.

Her fingers curled tightly into the fabric.

“I asked you to take me to my parents! Daren and Veyra Monroe!”

Her voice cracked as she repeated the names, as if doing so might rewrite the reality staring back at her.

The alchemist didn’t flinch, but there was a clear sorrow in his gaze. He gently reached up and touched her wrists, not to push her away, but to steady her.

“Lady Lila… I’m so sorry,” he said quietly as he looked away, gritting his teeth.

“There’s no mistake. This is them.”

His voice wavered, just a little.

“T-They mutated. We tried… But they became too dangerous. We had no choice. They had to be put down.”

The words hit her like a sledgehammer. Her grip loosened, her arms falling limp as she staggered back a step.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out at first. Just air—shallow and broken. Then, finally, a whisper, raw with pain.

“Please… no… This can’t be…”

Her knees buckled, the strength draining from her limbs as reality crashed down on her like a tide.

She would have collapsed had Alister not caught her by the shoulders, steadying her before she hit the floor.

“No… No, no, no—please, no…”

Lila’s voice was barely a whisper, choked and raw, her hands gripping onto Alister’s coat as if anchoring herself to something, anything, that wasn’t the nightmare in front of her.

Beyond the glass, the walls were smeared with blood—dark, dried streaks of it painted across the sterile white wall like the aftermath of a brutal, hopeless fight—one where survival had never been an option.

There were deep gashes on the metal, claw marks—no, human hands didn’t leave marks like that.

The dents in the walls, the shattered remains of a medical cot.

Bullet holes.

And at the center of it all…

Two massive… lifeless bodies, twisted beyond recognition, hunched over in unnatural positions.

Their flesh was mottled, veins blackened with the same corruption that had plagued the other patients, but this was different—far more advanced.

They had fully mutated.

Their fingers had elongated into grotesque, claw-like appendages. Their faces were contorted, caught in expressions of rage and agony, frozen in time.

They had fought.

Fought to break out.

Fought to kill.

And had been put down.

Her parents were dead.

Lila stared, her mind refusing to accept what her eyes were seeing.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

This wasn’t…

Supposed to happen.

Her voice broke as she whispered, “M-Mom… She was… she was supposed to be okay!”

She clutched at Alister’s chest, her fingers curling into fists.

“I—I healed her, Alister… I healed her… She wasn’t supposed to change like this…”

She looked up at him, her cheeks red, tears swelling in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. She sobbed, pressing her forehead against his shoulder as if trying to shut the world out. “It was Dad who… It was Dad who kept bleeding… Why? Why did this happen? Why?!”

“It’s not fair… they were good people… they didn’t deserve this.”

The silence in the room was suffocating.

Lila’s breaths came in ragged gasps, her chest rising and falling unevenly as she clung to Alister, her fingers trembling against his coat.

She could still hear the echoes of her own voice—her desperate denial, the words that refused to make sense.

Her vision blurred as hot tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks.

Her entire body shook as she let out a strangled sob, pressing herself closer against Alister’s chest.

The warmth of another person, the steady rise and fall of his breath—it was the only thing grounding her to reality, keeping her from completely falling apart.

“Why…” she choked out, her voice barely above a whisper, yet filled with so much pain it felt unbearable even to hear.

Her fingers tightened into fists.

“Why?!”

Her voice broke as she pulled away just enough to look at him, her tear-filled gaze searching his as if he could give her an answer, as if he could somehow make sense of this nightmare.

Her voice trembled, her lips quivering as more tears spilled down her face. “E-Everything was okay just a week ago… when I last visited… We were together. We were happy.”

In these moments, she seemed to relieved the last happy memory she had with them.

Watching as the bright images flashed before her eyes.

…

…

The soft clinking of dishes filled the cozy kitchen, the warm glow of the evening sun filtering through the window. Lila sat at the table, lazily scrolling through her holographic display phone, while her mom, Veyra, hummed as she stirred a pot of stew.

Her father, Daren, leaned against the counter, tapping away on his tablet, but his eyes never left Lila.

“You still haven’t said anything to him?” Daren asked with a teasing grin.

Lila’s head snapped up, her face flushing slightly. “What? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she muttered, though it was clear she was caught off guard.

Her father raised an eyebrow, clearly not fooled. “Oh, don’t play coy, Lila. You’ve been telling us for months about that guy. The one you like so much. What was his name again?”

“His name’s Alister, Dad, and I haven’t told him anything,” she retorted, trying to mask the blush creeping up her neck.