Timeless Assassin

Chapter 35 - Psychological Evaluation

(Rodova Military Academy – Psychological Evaluation Chamber)

As Leo stepped into the evaluation room, his gaze immediately landed on a single man seated across a long metal table.

The man wore a crisp white coat, his demeanor calm and composed as he flipped through a thick dossier.

Unlike the instructors outside, this man did not radiate menace or authority. His expression was neutral, almost pleasant, as if he were about to conduct a casual interview rather than an interrogation.

But Leo knew better.

The room itself betrayed the true nature of what was about to happen.

The walls were reinforced steel, devoid of windows, as a single overhead light cast a clinical glow over the metallic surfaces.

Behind the psychologist, a complex machine hummed softly, cables running from its base toward the chair opposite him, which Leo assumed to be the set-up for the lie detector.

"Please, take a seat." The psychologist said, as he finally looked up, giving Leo a friendly smile.

Leo hesitated for a fraction of a second before lowering himself into the chair, as the psychologist gave him an approving nod.

*Thud*

Closing the thick dossier, the psychologist made eye contact with him, before leaning towards him on the table as he said, "For protocol reasons, let me introduce myself. I am Dr. Adrian Kessler, and I will be conducting your psychological evaluation today."

The way he spoke was casual, almost friendly.

But Leo wasn't fooled by his kindness.

Judging by the state of the previous student who had been dragged out of this room, Leo understood that this was anything but a friendly conversation.

However, for the sake of not antagonizing the instructor, he kept his expression unreadable, maintaining steady eye contact with the psychologist, as he refused to give anything away.

For a few moments, neither spoke.

Then, the psychologist leaned back in his chair and exhaled as if feeling amused.

"Sabrina, administer the truth serum and patch him up to the machine. Use a higher dosage—this one has a strong brain."

At his signal, an assistant entered the room, moving with practiced ease. A tray of medical supplies rested in her hands, the faint clink of glass vials breaking the silence.

She barely spared Leo a glance as she approached.

"Right arm," she said flatly.

Leo complied, rolling up his sleeve as she swiped a cold antiseptic wipe over his skin.

Meanwhile, the psychologist kept talking.

"Curious to know why I flagged you as having a 'strong brain'?" he asked in an amused tone, as Leo arched an eyebrow.

"You see, Leo, not many students can hold eye contact with me. Especially not when I have my aura skill [Intimidation] active." Adrian said with a smile, as he watched Leo carefully, gauging his reaction.

"Most recruits start squirming the moment they sit across from me. They act like mice trapped in a cage with a starving cat. But you? You didn't flinch. And I find that... quite impressive."

At that moment, Leo felt the sting of a needle piercing his skin.

"Sabrina is administering the truth serum now," Adrian continued, his voice smooth. "It'll loosen your inhibitions, make you think less before you speak. From here on out, we'll be having a nice, honest conversation."

Leo didn't reply.

Adrian smiled as if he found that amusing, too.

"You know," he mused, "there are only two kinds of people who can resist my [Intimidation] skill."

He held up a single finger.

"First, those who've grown up in a rough environment—on the streets, constantly fighting for their lives, struggling for survival. People like that eat intimidation for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They don't scare easy."

Then, he lifted a second finger.

"And second—those born into noble houses, raised around high-level warriors who leak intimidation aura all the time. They grow up immune to it."

He tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze locked onto Leo's.

"So, which one is it? Street rat or noble?"

Leo remained silent, feeling the unfamiliar warmth of the serum spreading through his veins.

But as the seconds ticked by, he realized something troubling.

His mind was starting to feel... hazy.

A strange fog settled over his thoughts, dulling the sharpness of his awareness. His vision blurred at the edges, and a faint ringing buzzed at the back of his skull.

"I asked you a question, Leo."

Doctor Adrian's voice cut through the haze, calm yet expectant. His expression remained perfectly composed, but there was a certain sharpness in his gaze.

"Which one is it? One or two?"

Leo stared at him, but no response came.

The doctor sighed, tapping his fingers against the metal table.

"Sabrina, what was the dose? 0.75?"

The assistant shook her head. "0.9."

