Ren stood in his underground lab, staring at the latest version of his nanotechnology suit—a sleek, shimmering creation that glinted under the dim lights. The lab was a testament to his genius, filled with cutting-edge technology and the fruits of his relentless work. But for all his brilliance, Ren had yet to fully harness the power of his greatest invention. The suit, designed to be a part of him, capable of shifting into a compact wristwatch when not in use, was still beyond his control.
The first time Ren had worn the suit, he was certain it would make him unstoppable. Every ounce of his genius had gone into crafting it, combining nanobots with the ability to amplify his cursed powers. It could enhance his strength, speed, and abilities far beyond what he thought possible. But the suit had one fatal flaw: its power was too great for him to handle.
Ren had tried countless times to master it, only to be met with failure. The suit responded to his commands, yes, but it amplified his powers so much that he lost control of them. It was like holding lightning in his hands—each time he tried to wield it, the energy overwhelmed him. The nanobots that made up the suit were connected to his body, reacting to his thoughts and movements, but that connection was a double-edged sword. When his emotions flared, or when he tried to push the suit too far, it turned against him.
He glanced at the small wristwatch on his arm—the resting form of the suit. At a glance, it looked like any ordinary piece of jewelry, an understated design that could be mistaken for a fashion accessory. But Ren knew the immense power that lay within. With a single thought, he could activate the nanobots, and they would swarm over his body, forming the armor in seconds. That was the easy part. The hard part was controlling the power once the suit was on.
"I'm doing it again," Ren muttered to himself, tightening his fist. He had been through this cycle so many times—putting on the suit, losing control, trying again, only to fail. Each failure gnawed at him, but it also fueled his determination. He was Ren—he didn't know the meaning of defeat. Not in battle, not in life. He had fought devils, mastered his cursed powers, and survived impossible odds. This suit was his creation, and he would master it.
With a deep breath, he tapped the watch.
Instantly, the nanobots inside the watch sprang to life, flowing out like liquid metal. They raced up his arm, spreading across his skin in a matter of seconds. He felt the familiar weight of the suit as it wrapped around his body, forming a smooth, metallic second skin. The sensation was both exhilarating and terrifying. The suit was now fully activated, amplifying his abilities as it melded with his body. His strength surged, his senses sharpened, and the cursed energy within him hummed with power.
For a moment, everything seemed fine. Ren moved his hand, flexing his fingers, and the suit responded perfectly, moving with him as if it were an extension of his own body. He took a step forward, feeling the enhanced strength in his legs, the seamless connection between man and machine.
But then, as before, the surge came.
It started as a pulse of energy deep in his chest. The cursed power that the suit was designed to amplify began to spiral out of control. The nanobots, sensing the increase in energy, reacted by boosting his power even more. It was a feedback loop—a vicious cycle where the suit amplified his powers, which in turn caused the suit to amplify them even further. His muscles tensed, and his vision blurred. The power was overwhelming, suffocating.
"No!" Ren growled through clenched teeth, trying to force the suit to respond. But the harder he tried to control it, the more out of control it became. His body jerked and twitched as the suit magnified every small movement, turning them into chaotic bursts of strength. He could feel his cursed energy swirling wildly, no longer under his command. It was as if the suit had become a cage, trapping him inside his own power.
In a moment of desperation, Ren deactivated the suit, collapsing to his knees as the nanobots retreated back into the watch. His body was drenched in sweat, his muscles trembling from the effort of fighting the suit's overwhelming power. He stayed there for a moment, breathing heavily, staring at the ground.
This isn't working… I can't force it like this.
Ren's mind raced, replaying the failures over and over. Each time he had approached the suit, he had tried to control it through sheer willpower, to dominate it as he had dominated every other challenge in his life. But this wasn't the same. The suit was a part of him, not something separate. He had designed it to be an extension of his body, to work in harmony with his powers, not to overpower them.
Slowly, Ren got back to his feet. His assistant, the digital voice in his mind, spoke softly.
"You've been trying to control the suit like it's an enemy, Ren. But it's not. It's your creation, your ally. You need to trust yourself."
Trust himself. The words echoed in his mind. He had been treating the suit like an uncontrollable beast, something to be tamed, rather than something to be embraced. He realized now that the problem wasn't the suit—it was him. He had been approaching it with the wrong mindset.
With a newfound resolve, Ren tapped the watch again.
The nanobots swarmed over his body once more, forming the suit in a matter of seconds. This time, as the familiar surge of power began, Ren didn't fight it. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused inward, aligning his thoughts with the energy of the suit. He let go of the need to control every aspect of it and allowed the power to flow naturally through him.
The pressure that had once felt overwhelming now seemed to ease. His cursed energy hummed through his veins, but this time it was in sync with the suit. The feedback loop was still there, but instead of spiraling out of control, it flowed smoothly, amplifying his power in harmony with his body.