Damian knew he couldn't ignore the truth any longer. Something inside him had changed, something fundamental. The tests he had conducted only confirmed what he had suspected, he wasn't normal anymore. But what did that mean? And more importantly, how far did these changes go?
Sitting in his dimly lit bedroom, Damian stared at his hand, turning it over as if expecting to see something different, something alien. The knife test had shaken him. His skin had healed in seconds. That wasn't just abnormal, it was impossible. No human body could do that.
He clenched his fist. He needed more answers.
The next morning, Damian set out with a plan. If he wanted to understand what was happening to him, he needed to push himself further. Testing in a controlled environment wasn't enough, he needed to see how he reacted in real-world situations.
His first stop was the old, abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. It was here but he had met with that mysterious woman, but ever since then, she had never appeared again. Regardless, this place would now serve as his training ground.
Stepping inside, he took a deep breath. Dust hung in the air, and broken wooden crates littered the floor. Perfect. He stretched his arms and cracked his neck before starting with a simple exercise.
Speed.
He took a deep breath, focused on a distant point across the warehouse, and ran. The world blurred around him. His movements felt natural, fluid, almost effortless. He reached the other side in the blink of an eye.
Damian stopped abruptly, heart pounding. He turned back and saw the faint outline of his footprints in the dust, marking the impossible distance he had just crossed. A rush of exhilaration ran through him. He had expected speed, but this? This was something else entirely.
Pushing himself further, he experimented with dodging imaginary attacks, weaving between obstacles, and scaling the warehouse walls with cat-like agility. Every motion felt precise, instinctive. It was as if his body already knew what to do, like muscle memory he had never developed.
Then came the strength test.
Spotting a heavy steel beam lying on the ground, Damian crouched beside it and gripped the cold metal. He braced himself, expecting resistance. Instead, the beam lifted easily, almost too easily. He hoisted it above his head, testing the weight, before setting it down gently. He knew he had always been in decent shape, but this was on an entirely different level.
Damian exhaled. "What the hell am I becoming?"
This was a question that he had been asking himself for over 2 weeks now, but until now, he had not yet managed to find an answer. Where was he supposed to get the answers? Who was he supposed to ask?
His tests continued throughout the day. He discovered that his reflexes were unnaturally sharp, he could snatch a falling object before it hit the ground, predict movements before they happened. His endurance was equally frightening, after hours of intense physical exertion, he wasn't even winded.
But there was one more thing he needed to test.
Pain.
Walking over to a rusted nail sticking out of a wooden crate, he hesitated. He needed to know how much damage he could take. With a deep breath, he pressed his finger against the sharp point. A slight sting, followed by a drop of blood. Then, within seconds, the wound sealed itself, the pain vanishing as if it had never existed.
He flexed his fingers, staring in disbelief. "This isn't normal."
A sudden noise snapped him out of his thoughts. The sound of footsteps echoing through the warehouse.
Damian tensed, his senses sharpening instantly. He wasn't alone.
Staying perfectly still, he listened. The footsteps were deliberate, unhurried. Someone was walking through the building, searching. For what? For him?
Damian crouched behind a stack of wooden crates, peeking through a gap. A tall figure in a dark coat moved carefully through the warehouse, eyes scanning the area. Whoever this was, they weren't just wandering around. They were hunting.
His heartbeat remained steady, another oddity he had noticed recently. He felt no fear, only a calm readiness.
The figure stopped in the center of the warehouse, glancing around. Then, in a deep, measured voice, they spoke. "I know you're here."
Damian clenched his fists. Whoever this was, they weren't ordinary either.
Stepping out from his hiding spot, he made no effort to disguise his presence. "Who are you?"
The stranger turned to face him. In the dim light, Damian could make out sharp, angular features and piercing eyes that seemed to see right through him. "I could ask you the same thing," the man said, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Damian remained silent, watching.
The man took a step forward. "You're changing, aren't you? The strength, the speed, the healing... You've noticed it."
Damian narrowed his eyes. "How do you know that?"
The stranger's smirk widened. "Because you're not as unique as you think."