Adrian blinked, then let out an amused chuckle.

"0.9 and he's still holding on? That's rare." He leaned back slightly, a smirk playing at his lips. "Alright. Administer an additional 0.3ml of Hallucination Serum. Let's see how much of that willpower survives when reality stops making sense."

Sabrina didn't hesitate.

Another sharp prick.

Another injection.

And then—

The world shattered.

Leo's breath hitched as the colors around him twisted, bleeding into one another in unnatural ways.

The walls seemed to pulse. The table in front of him stretched and shrank in uneven waves.

His vision tripled— as he began to see three doctors, three assistants, all moving at different speeds.

A low hum filled his ears, rising and falling like distant whispers.

It felt like his mind was floating, detached from his body.

Yet—somehow—deep beneath all of it, a part of him remained... aware.

Despite the drugs invading his system, he wasn't babbling nonsense. His mind was fractured but not lost.

But they didn't know that.

'If I don't act like the drugs are working, they'll pump me with more.'

Realizing this, Leo let his head loll to the side slightly, his eyelids drooping. He let his shoulders relax, his fingers twitching slightly as if struggling to focus.

A perfect act.

Adrian watched him closely, waiting for the serum to take full effect.

Then, after a few seconds, he spoke again.

"So... which one is it?"

Leo let his gaze lazily drift back to him.

And then, with a slow, sluggish slur, he finally answered.

"I... don't know..." His voice was soft, distant. "I... I don't remember. My memories... they're gone..." @@novelbin@@

Silence.

Adrian's smirk disappeared.

His expression didn't shift into suspicion—no, it was something else.

Something closer to... interest.

The doctor steepled his fingers, his piercing eyes never leaving Leo's face.

"Your memories... erased, you say?"

He exhaled slowly.

"Well, isn't that... fascinating?" Adrian said while leaning back, as he turned toward his assistant, expecting her to be amazed as well, however, she did not seem to care much.

Raising her hands in mock surrender, she simply made an expression that said, 'Hey, don't look at me. I'm just the assistant–' which made the doctor chuckle before he returned his gaze back to Leo.

"Leo 'Skyshard,'" he mused, rolling the name over his tongue. "That's what it says on your file. Tell me, is that the name you were given at birth? Or just a name someone told you belonged to you after your memories were erased?" he asked, as Leo's sluggish mind snapped into overdrive.

This was dangerous.

A wrong answer here wouldn't just raise suspicion—it could unravel everything.

He forced his expression to remain distant, unfocused, as if he was struggling through the mental fog the drugs had induced.

Then slowly, he let his lips part.

"A chit..." His voice came out hoarse, like someone grasping at fragments of recollection. "It was... written on a chit. When I woke up... they said it belonged to me."

A soft beep from the lie detector signaled his answer passed as truth.

Adrian's gaze flickered slightly, a glint of something unreadable flashing behind his eyes.

"So you're not even sure if it's your real name," he murmured, his voice laced with intrigue.

Leo blinked slowly, the forced haze in his eyes making him look more dazed than he actually was.

Adrian exhaled through his nose, drumming his fingers against the table in thought.

"Well, that certainly complicates things, doesn't it?"

He tapped the folder in front of him absentmindedly before continuing.

"Tell me, Leo... do you remember anything from before you woke up? Any flashes? Sounds? Emotions?"

The question wasn't unexpected, but Leo knew his next answer had to be carefully measured.

He let his brows furrow ever so slightly, as if trying—struggling—to recall something that wasn't there.

Finally, he shook his head.

"Nothing," he muttered, his voice just the right amount of tired. "It's just... empty."

Another soft beep. Another truth registered.

Adrian tilted his head, observing him like a specimen under a microscope.

"I see..." he said, before taking a long pause.

"A curious case, aren't you?" he said, as his lips slowly curled into a smile.

A smile that, at first glance, mirrored the kind one he had offered at the start of their conversation.

But this time—there was something different about it, something off.

Leo felt it. A shift in the air. A shift in the conversation.

Something was about to change.

Something dangerous.

He could feel it—like a storm on the horizon. Silent. Inevitable. And ready to strike.