Niel was sitting on the edge of his bed in the small room assigned to him within the Umbra Division facilities. The dim light from the ceiling cast shadows on the bare walls, but he paid no attention to his surroundings. His mind was busy processing what had happened in Kango. The evolved aberrations kept appearing in his thoughts, but not as mere hostile creatures. For Niel, they were a challenge, an opportunity to prove himself, to demonstrate that he could overcome any obstacle with his strength and determination.
The door opened without warning, and Marcus entered, his gaze betraying something more than simple curiosity. As the leader of Fenrir Team and someone deeply loyal to Umbra Division, he always tried to remain calm in front of his teammates, but this time it was clear that something was troubling him.
"How are you?" Marcus asked, leaning against the wall next to the door.
Niel didn't respond immediately. He simply looked at him with indifference, his blue eyes as cold as ever, without a trace of emotion on his face.
"You don't need to ask if I'm physically fine," he finally replied, his voice as flat as the edge of a blade. "What happened in Kango is already behind me. It was just another battle, another test of my skill."
Marcus nodded slowly, though he knew Niel wasn't being entirely honest. There was something different about him since they had returned. Something that went beyond his usual coldness.
"The leaders of Umbra Division want to see you," Marcus said after a few seconds of silence. "They're organizing a full evaluation in the underground facilities. You should go now. They know you faced something unique in Kango, something that could be key to understanding the aberrations better."
Niel stood up slowly, adjusting the belt where he carried his dagger. He didn't say a word as he walked toward the door, passing by Marcus without giving him a second glance.
"Remember, Umbra Division is here to help us," Marcus added before he left. "Trust them. They're doing everything they can to protect us and advance our fight against these creatures."
Niel didn't respond. To him, Umbra Division was nothing more than another means to achieve his goal: to eliminate the aberrations, one by one, until none remained. He enjoyed the hunt, the adrenaline of facing creatures that others feared. Every blow, every death, was a personal victory, a form of vengeance for everything he had lost.
He was escorted by a group of security agents into the depths of Umbra Division. The hallways were narrow and cold, illuminated by fluorescent lights that flickered occasionally. The air smelled of metal and chemicals, a constant reminder that this place was not designed to be welcoming.
Finally, they arrived at a white, sterile room where a team of scientists was waiting for him. In the center of the group stood two familiar figures: Dr. Elias Vermier and Dr. Harlan Greaves. Both men were tall and thin, but while Elias radiated a mix of fascination and urgency, Harlan had a more calculating expression, as if he already knew exactly what to expect from Niel.
"Welcome, Niel," said Dr. Vermier, his voice calm but charged with intention. "We know you faced something extraordinary in Kango. Something that… aligns with the data we've been analyzing since the incidents at K-17."
Harlan interrupted, adjusting his glasses with a precise gesture.
"The aberrations you encountered in Kango are not unknown to us. We've studied their genetic structures and behaviors for years, thanks to the remains recovered from K-17. However, what we detected in you is something completely new. Your Threshold Energy is showing fluctuations we've never recorded before."
Niel narrowed his eyes, recalling the sharp pain he had felt when one of the creatures locked its floating eyes onto him. But he also remembered the excitement he had felt while facing them, the almost visceral pleasure of seeing his attacks tear through the aberrations' scales. It was as if something inside him enjoyed the violence, the hunt, the elimination of those creatures.
"I don't care what you need," he finally responded, his tone flat but with a flicker of emotion in his words. "I did my job. Now let me go."
Dr. Vermier smiled faintly, as if he had anticipated that response.
"I'm afraid that's not possible, Niel. Whatever happened in Kango has changed something in you. And until we understand what it is, you're too valuable to be released."
Before Niel could reply, two guards approached to guide him toward an adjacent testing chamber. He didn't resist. He knew it made no sense to fight them here, not when he was surrounded by technology and personnel trained to neutralize him if he tried anything.
The testing chamber was a circular room, illuminated by bluish LED lights that gave the place an almost alien appearance. Niel was connected to a series of electrodes and sensors monitoring his brain, heart, and muscle activity. In the center of the room, a holographic simulation began to materialize slowly. It was a perfect replica of one of the evolved aberrations he had faced in Kango: a body covered in iridescent black scales, long and sharp claws, and a mass of floating eyes glowing with a sickly light.
