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The cold metal of the operating table pressed against Kael's back.
A silver restraint around his neck pulsed with faint blue-white sparks, sending waves of paralysis through his body.
At his side, a young lab assistant scribbled notes with a steel pen, carefully recording every detail.
"Begin the procedure."
The assistant glanced at Kael, then gave a small nod to the researchers in white coats.
This wasn't their first trial. They had already succeeded once before making them even bolder this time.
The preparation phase moved swiftly.
Clang.
A heavy glass container was set down. Inside sloshed a thick, dark-green fluid. Floating at its center was a crimson sphere the size of a clenched fist.
From its surface seeped a haze of black mist, dissolving into the liquid. It resembled an enormous eye its blood-red pupil glowing faintly, veins like pale marble spreading across its sclera. Malicious energy pulsed from within.
The assistant's breath caught, his face tense. He turned the page on his report and jotted:
[Specimen: Blood-Eye Curse Relic]
[Origin: The cursed eye of a Trevenant, harvested upon death. It's three centuries of Ghost-type energy fused with lingering malice, forming this condensed core.]
[Containment: Stored in 75% Fochs solution, kept out of sunlight.]
[Hazards: Prolonged eye contact leads to curse contamination. Highly corrosive surfaces, do not touch directly.]
With a sharp twist, the lid was opened. A stench, like rotting eggs, spread through the sterile air.
Unfazed, the senior researcher suited head to toe in protective gear extended a long pair of steel tongs into the container.
Sssshhh—
The Blood-Eye hissed against the metal, but the researcher's hands did not waver. Slowly, carefully, he lifted the orb free and carried it to the operating table.
Raising it high, he angled it so its ghastly glow shone directly onto Kael's face.
The crimson light washed over him, pulling him into a bloody haze. His body screamed with warnings, dizziness filling his mind. He tried to close his eyes but the sedatives and current locked his muscles still.
Another researcher stepped forward, a scalpel gleaming in hand. He pierced the bottom of the Blood-Eye with a swift motion.
Psssshh—
A high-pitched hiss cut through the silence. Red energy rippled across the orb's surface as if a storm raged within. The senior researcher's arms trembled, muscles straining as if holding a weight far heavier than the orb itself.
Then, with a final shimmer, the eye dulled to lifeless gray.
From the incision formed a single drop blood-red, radiant like a perfect gem, yet carrying a suffocating malice.
The droplet fell. Its density warped the air, humming with power, as though it could crush Kael's skull on impact.
But instead of destroying him, the blood slipped into his skin like warm water, disappearing into his forehead.
Kael's pupils dilated, his eyes streaked with scarlet veins.
Inside, he was engulfed in a sea of crimson.
"AHMHMHMHMN!!!!!!!"
Whispers filled his ears screams of countless spirits crying out in their final moments. Hatred and curses swirled together, a choir of the damned.
His dormant Gengar-like energy surged like a predator sensing blood. At once, his inner Fighting-type aura rose to meet it, straining to protect him even against impossible odds.
The clash began.
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On the outside, the researchers exhaled in relief once the droplet sank in. The assistant's pen raced across the paper.
"Director Eck do we still need the life-support system this time?" one asked quietly.
"No. The device only stabilizes the first infusion. Any further use is wasted effort."
"And this Machop…?"
Eck glanced at Kael, writhing on the table, foam at his lips. He shrugged.
"It doesn't matter. We're relocating soon. Supplies can't all be carried using them here isn't a waste. It's just an experiment. Whether it lives or dies doesn't matter, as long as the data is collected."
Snapping his folder shut, he tucked it under his arm.
"That's enough for today. Good work, everyone. Security can take the specimen away."
His footsteps faded down the hall.
With their superior gone, the remaining researchers relaxed, chatting casually as they cleaned. The faint stench of the Blood-Eye still lingered in the disinfected air, mixing with the metallic tang of blood.
On the table, Kael continued to convulse, caught between survival and damnation.
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