"Bring in the next specimen."
A man in a pristine lab coat spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. He had a neatly trimmed gray beard, sharp black-framed spectacles with thick lenses and thin rims perched on his nose. Beneath the lab coat, which ended just at his knees, he wore a white turtleneck and crisp black trousers, exuding an air of meticulous precision.
From his elevated position in the laboratory, he looked down at the specimen—a lifeless figure submerged in a thick, blue, viscous liquid. Runes, meticulously inscribed in a wide magic circle at the base of the tube.
The laboratory was a vast, sprawling chamber filled with interconnected tubes stretching across the ceiling like an elaborate spiderweb. These tubes linked to several other containment units, all brimming with similar fluids. However, what made them different were the enormous, pulsating crystals suspended within each, glowing with an otherworldly radiance.
Inside the primary containment tube, the subject's eyes were wide open—too wide, almost unnaturally so. Panic and confusion were frozen on his expression, but his body remained rigid, held in place by metallic cuffs extending from a mechanical device embedded in the chair he was forced to sit on. The restraints glowed faintly, a clear indication of some form of energy suppression.
"Deactivating mana radiation," announced one of the operators seated in the control room above.
Unlike the main chamber, the control room was an enclosed, sterile space positioned far to the back, directly facing the primary containment unit. Suspended above the laboratory floor, it was designed for optimal surveillance, its occupants able to monitor every experiment conducted below. The room was fortified with reinforced glass, a precautionary measure in case of unforeseen incidents.
Several heavily armed personnel stood stationed within the main chamber. Clad entirely in black tactical suits, their faces were obscured by menacing gas masks with long, flexible tubes extending from the back. Each carried a weapon—guns connected to small cylindrical canisters affixed to their gear, likely containing some form of suppressant or tranquilizer.
A metallic lever was pulled down with a heavy clang. Immediately, the crystalline tubes connected to the main containment chamber were severed.
"ATR disengaged," another technician confirmed as he flipped another switch.
A loud hissing noise filled the air as the blue liquid began to drain from the tube. The once-submerged young man remained limp, his body weakened from prolonged exposure to whatever substance had kept him restrained.
"ZZZZZZZZZZ!"
A thick metal door to the left slid open with a mechanical whirr. Two men stepped through, dragging a young boy between them. His small frame suggested he was barely in his teens.
Two guards stationed at the room's far corners approached the main containment unit. One of them swiftly entered a sequence into the digital lock. With a sharp beep, the transparent tube lifted, and the metal restraints released their grip. The restrained man slumped forward, but before he could fall, the two guards grabbed him by the arms and hauled him out.
"Where to, sir?" one of the guards asked, adjusting his grip on the weakened man.
The scientist barely spared a glance. "Toss him into the void with the others," he replied, his tone as frigid as ever.
Without hesitation, the guards dragged the unconscious man across the chamber toward what appeared to be a dead-end. However, as they reached the wall, a hidden door slid open, revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond. Without pause, they disappeared into the shadows, their burden in tow.
Meanwhile, the remaining guards led the young boy toward the containment unit.
Once inside, he was forced onto the metallic seat. The moment the guards stepped out and secured the lock, mechanical restraints shot out from the chair's base, coiling around his wrists, ankles, and neck.
Another series of keystrokes activated the mechanism.
The tube began its slow descent, submerging its new occupant.
"Initiate process: Awaken."
The man's voice was calm, almost indifferent, as he reached into the right pocket of his long coat and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. With practiced ease, he pulled out a single stick, tucking it between his lips. Sliding the pack back into his pocket, he exhaled slowly as the cigarette's tip pulsed—first blue, then red—as he took a deep drag.
Puff.
"Activating Mana Radiation."
A heavy lever was pulled, its metallic groan echoing through the sterile chamber. A hum filled the air as connections to the tubes lining the walls re-established themselves, glowing faintly as power surged through them.
"ATR engaged."
The lever was pulled again. This time, a viscous, luminescent blue liquid gurgled into the central containment tube.
"Begin."
And then—
Bubble.
The boy's eyes snapped open. A silent scream tore through his lungs as bubbles streamed from his mouth, rising violently to the surface of the liquid encasing him.
Then—
Prick.
Thousands of microscopic needles emerged from the metallic chair to which he was strapped, piercing his flesh in unison. Eight tubes—each connected to a pulsing, glowing stone—fed energy directly into his veins. His body convulsed. Veins bulged beneath his skin, dark and pronounced, as the raw, unfiltered mana flooded into him.
And then—
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The sound was drowned by the liquid, but the agony in his eyes was unmistakable. His body trembled, his muscles spasming uncontrollably as an unnatural aura oozed from him.
"Sir…"
"What is it?"
"The boy… his mana core," a young technician stammered, staring at the fluctuating readings on his screen.
The man froze. Then, without hesitation, he shoved the technician aside, his eyes narrowing as he took in the data.
Then, a grin. Wide. Almost manic.
"Finally… After so many countless failures, I have struck gold!"
The synergy of the boy's core was unlike anything he had ever seen—it wasn't just stabilizing; it was evolving. Growing. Strengthening at an exponential rate.
"My god…" he whispered, his breath hitching as he watched the core ascend to new levels, far beyond what should have been possible.
"Increase the radiation," he ordered.
"By how much?" another technician asked hesitantly.
"Fifty percent… no, take it all the way."
A heavy switch was twisted to its maximum setting.
Crack.
"Sir, at this level of exposure, his body won't—"
"SHUT UP!" He roared.
Then—
VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
A high-pitched whine filled the room.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The chamber exploded. Shards of glass and metal flew in every direction as the eight stones—once stable—shattered into oblivion.
The lab was left in stunned silence.
"W-What just happened?" he demanded.
Silence.
Then—
"…Sir… the process… it failed."
A moment of stillness.
A sigh.
"Trash. Again." His voice was cold, detached. "Get him out of there. Toss him into the void."
But—
"Hold it."
The command came from the entrance.
The man turned sharply as the doors of the elevator slid open, revealing a figure stepping into the control chamber.
"Commander Norvila," he greeted, his voice laced with suspicion. "What are you doing here?"
The commander's gaze was unreadable as he took a step forward.
"I have orders from the Council, Maxwell."
Maxwell's brow furrowed. "What orders?"
"You are no longer permitted to discard them into the void."
A pause.
"…I don't understand."
"We've re-established contact with Alpha-2."
A pause.
"They were all wiped out on the 30th floor."
Maxwell's eyes widened. "What?!"
"The Council has decided," Norvila continued, his voice unwavering. "From this moment forward, all specimens are to be transferred to Elysium."