"What the hell are you doing?" Niel asked, his voice tense as he watched the holographic creature come to life in front of him.
"We're recreating the conditions of your encounter in Kango," explained Dr. Harlan from behind a reinforced glass panel. "We want to see how you react to the presence of these creatures again. But this time, we'll control every variable."
Niel clenched his fists, feeling his Threshold Energy begin to flow involuntarily. The simulation moved toward him with the same inhuman speed as the real aberrations. It extended a claw toward him, and although he knew it wasn't real, Niel felt a shiver run down his spine. But that shiver wasn't from fear. It was from anticipation, from excitement.
Suddenly, the pain returned. It was as if someone had flipped a switch inside his mind. Fragmented images of Kango flooded his consciousness: the screams of his teammates, the metallic smell of blood, the viscous gleam of the aberrations' scales. But this time, he also saw something more.
A vast darkness enveloped him, as if he were being pulled into an endless abyss. In that void, he made out blurry figures: creatures similar to the aberrations, but larger, more complex, watching him from the shadows. A distorted voice echoed in his mind, deep and resonant:
"You are one of us now."
Niel fell to his knees, gasping as he tried to regain control. But instead of feeling fear, he felt a surge of adrenaline. It was as if the voice were calling to him, inviting him to join them. His hands trembled, not from weakness, but from anticipation. He wanted to face them again, to kill them, one by one, until none remained.
The scientists observed closely, recording every fluctuation in his vital signs.
"Stop him!" shouted one of the technicians, pointing at the readings on the screens. "His Threshold Energy is overflowing!"
But Dr. Vermier raised a hand, halting any action.
"No. Let him continue. This is exactly what we wanted to see."
After several hours of testing, the scientists gathered the collected data. What they found left them stunned. A genetic analysis revealed that Niel's DNA contained traces of an unknown structure, similar to the genetic composition of the aberrations they had obtained years ago from the remains of Installation K-17.
"It's impossible," murmured Dr. Harlan, reviewing the results over and over. "His body is fusing with something external. It's as if the aberrations left a mark on him, something that's altering his biology at a fundamental level."
Niel listened to all of this from the chair where they had forced him to sit. His eyes were closed, but his mind continued processing the visions he had experienced during the simulation. For the first time in a long while, he felt something beyond indifference. It was a mix of excitement and satisfaction, as if he knew he was destined for something greater.
"What am I?" he thought to himself, his hands trembling slightly. "Am I still human?"
He had always known he was different. Ever since he developed his ability as a Resonant, he had felt a unique connection to Threshold Energy. But now, after facing the aberrations, that connection seemed to have deepened in ways he couldn't comprehend.
"This changes everything," said Dr. Vermier, addressing his team. "If we can replicate this process, we might be able to create even more powerful Resonants. Perhaps we'll even manage to control the aberrations completely."
Niel opened his eyes, looking at the scientist with a mix of disdain and curiosity.
"And what happens if you can't control it?" he asked, his voice low but charged with warning. "What happens if I'm just the beginning?"
Dr. Harlan interjected, his tone colder and more calculated.
"Then we'll have to take drastic measures. But for now, you're our only chance to understand what's happening."
As the scientists discussed the results in an adjacent room, Niel remained seated in silence, his thoughts spiraling. Suddenly, the distorted voice echoed in his mind again, clearer than ever:
"The barrier will fall soon. And you will be our bridge."
His eyes snapped open, now completely blue and glowing like electric lights. He felt his Threshold Energy overflow involuntarily, spreading throughout the room. The lights flickered and then went out completely, plunging the place into total darkness.
The scientists backed away in fear, some shouting orders as they tried to restore the system. But Niel remained motionless, staring into the darkness as if he could see something no one else could perceive.
In that moment, he knew that something inside him had changed forever. And perhaps, just perhaps, he no longer fully belonged to this world. But he didn't feel fear. He felt excitement. He knew the aberrations would return, and when they did, he would be ready to face them, to destroy them, one by one, until none remained.