The smell of disinfectant lingered in the sterile room as Nate sat on the cold metallic table, swinging his legs nervously. He watched his uncle Henry, who was busy adjusting the settings on a peculiar-looking machine. Wires dangled from its side, and a faint hum filled the air as the device powered up.
"This looks straight out of a sci-fi movie," Nate said, trying to lighten the mood.
Henry smirked without looking up. "It's an old prototype I've been tinkering with. Not exactly a standard medical device, but it should do the job."
"To... measure my freakishness?" Nate asked, half-joking.
Henry turned, his face serious. "Nate, you're not a freak. You're... different. And we need to figure out why."
Henry attached small sensors to Nate's temples and wrists, the cool metal making Nate flinch slightly. The machine beeped rhythmically, its screen displaying waves and patterns that Henry scrutinized with growing intensity.
"What are you looking for, exactly?" Nate asked.
"Anomalies," Henry said, furrowing his brows. "Energy signatures that shouldn't be there. If your powers are connected to the dark wave explosion, there might be traces of residual energy left behind."
Nate swallowed hard. "Residual energy? Like radiation or something?"
"Not quite. More like... a fingerprint left by whatever force affected you."
The machine emitted a sharp beep, drawing Henry's attention back to the screen. His expression shifted from curiosity to bewilderment.
"Henry? What is it?" Nate asked, his voice tinged with worry.
"These readings... they're off the charts. Your energy levels are nothing like anything I've seen before."
Nate's stomach knotted. "Is that bad?"
Henry hesitated, then sighed. "I can't say for sure. But these levels... they're not normal, Nate. It's as if you're carrying something inside you—a power far beyond human comprehension."
Nate's eyes widened. "Inside me? What does that even mean?"
Henry paused, choosing his words carefully. "It's just a theory, but... you said you weren't affected by the dark wave explosion because you weren't born yet. That much is true. But your mother was pregnant with you when it happened, meaning you were exposed in a way no one else was. You were... protected, yet directly connected to the energy."
Nate frowned. "Connected? How?"
"I don't know," Henry admitted. "But here's what's strange: the energy I'm detecting isn't just residual from the explosion. It's... layered, like there's something alive, something dormant, waiting."
Nate's chest tightened. "Alive? Are you saying I'm possessed or something?"
"No," Henry said quickly. "But there's a possibility that whatever force influenced you during the explosion didn't just vanish. It might have... bonded with you, latently, and it's only now starting to manifest."
Nate slid off the table, pacing the room. "This doesn't make sense. My powers, my anger... it's not me, is it?"
Henry placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't have all the answers, Nate. But this doesn't change who you are. You're still you, no matter what's happening."
Nate shook his head, pulling away. "You don't get it. If this... thing inside me is making me do things, then who am I? What if I'm just a puppet?"
Henry opened his mouth to respond but hesitated. "Nate, I need more time to figure this out. These are just theories. Don't let them define you."
Nate stared at him, his jaw clenched. "Fine. But if you find out something, anything, you better tell me. No more theories—just the truth."
Henry nodded solemnly. "You have my word."
As Nate left the lab, his mind swirled with questions and doubts. The faint hum of the machine still echoed in his ears, a reminder of the secrets that remained hidden, waiting to be unraveled.