Clyde's body ached as he limped behind the mysterious woman, his mind clouded with exhaustion and curiosity. They walked through the empty streets in silence until they reached an old, abandoned building on the outskirts of town. The woman pushed open the rusted door, revealing a dimly lit space filled with books, weapons, and strange vials of glowing liquid.
"Sit," she commanded, pointing at a worn-out chair in the center of the room.
Clyde obeyed without question. He watched as she gracefully removed her coat, revealing a sleek, form-fitting outfit that only reinforced the aura of danger surrounding her. She grabbed a vial filled with a dark, viscous substance and held it up to the light.
"Drink this," she said, offering it to him.
Clyde hesitated. "What is it?"
"The beginning of your transformation. You said you wanted power. This is the first step."
He stared at the vial, doubt creeping into his mind. Was this a trap? A test? But then he remembered the pain, the humiliation, the years of being weak and helpless. He clenched his jaw and took the vial, downing its contents in one gulp.
The taste was bitter, burning his throat as it went down. Within seconds, his body convulsed, his muscles tensing as an unbearable heat surged through his veins. Clyde gasped, gripping the chair as pain wracked his entire body.
The woman watched with an amused expression. "Painful, isn't it? But that's the price of power."
His vision blurred, darkness creeping at the edges. The last thing he saw before passing out was her smirk and the glow of her emerald eyes.
When Clyde woke up, everything had changed.