Hidden Legacy

One of the people present in the room, a little frightened, asked the doctor why he was treating the boy that way. The doctor responded with a cold smile:

"It's good that you ask. I'm doing it to activate the hidden power lying within him."

He began explaining while pressing additional buttons. A blue liquid started dripping onto Aiden, sliding slowly over his skin like oil.

"You see," the doctor continued in a calm but firm voice, "this boy appears to be the son of one of our previous experiments. Blood tests and preliminary analysis confirm it. We had to halt those experiments because we were being investigated. A reporter stuck her nose where it didn't belong, but we managed to resolve the issue," he added coldly, without a trace of remorse in his tone.

The project was called Project Nebula. Its purpose was to combine humans with phenomena beyond our comprehension in order to prepare for potential external threats, granting subjects unique abilities. However, there were setbacks: some specimens mutated or died. They also attempted experiments on other beings, but the results weren't as successful as they were with humans.

"This project began many years ago," said the doctor, his gaze lost in some distant point of the past. "My father was one of the pioneers, but unfortunately, no one believed in his ideals, and his aspirations to create something extraordinary were cut short. After they shut down his company, other organizations emerged with similar goals until Mr. Zeus recruited me to continue my father's legacy. Unfortunately, the last tests we conducted didn't work—or their effects were temporary, or the subjects went insane."

"Now that I have this boy, I'll be able to continue the research and create new individuals. I would have liked to experiment with an artifact that was supposed to arrive here, but it never did, and the subject accompanying it remains missing. I hope he shows up soon so I can ask for his help again. Well, anyway, life goes on," concluded the doctor, finishing his explanation with a resigned sigh.

He proceeded to observe the effects of the blue liquid on the boy but noticed no significant changes—only the child's cries of pain, which echoed through the walls of the room like heart-wrenching sobs.

One of those present, who had been watching the monitor nervously, said:

"It seems the test subject has fainted. What do we do, sir? Should we take him out of the machine and let him rest?"

Richard turned to see who had spoken, fixing his gaze on the three young men dressed in green.

"Do you see the only one wearing a white coat?" he asked disdainfully. "I'm the one who gives orders here. He's just asleep," he added, pointing at the monitor. "Give him a small electric shock immediately."

One of them, intimidated by the doctor's threatening glare, hesitantly pressed the button. Aiden began to thrash violently, screaming in pain and begging them to stop.

Fortunately for everyone, a woman in a white coat, with fiery red hair and an imposing figure, entered the room. It was Brenda Swang, who held the same rank as the doctor in the organization.

"Doctor Richard Laos, stop for a moment," she said firmly, crossing her arms. "Can't you see the poor boy can barely endure it? You won't find the result you desire overnight. Let him rest for a while."

The doctor turned to look at her, and in his mind, he thought: One day, you'll be mine, Brenda, while sporting a lascivious expression and drooling slightly. She stared at him intently, speaking calmly at first and then raising her voice:

"Are you alright, Doctor?"

The doctor snapped out of his trance and responded with a growl:

"I'm fine. Do whatever you want."

Suddenly, she turned to the three young men and asked for their names. The tall and thin one was Jonny, the medium-built and robust one was Bil, and the last, of average size, was Bob. All three were about nineteen or twenty years old. They were mesmerized by the woman's presence, her confidence radiating both authority and calm.

She asked for the boy's information and ordered them to untie him and take him to a room with a stretcher so he could rest. The three obeyed without complaint, momentarily forgetting the fear that Doctor Richard had instilled in them.

"So your name is Aiden, huh?" she remarked as she admired the boy's ponytail. "Well, we'll talk later, kid, when you regain your strength and wake up," she said, since after all the exhaustion caused by the machine, Aiden had fainted again.

Once the boy was removed from the room, Richard approached Brenda and said in an irritated tone:

"What are you doing here? This is my experiment."

She looked at him with a seductive air and responded with a playful smile:

"I was a little bored. Besides, Mr. Zeus told me to lend you a hand."

"Richi"—as she called him— "Don't get upset. I just came as a mere observer," she said, pinching his cheeks and causing him, annoyed, to behave like a docile pigeon.

"Fine," he told her with an exasperated sigh. "You can stay, but I'm the one who gives the orders here."

To which she simply responded with a wink:

"If you're the boss…"

In the dimly lit area, barely illuminated by the faint glow of the lampposts, we leave Elena and Podbe. A male figure approached. Upon seeing the scene, he rushed toward them, concerned, to check their vital signs. He confirmed they were alive but unconscious. Without wasting any time, he carried both of them and took them away from the place.

As he carried Elena and Podbe, the man noticed a small star-shaped brooch on Elena's jacket.

"I hope you're alright," he murmured to himself as he continued walking quickly, his eyes fixed on the dark path ahead. The night was cold and silent, and his footsteps echoed through the empty streets, carrying the hope that the place he was heading to could offer them safe refuge.

"Hold on, we're almost there," he whispered to them with a mix of urgency and comfort, not stopping his pace.

The man, whose name was Marcus, knew he couldn't trust anyone. He had been trained to act under pressure, but this situation overwhelmed him. He didn't understand how Elena and Podbe had ended up there, but something in his gut told him they couldn't stay in that place a minute longer.

Upon reaching his destination—a dilapidated cabin in the middle of the forest—Marcus carefully placed Elena and Podbe on a worn-out sofa. He lit an oil lamp and began examining them more closely. Elena had a slight bruise on the back of her neck, but she seemed physically fine. Podbe, on the other hand, was breathing slowly, as if deeply asleep.

Marcus sighed, feeling a mixture of relief and concern. He knew he couldn't do much more for them at that moment, but at least they were safe… for now.

Meanwhile, back at the lab, Brenda and Richard were arguing about the future of the experiment.

"You know we can't keep treating this boy like an object," said Brenda, crossing her arms as her gaze hardened. "If we want real results, we need a more humane approach."

Richard snorted, visibly irritated but also with a flicker of anxiety in his eyes. He approached one of the screens flashing with cryptic data and slid his fingers over it, as if searching for something to back him up.

"Humane?" he retorted, turning toward her with a twisted smile. "This 'boy' is much more than that, Brenda. He's the key to activating the machine… and not just for any trivial purpose. This goes beyond us, beyond this facility. What's coming next will change the game forever."

Brenda raised an eyebrow, skeptical but intrigued despite herself. She took a step toward him, fixing him with a penetrating stare.

"And what happens if we destroy him in the process?" she asked calmly, though every word carried a warning. "What do we gain by sacrificing the only element that can make your precious machine work? Maybe you should ask yourself if you're ready to face the consequences if something goes wrong."

Richard fell silent for a moment, his dark eyes locked on hers. Then, in a lower tone, almost as if admitting an uncomfortable truth, he responded:

"There's no other option. He's the catalyst. Without him, none of this makes sense. And if that means pushing him to his limit, then so be it. The end justifies the means."

Brenda shook her head slowly, as if she already knew it wasn't worth arguing further. But inside, a spark of determination ignited. She knew she couldn't let Richard continue down this path without oversight.

"Do whatever you want, Richard," she said finally, turning to leave, but leaving a final warning hanging in the air. "Just remember: if you cross that line, you'll be the one who has to bear the consequences. And believe me, they won't be light."

With that, she left the room, leaving Richard alone with his thoughts and the cold light of the screens illuminating his tense face.