Finally, the day came," I thought, staring at the holographic calendar. This day was special for every teenager because today, we'd receive our bloodline serum.
I had been abandoned at a young age because of my "trash-tier" talent. In this world, everyone had a talent, ranked from common to legendary. My talent was common. My parents, both born with rare-tier abilities, couldn't accept that. They didn't want to lose face in front of their peers, so they abandoned me. I wasn't even worth a second glance.
I was unlucky, sure, but I was still alive, and that meant something.
Being the fifth-born in a family where everyone had some kind of remarkable gift—except me—meant endless torment. "Well, it's good that they tossed me out. It was a hellhole of a family. F**k them."
After being thrown out, no one came to my rescue except me. I started to steal food from street vendors. Many times I was beaten and bruised, yet I had to continue because no one was going to take care of my sorry a*s.
I grew up way too fast for someone my age. The streets taught me everything I needed to survive—how to move quietly, stay out of sight, and hide the fear in my eyes.
Now I was used to it, the loneliness and hunger were my best friends. But it could all change now. I'd heard many rumors about people getting lucky during awakening. The serum could change it, could change my life.
This constant reminder was what kept me living my life. After all, who wouldn't be broken after being tossed out for "not having a good talent"? I didn't ask them to bring me into this world. They were supposed to take care of me, but all I learned was how cruel it could be.
The merchants captured me and sold me to pitiful savage animals who took me for a plaything. Haha, I hope the same fate befalls them.
I only kept living for this day—the day that could change everything, that could change my life overnight. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared of getting a bad bloodline.
But the rational side of me always told me I would get the same weak power. Still, a small part of me held on to the hope that this would be my chance.
Now I was an expert at surviving, similar to a cockroach. After all, I had run away from the man who bought me as a slave. It was harsh, way too harsh for anyone, but I succeeded because the small part of me kept going.
The day had arrived, and I stood in line with a crowd of other kids, their parents hooting for them, all nervously chatting or glancing around at the large stadium, trying to mask their fear. I could feel it in the air—the tension—and I believe that others could feel it too. Everyone was waiting for their turn. The process was painful, but it was the only way for weak humans to survive in a world ruled by the Djins, the alien invaders who had changed everything.
The Djins. They came after they wiped out the resistance, an advanced alien species that had turned us into nothing more than tools for their amusement. They played gods with our lives. We fought back once, but we lost. And we were forced into submission.
After that, many aliens came to Earth and changed it in countless ways.
"Rex, step up," the technician instructed. My name was called. My heart was pounding rapidly in my chest. I approached the technician. He gave me a long, assessing look before tapping on the console. A vial of shimmering, neon-blue liquid appeared, and I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sight. A feeling of anticipation rushed through me. This was it. The moment I'd been waiting for.
"Extend your arm, kid," he said. Bracing myself for the upcoming moment, I extended my arm. The needle then slid into my skin, cold and sharp, and I barely flinched. This was nothing compared to what I'd been through before.
For a second, nothing much happened. But then it hit me—the rush, the heat, the pain. It was terrorizing. Painful, a lot painful. My body tweaked, the power surged into my body through my veins.
I clenched my teeth, trying to hold it together as the serum changed my body. The pain was like a hot rod stabbing every nerve in my body. It wasn't like anything anyone had experienced before.
"What's happening?" the technician shouted at one of his subordinates, clearly asking why I was feeling this much pain.
"This isn't normal, sir. He isn't supposed to feel this much pain. Sir, let me run some tests," someone said. But I couldn't hear them over the excruciating pain, heart-wrenching and all-consuming.
"Sir, it seems his very essence is being rewritten," one of the subordinates said.
"It's Code Black," the technician shouted. He clearly understood what was happening after hearing the subordinate's report.
"Close all the gates!" the technician commanded.
My vision blurred, then sharpened. I felt my muscles stretch, my bones creak and groan as if they were being rebuilt. My breath hitched in my throat. It was difficult for me to breathe.
The pain... it was beyond anything I had ever known. It felt like my body was being forged in fire. My breath hitched, and it became harder to breathe.
"Boy... you can do it..." The technician's voice was frantic, but it was the only thing I could focus on. "Just a bit more, stay with it, stay with me... You're about to emerge as something new!"
But it was too much. The pain, the pressure... it was unbearable. Blood dripped from my mouth, and I could feel my consciousness slipping.
"No... no, I can't..." I gasped, the pain jolting through me again, fiercer than before. I could feel myself losing grip on reality.
The world grew louder, then silent.
Everything went still.
I tried to open my bloodshot eyes, but I couldn't. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe... I gave up.