The world outside was a cruel reflection of the chaos inside.
Kim Ha-jin awoke in the dark, damp cell, his body aching as though it had been shattered and pieced back together a thousand times. His muscles screamed in protest, but he forced himself to sit up. His hands were still shackled, the cold metal biting into his skin.
They hadn't killed him. Not yet. But the price of failure was always steep. He had learned that lesson long ago.
He could hear their footsteps echoing down the hall. The guards. They never spoke to him directly anymore—he was nothing more than a tool, a weapon too dangerous to keep alive without constant surveillance. He was kept in isolation, given just enough food and water to survive, but not enough to become a threat.
The door to his cell creaked open. The cold light from the hallway sliced through the darkness like a blade. A tall figure stepped inside, their presence almost suffocating.
"Subject 045," the voice was familiar, detached, and chilling. It belonged to Dr. Choi, the head scientist overseeing the project. "You've failed again. You are disappointing me."
Ha-jin didn't respond. He didn't need to. He had heard those words countless times, each one a reminder of the power they held over him. They had shaped him into something monstrous, something they could control—at least for now.
Dr. Choi stepped closer, his cold eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. "But perhaps you will redeem yourself. There is a new test."
Ha-jin's heart skipped a beat. A new test meant new pain. New humiliation. He had been through every experiment they could think of, and he had survived them all. But there was always more.
"Do you know what happens when a subject like you crosses a threshold?" Dr. Choi asked, his voice low, almost purring. "You will become more than just a weapon. You will become a god. The Specter Class is nearly ready, but it requires… sacrifices."
The words didn't register at first. Ha-jin's mind was foggy, the remnants of his previous experiments clouding his thoughts. The Specter Class. He had heard whispers of it—vague rumors spoken in hushed tones between scientists. The promise of unparalleled power, of becoming something more than human.
He knew what it meant. And it terrified him.
Dr. Choi crouched down in front of Ha-jin, his fingers brushing against Ha-jin's cheek as he lifted his head to meet his gaze. "This is your chance. Prove that you are worthy of the power we can offer. Prove that you are more than just a broken tool."
Ha-jin wanted to speak, to lash out, but the words wouldn't come. The shadows inside him stirred, just out of reach, a constant reminder of the darkness that had become his existence. He could feel the power building within him, a terrifying strength that had been growing since his first experiment. But it was nothing compared to what they were offering.
"You will undergo the procedure tonight," Dr. Choi continued, standing up and walking toward the door. "If you survive, you will become the ultimate weapon. If not… well, we will simply move on to the next experiment."
Ha-jin's mind raced. He had nothing left to lose. They had stripped him of his humanity, his dignity, his hope. But if they truly wanted to make him a god, he would use that power to destroy them.
The door slammed shut behind Dr. Choi, and Ha-jin was left in the suffocating silence. He could hear the faint hum of the machines, the low murmur of the scientists preparing for what was to come.
---
The procedure was agonizing.
Ha-jin's body trembled as the needles pierced his skin, injecting him with the new serum. His heart felt as if it were about to burst, his body wracked with pain as the shadows inside him surged to the surface. He could hear whispers in his mind—voices that weren't his own—telling him to embrace the darkness, to let it consume him.
He fought it.
With every ounce of strength, Ha-jin fought to maintain control, to keep the shadows from taking him over completely. The darkness clawed at him, its hunger insatiable. But he was determined. He would not become their puppet.
Hours passed, or maybe it was days—time no longer mattered. Ha-jin's world became a blur of pain and darkness. He could feel the power growing inside him, flooding his veins, suffocating him.
Finally, it stopped. The pain receded, leaving him numb, hollow. He opened his eyes, and the world seemed different—sharper, more vivid, as though the shadows themselves were alive. He could see the dark corners of the room, the outlines of figures that no one else could perceive. He could feel the presence of everything around him, the pulse of life itself.
And in the darkness, he saw them. The shadowy forms that hovered just beyond his reach. They were his—his creations, born from the depths of his soul. Spectral constructs, shaped from his rage, his pain, his memories.
He was no longer just a tool.
Ha-jin stood, his body trembling from the aftereffects of the procedure. His chains fell away, broken by the shadows that now obeyed his will. The power was overwhelming, intoxicating. But it was also dangerous.
He had to escape. He had to destroy them.
He stepped toward the door, his new abilities guiding him through the darkness. The guards would never see him coming.
But even as he moved, Ha-jin could feel the weight of his decision pressing down on him. He had embraced the darkness to gain power, but at what cost? What had he become?
The answer didn't matter. Not now.
He was a weapon. And weapons didn't ask questions.