Liyah floated back, her smirk never fading as she watched the fury churn in Tomi's eyes. The blue holographic glow surrounding her cast eerie shadows on his face, highlighting the anguish and anger twisting his features.
"You know, it's almost cute how angry you are," Liyah said, her voice laced with amusement. "But rage alone won't save you. That's what the Eclipse experiment has done, right? You're just a tool now—an incomplete one at that."
Tomi's fists tightened until his knuckles were white, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The thumping in his head pulsed harder, threatening to burst through his skull.
He could feel the S-1 chip integrated into his body, the cold, invasive energy of it coursing through his veins. Every time it activated, it reminded him of the experiment—their betrayal.
"Shut up!" he snarled, lunging toward her with pure instinct, trying to grab the irritating hologram.
But his hand passed right through her glowing form, and she giggled, drifting just out of reach.
"See? This is exactly what I'm talking about. You're so weak right now," Liyah teased, floating in a slow circle around him. "It's pathetic really, but also kind of funny."
Tomi stopped, glaring at her, his chest heaving with rage. "I don't need your stupid tasks or commentary," he spat. "I'll get strong on my own. I don't need you."
Liyah's smile widened, the light of her holographic body flickering slightly as if she were holding back a laugh.
"Oh, sweet master... you don't have a choice." Her tone shifted, becoming dark and cold.
"Without me, you'd be dead within a week. Your body can't handle the power of the S-1 chip without proper training. You're not built for this—not yet."
Tomi's pulse quickened as the reality of her words sank in. He hated it. Hated that she was right.
His body had changed—warped into something unnatural—and he had no control over it. And this...thing...this hologram was part of that curse. He felt trapped, caged by his skin, with no way out.
"You think I'll just go along with this?" he said, his voice low and venomous. "You think I'll obey you?"
Liyah cocked her head, her smile fading slightly, replaced with a serious expression. "You don't have to like me, master. But you will do what I say if you want to survive. Every task, every challenge, is designed to make sure you don't end up dead from the strain."
Tomi's eyes narrowed, and he felt the hatred bubbling inside him like molten lava, but he stayed silent, the thumping in his head growing louder.
"Now, let's not waste time," Liyah said, her chipper tone returning as she gestured to the holographic task list that popped up beside her.
The floating text glowed a faint blue in the dim light of the room, each task ticking away like a countdown to his survival.
300 push-ups incomplete(0/300)
200-second V-ups: incomplete (0/200 sec).
250 Caden half-jacks: incomplete (0/250).
9-mile run: incomplete (0/9 mi).
200 air squats: incomplete (0/200).
100 pull-ups: incomplete (0/100).
Tomi's vision blurred slightly as he stared at the list. The rage in his chest hadn't lessened, but the reality of his situation was sinking in fast.
He was stuck. There was no getting rid of this chip, no going back to his old life. The Eclipse experiment had made sure of that.
Liyah's voice broke through his thoughts.
"You're angry, I get it," she said softly, her tone shifting for a moment, almost sounding sincere.
"But if you want revenge on the Eclipse organization, if you want to destroy the people who did this to you...you'll need to push beyond your limits. And I'm the only one who can help you do that."
Tomi glared at her, his chest tightening with the weight of his frustration. His heart burned with the desire for revenge, but it also pulsed with fear—fear of losing control again, fear of what he was becoming.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down just enough to think straight. "Fine," he muttered, barely audible.
Liyah's holographic eyes lit up, her smile returning. "That's the spirit, master. We're going to make you stronger than you've ever been before."
Tomi didn't respond. He just clenched his fists again, staring at the holographic tasks with cold determination. If this was his path to vengeance...so be it. He'd endure anything to make the Eclipse organization pay for what they did to him.
Meanwhile, Liyah floated silently for a moment, watching Tomi as he absorbed the weight of his situation. Her holographic form flickered softly, the blue light of her body casting faint shadows on the walls of the dimly lit room.
Tomi stood there, fists clenched, his mind racing with thoughts of revenge. His muscles tensed as he felt the throb of the S-1 chip buried deep in his body, a constant reminder of what had been done to him.
Without a word, he dropped to the floor, bracing himself for the first task on the list. His arms trembled slightly as he positioned himself for the push-ups.