A chill ran down Damian's spine. "Explain."
The man tilted his head, as if considering how much to say. "You're evolving. Whether you realize it or not, you've stepped onto a path few ever walk. And once you take that first step, there's no going back."
Damian's mind raced. "What am I becoming?"
The man's expression turned serious. "That depends. Some call it a gift. Others, a curse." He paused. "But I'll tell you this... you're not alone."
The words sent a jolt through Damian. Not alone? Were there others like him?
The man glanced toward the warehouse entrance. "If you want answers, seek them. But be warned, there are those who would rather you remain ignorant. The more you learn, the more dangerous things will become."
With that, the stranger turned, walking toward the exit.
Damian called out. "Wait."
The man paused but didn't turn around.
"Who are you?" Damian asked.
A moment of silence stretched between them before the man finally responded. "Someone who was once like you."
And then he was gone, vanishing into the shadows.
Damian stood in the empty warehouse, his mind a storm of questions. Who was that man? How did he know so much? And more importantly... what exactly had Damian become?
He clenched his fists, determination settling over him. He wasn't going to sit around and wait for answers to come to him. If there were others like him, if there were people who knew the truth, then he would find them.
No matter what it took.
Because one thing was certain, this was only the beginning.
And he was ready to take the next step.
….
Damian couldn't shake the encounter at the warehouse from his mind. The stranger's words lingered, fueling an unsettling sense of urgency. He wasn't alone. There were others like him. But who were they? And what did it mean for him?
Determined to uncover the truth, he began digging. His first step was research, anything that could explain what was happening to him. Science had no real answers. Enhanced strength, rapid healing, heightened reflexes, none of it fit into normal human biology. If there were records of others like him, they weren't easy to find.
Damian wasn't used to dead ends. His life had always been straightforward, logic, reason, and careful calculations. Now, he was dealing with something beyond his understanding. He needed something more tangible. And that meant finding the stranger again.
His only lead was the warehouse. If the man had found him there once, maybe he would return. Damian waited, blending into the shadows of the abandoned building night after night. But the stranger never came.
Then, one evening, something changed.
Damian sensed it before he saw it, the faintest shift in the air, the presence of something or someone nearby. He remained still, listening. Footsteps, light and deliberate, echoed through the vast space. Not the same as before. These were different, quicker, less patient.
He tensed. Whoever was here now wasn't just watching. They were actively seeking.
Damian moved silently, pressing himself against a pillar, waiting. A figure emerged from the darkness, sleek and agile, moving with practiced ease. Unlike the previous stranger, this one wasn't here for a conversation.
A test, Damian realized. They wanted to see what he could do.
The moment the intruder lunged, Damian reacted. His instincts took over, faster than thought. He dodged, twisting out of the way with unnatural speed. The attacker adjusted mid-air, landing lightly before striking again. A flurry of precise, calculated movements followed, a deadly dance in the dim light.
Damian countered effortlessly. He could see their attacks before they landed, feel their movements before they happened. His body responded without hesitation, matching their skill. The realization sent a thrill through him, he wasn't just keeping up. He was winning.
The attacker disengaged, stepping back. A woman, Damian noticed now. Her face was partially obscured by a mask, but her sharp eyes studied him with quiet intensity. She wasn't surprised. She had expected this.
"You're quick," she said finally, her voice smooth but unreadable.
Damian didn't lower his guard. "Who are you?"
She tilted her head. "Someone making sure you're worth the trouble."
His patience was wearing thin. "And?"
She smiled faintly. "You'll do."
Before he could respond, she turned and disappeared into the darkness as swiftly as she had come. No explanation, no further words. Just another mystery left in her wake.
Damian exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm. This was no coincidence. The stranger at the warehouse, this new visitor, they were connected. And he was now part of something much bigger than himself.
He had a choice: step back into the unknown, return to his normal life, and pretend none of this was happening.
Or step forward and embrace whatever lay ahead.
The decision wasn't difficult.
Damian had never been one to run from a challenge.
And he wasn't about to start now.