I believe you already know what I have entrusted to you," the man in the suit said, his voice low and booming, reverberating through the air like the calm before a storm. "But that isn't why we are here."
Chase opened his mouth to respond, but before a single word escaped, the world exploded around him.
A bolt of lightning, massive and blinding, struck him.
The force ripped through his body, obliterating his clothes, scorching his flesh, and leaving him as little more than a charred husk. The pain was indescribable. His body spasmed uncontrollably as his flesh began to knit itself back together, but the regeneration was slow, agonizing.
Before he could take a breath, another bolt struck him.
And another.
The pain didn't stop. It devoured him, leaving no room for thought or comprehension. He tried to scream, but the sound was swallowed by the roar of the storm.
"Potential," the man said, his voice cutting through the thunder like a blade.