He hadn't even started, but already the strain on his altered body was apparent. He could feel the foreign energy of the chip buzzing inside him, merging with his strength, yet resisting his will.
300 push-ups, he thought bitterly. Let's see what this chip is worth.
He started. The first push-up was easy enough, but with each repetition, his muscles ached more, the weight of his own body feeling heavier than it should have.
By the time he reached fifty, sweat was already dripping from his forehead, soaking the floor beneath him. His breaths came out in shallow gasps, but he pressed on, gritting his teeth as the pain seared through his arms.
Above him, Liyah floated, her expression unreadable. She watched as Tomi struggled, not with pity, but with a calm detachment. Her role wasn't to comfort him; it was to push him, to make him reach his breaking point.
"That's it, master," she said softly, her voice almost teasing. "Keep going. You'll need far more than raw anger to survive this."
Tomi's arms were shaking now, his vision blurring as he neared one hundred push-ups. His body was already screaming in protest, but he ignored the pain. His mind was focused on one thing—survival. He would get through this, no matter how much it hurt. He would endure it for the sake of revenge.
At push-up one hundred and fifty, his arms buckled, and he collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air. His chest heaved with exhaustion, every muscle in his body burning like fire. For a moment, he just lay there, staring at the ground, his heart pounding in his ears.
Liyah hovered above him, crossing her arms. "Giving up already?" she asked, her tone playful. "I thought you were stronger than that, master."
Tomi clenched his teeth, forcing himself to push off the floor again. His arms shook violently as he rose back into position.
"Shut up," he muttered under his breath, his voice strained.
He continued, each push-up feeling like it was tearing him apart from the inside. By the time he reached two hundred, his vision was swimming, and his breaths came in ragged bursts.
He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep going, but the thought of stopping—of failing—was unbearable.
At push-up two hundred and seventy-five, his body gave out again, his arms crumbling beneath him.
This time, he couldn't force himself back up. He lay on the floor, panting, his entire body trembling from exhaustion.
Liyah floated down beside him, her holographic face inches from his. She smiled faintly.
"Well, you made it further than I expected," she said. "But you still didn't finish."
Tomi groaned in frustration, pushing himself to sit up. His arms hung limply at his sides, the muscles completely shot.
"I'm...not done," he gasped, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath.
Liyah raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You think you can keep going?" She tilted her head, her expression skeptical.
Tomi glared at her, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a shaky hand. "I said...I'm not done."
He struggled to his feet, swaying slightly as his legs threatened to give out beneath him. The next task loomed before him—200 seconds of V-ups.
His stomach churned at the thought. His body was already on the verge of collapse, but he couldn't stop now. Not if he wanted to prove her wrong. Not if he wanted to prove to himself that he wasn't weak.
Liyah watched in silence as Tomi lowered himself onto his back, preparing for the next round of punishment. His face was etched with pain, but beneath it, there was a fierce determination, a stubborn refusal to give up.
"Alright," she said softly, her voice almost gentle. "Let's see how far you can go."
Tomi began the V-ups, his abs immediately protesting as he lifted his upper body toward his legs.
Each movement felt like a knife twisting in his core, but he forced himself to keep going. Sweat poured down his face, his entire body trembling with effort.
Liyah hovered beside him, her holographic form flickering faintly in the dim light. For the first time, her playful demeanor was gone, replaced by something more serious. She watched him closely, her eyes narrowing slightly as if evaluating his every move.
"You're in more pain than you let on," she said quietly. "But that's good. It means you're pushing past your limits."
Tomi didn't respond. He was too focused on the task at hand, too consumed by the fire burning in his muscles.
His mind was a blur of pain and rage, each rep bringing him closer to his breaking point. But still, he pushed on, fueled by the hatred he felt for the Eclipse organization, the people who had turned him into this...thing.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he completed the 200 seconds. He collapsed onto his back, gasping for breath, his body trembling uncontrollably.
His vision swam, darkness creeping at the edges, but he refused to pass out. Not yet.
Liyah floated down to him, her expression unreadable. "You did well, master," she said softly. "But this is just the beginning."
Tomi lay there, staring up at the ceiling, his chest heaving with exhaustion. He knew she was right.
This was only the start. If he wanted to survive—if he wanted his revenge—he would have to endure far more than this.
But no matter what it took, no matter how much pain he had to endure, he would make the Eclipse pay for what they did to him.