June 1, 2025, deep in the southern border forest of Pemalang City
In the stillness of the forest, a piercing alarm shattered the silence. Emergency lights flickered, bathing the underground lab corridors in pulsating red. The sharp scent of chemicals mingled with the stench of dried blood, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
Behind a thick steel door, a tall man moved with the precision of a shadow, silent and efficient. With deft hands, he gained access to a large room filled with massive aquariums. Each tank bore a numbered code on its top, marking the cold, calculated experiments conducted here. Nearly all the tanks were dark, except for one.
Tank number 18 glowed faintly, revealing a frail teenage boy connected to countless tubes snaking across his body. His pale face lay still until his eyes suddenly snapped open. Confusion flickered in his gaze as he took in the scene. But what he saw was far stranger than his own reflection—it was someone else, a figure with his face staring back at him.
The man drained the aquarium and opened its heavy glass door, freeing the boy from his watery prison. "Izzan," he said, placing a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "There's no time to explain. Put these on." He handed him a jacket and a pair of pants.
Shaking slightly, Izzan dressed quickly, his mind racing. His eyes were full of curiosity, but beneath them burned something darker: a seething fury.
"Use your power to destroy this place," the man instructed as he prepared to leave. "Meet me at the football field in your village tomorrow. I'll explain everything then."
Izzan's lips curved into a grin—a grin filled with malice. "Of course," he whispered, his voice low and cold, "it's time to pay them back for what they did to me."
As the man disappeared into the shadows of the corridor, Izzan began to move. Flames flickered to life in his hands, burning bright and hot, their orange glow lighting his path. With each step, he torched the walls, the equipment, and every remnant of the nightmare this lab represented.
Screams echoed in his wake. Guards and workers scrambled for their lives, but none could escape Izzan's wrath. The fire consumed everything, leaving behind only ash and charred remnants. Each cry of agony seemed to fuel the grim smile on his face.
Freedom, however, was not easily won. As he reached the upper level, dozens of armed guards awaited him, their weapons trained on his every move.
"This is the end for you, kid," one guard sneered, smirking.
Izzan raised his hands in mock surrender and lay flat on the floor, seemingly defeated. A guard approached, cuffs in hand. But as soon as the man got close, Izzan sprang into action. Grabbing the guard's face, he unleashed a surge of flames. The man's screams quickly faded as his body disintegrated into ash.
"You can't cage me," Izzan growled under his breath.
Panic erupted among the remaining guards. Bullets flew, but Izzan was faster. He unleashed a massive blast of fire, engulfing the room in an inferno. The guards' cries filled the air as the flames devoured them, leaving behind only the acrid stench of burnt flesh and silence.
When the chaos subsided, Izzan surveyed the smoldering ruins. There was no guilt, no hesitation—only the certainty that he was no longer human.
With steady steps, he left the lab behind. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he gazed at the night sky, breathing in the fresh air of freedom. A faint smile played on his lips as he followed the forest trail toward civilization.