"This is hell."
As far back as his fragmented memories stretched, seven-year-old Xavrix couldn't recall a time when he'd simply sat still, played, or been allowed the luxury of just being a child.
Today was no different.
Another endless cycle of tests. needles piercing his flesh, blood drawn, and data logged with clinical detachment. He hated it no less than before, but even he had to admit—it was one of the milder ordeals.
The worst always came next, And he would be right.
Stripped to his shorts, he would be marched into the combat ring, where they'd pit him against the other children held captive in the facility. There was only one rule: don't stop until the screams cease. Broken limbs, mangled bodies, vacant stares—it was routine.
Like a holy Sermon, always continuous and consistent it wouldn't be the end of his day. It never was.
He would be thrown into the third phase, facing wild, ravenous beasts, each more ferocious, more starved than the last. Their teeth and claws tore at him, seeking his life. And yet... each time, he survived.
Today was no exception.
Battered, bruised, and bleeding, Xavrix stood, victories meant little. Mystery was a lifestyle and Pain his only companion, exhaustion an inescapable foe. Eventually, it claimed him, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
_______________
When he woke up, he was greeted by the familiar sting of the green fluid surrounded him. Submerged in the viscous liquid, his wounds were healed—physically, at least. Yet the scars inside his mind were left untouched, raw and unrelenting. He floated in silence, stilling his thoughts, waiting for what he knew was coming. There was always more. It never ended, always more, more --more --more.
And then, through the murky fluid, a new face appeared.
This one wasn't like the others. The man had a gaunt, almost skeletal frame, his crooked posture betraying years of self-abuse and neglect. However it was his expression that caught Xavrix's attention—hunger, what he saw was hunger as if consumed by a fire that wouldn't be sated.
'What do we have here' Xavrix thought, his dulled amber eyes narrowing as he observed the stranger's lips move through the glass.
"This is… quite the bold claim, wouldn't you agree, Professor?" the taller scientist—Hallowe—said, his cold voice betraying nothing. He stood rigid, his gaze flicking between the hunched man and the test tube holding Xavrix.
"I-I—I understand your skepticism, Hallowe, b-but the results speak for themselves!" the hunched man stammered, his words tumbling out in a fervent rush. He scratched at his neck, nails scraping red welts against his pale skin. "It's worth the leap—no, it's necessary, compulsory even!"
Hallowe's lip curled ever so slightly, his distaste well-masked but present. "Necessary, you say? You understand the consequences of failure, don't you?"
The hunched professor let out a deranged chuckle, his saliva glinting under the harsh fluorescent light. "Failure? Oh, Hallowe… failure is the first step to divinity!"
Xavrix sighed inwardly. Another lunatic. Just what this cursed place needed. He knocked twice against the glass, signaling that he was conscious and ready to be released.
Hallowe turned toward the terminal, his movements calculated and precise as he pressed a button. The glass tube opened with a hiss, spilling the green liquid across the metal floor. It gurgled as it drained into the grated floor below.
Xavrix stepped out, his small frame dripping with the viscous substance. He yanked out the wires embedded in his skin, his expression unchanging.
"Ah, Ah- Ahhhhh, magnificent…" the hunched professor whispered, his eyes devouring every detail of the boy. He moved closer, his gaze so intense it felt like a touch. "You're perfect. Just as I envisioned."
"Keep your fantasies to yourself, Professor," Hallowe said icily, his sharp tone cutting through the other man's mania. He gestured toward Xavrix. "Follow. Routine tests first."
Xavrix obeyed silently, his indifference masking any spark of curiosity about the exchange.
____________
As the minutes blurred by after multiple more tests, Xavrix found himself strapped face down to a cold steel table. His wrists and ankles were bound, the restraints pressing into his skin. He gazed through the one-way glass, noting the presence of all the facility's senior staff.
'This is new.'
The usual indifference didn't crack, but unease slowly crept in. Anything that brought this much attention could only mean more suffering. More pain, more misery. 'how distasteful '
Machines descended from the ceiling, their thin, needle-like appendages glinting under the sterile light. Containers of black and purple ink swayed as the apparatus whirred to life.
'A tattoo?' Xavrix thought, watching the sharp tips approach his back. He already had a number etched into his neck—"001." It served as his identity here, but this… this felt different.
Pain lanced through him as the needles pierced his flesh, carving intricate designs into his skin. Compared to the claws of starved beasts or the blades of his fellow captives, this was manageable.
Behind the glass, Hallowe turned to the hunched professor. "This spectacle of yours—how does it advance our research?"
The professor smiled, his chapped lips stretching too wide. "Oh, Hallowe… you ask the wrong questions." His voice was low, reverent, as though delivering a sermon. "This... This is no longer about research. This is about legacy. When this is complete, we will have created something eternal. Something that will ouclass us all."
Hallowe's cold eyes didn't waver. "Cryptic drivel won't suffice professor... Explain!."
The hunched man's grin faltered for a moment, his gaze flicking to Xavrix. "In time, you'll understand. But for now…" He clasped his hands, his excitement barely contained. "Trust that this boy will become our salvation—and our curse."
The needles finally retreated, leaving Xavrix lying face down, his back burning from the fresh markings. The professors entered, unstrapping him as Hallowe continued his interrogation.
"Is that all you have to offer?" Hallowe asked, his voice sharp. "Words?"
The hunched professor chuckled again, his gaze fixed on Xavrix. "You'll see, Hallowe. Watch, eyes peeled. Soon enough, we'll all see." he replied ripping of more flesh from his neck with every scratch.
Xavrix stood, his expression unreadable. Whatever they planned, seemed pointless.
'well that wasn't so ba…. Huh!'
Xavrix stumbled, his body lurching as a sudden wave of nausea consumed him. His vision blurred, the room tilting at unnatural angles. 'What's… happening?'
His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the cold floor. The sharp voices of the professors became muffled, drowned by the roaring pulse in his ears. Before darkness consumed him, he felt rough hands gripping his arms, lifting his limp body.
"Get him to the infirmary!" one of them barked. As the others scurried around, this specimen was their most perfect piece. Losing it was unacceptable.
However, the next moment was — chaos.
The unconscious Xavrix's hand shot up, moving with unnatural speed, and sank into the throat of the professor carrying him. Blood sprayed as the man choked on a scream, collapsing in a gurgling heap. As the limp Xavrix slammed against the metal floor.
Gasps of horror echoed around the room, as Xavrix slowly stood unnaturally, his hands still limp as his legs pulled his entire body up, he resembled a broken marionette and sadly it seemed he wasn't done. His body moved as if possessed—silent, efficient, and merciless. Another professor fell, their skull crushed. Then another, their chest torn open.
The lab erupted into chaos. Scientists scrambled, screams mingling with the deafening roar of gunfire as security poured in. Hallowe backed toward the exit, his expression grim as he barked orders into a communicator.
"Contain him. Now!" he turned but couldn't find the hunch backed professor, making a mental note to detain him as well, whatever he had done seemed to have triggered something in specimen 001. He hoped for a swift containment.
But the screams told him containment was a fleeting dream. Xavrix had become something far beyond their control. And now he was on a mission, a mission for slaughter…
And those screams would continue for a very long, long while. Until everything went silent.