The alarm screamed across the lab, loud enough to make the walls vibrate. It signaled one thing an intruder.
Guards rushed in immediately, weapons gripped tight, scanning the shadows with tense eyes.
Out on the road, Fenris slammed his hand on the wheel, his expression dark. The car crawled forward slower than he wanted, and frustration flickered through his face. Whoever had entered his lab, he needed to know.
Inside, the lights began to shatter one after another, as though something invisible was striking them. In seconds, the place was swallowed by darkness. The guards stumbled, their vision gone as the dark filled the place.
Then men started disappearing one by one. Some dragged upward, others gone in a blur of speed.
When the chaos slowed, only five guards out of twenty remained. They stood frozen, guns shaking in their hands, backs pressed together as they turned in circles, bracing for whatever lurked beyond the dark.
And then Bryce stepped out.
He towered above them, his body a wall of muscle, his frame casting a shadow far larger than any man.
The guards panicked. Gunfire erupted, bullets tearing through the air towards Bryce but even didn't even slow. Not a scratch marked his skin. He smiled, a cold and perfect grin meant to terrify.
"My turn," he said.
He seized two guards by the head and smashed them together with a sickening crack. Then he grabbed the remaining three by their collars as if they weighed nothing, hurling them into the glass walls. Shards rained down as everything shattered on impact.
The alarm wailed louder, deeper, but Bryce kept moving, his steps deliberate as he headed toward the freezer stacked with blood packs.
Fenris finally arrived, his team of supernatural fighters spilling in behind him. His face was sharp with anger as his eyes swept across the wrecked hall.
"What the hell happened to my lab?" he snapped.
He smirked faintly, then signaled to his men. They advanced toward the freezer. He had already seen Bryce shadow moving inside.
"Hey! What do you want?" Fenris shouted when Bryce didn't even look at him, rifling through the shelves for the crimson vitae.
Bryce turned slowly. His body shifted again growing and twisting into monstrous before he let out a roar so powerful it carried a gust of wind through the entire room.
Fenris didn't move. He didn't even shift his stance. Leaning lazily against a table he scraped dirt from under his nails as if the violent wind Bryce had summoned didn't exist.
"Ha… I'm already bored of this little wind trick of yours," Fenris said, his voice calm, and his attention still on his fingernails.
His guards stood silently behind him motionless waiting for his orders.
Bryce frowned, confused by their lack of reaction. In his mind, he wondered if they were harmless. Slowly, he let his monstrous form shrink back into his normal human shape.
"I see this lab belongs to you," Bryce said evenly. "And I wish it were mine."
Fenris's smile faded in an instant. His eyes twitched, irritation flashing across his face, but he kept his composure. Deep down, he already saw Bryce as the perfect piece for his plans, so he forced himself to stay patient.
He exhaled slowly, slipping back into a calm practiced smile.
"Oh, it's beautiful, isn't it?" he said smoothly. "This lab exists to turn the weak into the strong like you. But we can create someone even stronger than you."
Bryce's eyes widened at those words. 'Power' that was all he had ever wanted.
"Really?" he asked, his voice rising with surprise.
Fenris lifted his brows slightly amused by how easily Bryce had taken the bait.
"Oh, absolutely. I can make you far stronger… but there's one condition."
Bryce stiffened, waiting. "What condition?"
"Join us," Fenris said softly. "Work for me, and I'll give you the strength to surpass everyone in this world. I'll make your dream a reality."
Bryce hesitated. He thought of his deal with Thiago. But this path, this one promised power far sooner than he had imagined.
"Fine," Bryce said finally.
"I'll work for you. Just give me the strength I want."
Fenris's eyes darkened, though his smile stayed gentle almost convincing. He glanced at his guards and gave a small nod.
"I'm Fenris," he said. "I keep my promises. And I always get what I want."
Bryce nodded back, satisfied with his words.
"I'm Bryce," he said. "And I'll serve you as my master."
Fenris let out a slow, contented sigh. Killing him wasn't on his mind, not yet. They needed another villain in play for the plan to work.
"Good," he said, voice calm but carrying weight.
"Sticking around with me… you'll see. I'll make sure you have a place to stay."
Bryce turned away, his steps calm and gentle. Memories gnawed at him, the soldiers, the screams, the lifeless bodies of his wife and daughter. Their deaths left a hole inside him, one that burned with the need to see humanity fall.
--------
"Kaelith, my boy… why so down? You haven't even touched your food."
Veyra's eyes softened as she watched her son sitting there silent, and his thoughts far away.
Kaelith exhaled, stretching slightly as though to shake off the exhaustion pressing on him.
"It's nothing, Mom. I'm just… tired. Not hungry either."
Veyra studied him, suspicion flickering across her face when she remembered him slip the money back into her purse in the morning.
"Wait—why'd you put the money back?" she asked.
Kaelith froze. He hadn't expected her to notice.
"I don't need it for school, Mom. What matters is you being there for me. That's enough."
Veyra sighed, the sound edged with frustration. She moved closer, pulling her chair beside him.
"I know, Kaelith. I feel the same when I'm with you. But listen I work hard so you can have what I didn't. A real education. A better future. Stop skipping meals. I want you strong, safe… nothing bad happening to you. That's why I train you so much."
"But Mom—"
"Shh." Her voice sharpened.
"This world… it's full of good and evil. Humans, superhumans, demons, angels. Power everywhere. Walk carelessly, and someone will use you as a pawn. People chase strength. Others chase immortality… peace. With those, anything becomes possible."
Kaelith's eyes glistened. He stared at the bulb above them, unblinking, as if its light could steady him.
Veyra wrapped her arms around him, warm and firm.
"One day I won't be here, Kaelith. Remember me when that time comes. Stay strong. Stay brave. Be careful who you trust… and work hard. That's the only real power you'll ever have."