Marcus opened his eyes with a slow blink, as if waking from a dream he didn't remember having. His last memory was vivid and confusing: he had been in an alley, bleeding out, the world blurring around him as he felt every heartbeat weaken. The sensation of fear and pain still throbbed in his chest, mixing with the uncertainty of where he was now.
The light was white and cold, filtering from above with no visible source, illuminating an empty, silent room. The walls were smooth, unadorned, and the floor seemed made of a material that absorbed his steps. At the far end was a door, the only visible exit, but nothing else indicated what kind of place it was.
In front of him, seated in a high-backed chair, was a dark-skinned man. His eyes were completely black, including the sclera, fixed on the screen of a mobile phone he held in his hands. His hair was braided back, tight against his scalp, and he wore a white tank top and black leather pants that gleamed faintly in the cold light of the room. Marcus guessed he was in his early twenties.
Marcus blinked several times, trying to process what he was seeing. His heart pounded, but something inside him felt strange, out of place. Had he died? Had he survived? Had he transmigrated again? Confusion swept over him, each thought like a piece of a puzzle he couldn't quite fit together.
The dark-skinned man, still seated, looked up from his phone and gave a slight smile.
—Well… oh, you're awake. Hi, I'm David —he said, extending his hand toward Marcus.
Marcus hesitated before shaking it, his head spinning. His heart raced, his mind buzzed, and every thought felt scattered, more confused than before.
—Who are you? —he asked, his voice shaky—. What am I doing here? What happened to me?
David smiled faintly and leaned forward slightly.
—Alright, calm down —he said in a relaxed voice—. I'm David Bosh. I'm a transformer, and I'm going to be your mentor during your training process.
He paused, weighing his words, while Marcus felt the confusion inside him intensify, every explanation seeming to open new questions instead of answers:
—You're in the Virelia Transformer Nexus-7 special facility. It's a secure, highly protected complex within the city, designed to gather, coordinate, and train transformers at every stage. For security reasons, they brought you here and placed you in this room.
David looked at him seriously before speaking in a firmer tone:
—Yesterday, you were attacked —he said—. They left you at the brink of death. In that state, the power of those with the transformer gene is unlocked. You became a wild and violent monster. Headquarters sent me to subdue you; I was the one who kicked your ass and got you under control, and then I made sure they brought you here.
—Am I a transformer? —Marcus asked, his voice trembling, feeling even more lost at the magnitude of what he was being told.
David nodded slowly.
—Yes —he said—. You are a transformer.
David, watching closely, noticed how disoriented Marcus was. He leaned forward slightly, speaking in a calm but firm voice:
—I know you have a thousand questions, that you're trying to take it all in at once… but we can't just sit here going in circles. Take this, change into it, and follow me; I'll wait for you outside.
From a corner of the room, David pulled out a white linen shirt and pants, holding them out to Marcus. The young man hesitated for a moment, still processing his swirling emotions and conflicting thoughts: fear, disbelief, anxiety, and a flicker of curiosity. Every word from David was at once reassuring and urgent, pulling him out of his confusion.
Marcus took a deep breath, trying to steady his mind. With trembling hands, he took the clothes David offered. Somehow, he knew he had to follow him; even if he didn't understand anything yet, it was his only option to stay safe and start figuring out what was happening.
A minute later, Marcus stepped out of his room, now dressed in the white linen shirt and pants. David was waiting, and together they headed toward the elevator.
As they walked, Marcus noticed something strange about his body. He felt taller, his movements more agile, and his strength more pronounced with each step. Even the weight of his own arms and legs seemed lighter.
He glanced at David, who walked beside him with a calm, assured stride. That comparison made him even more aware of the changes in himself. Every movement was deliberate, controlled, and at the same time surprisingly easy. The sensation of being more than he had ever been before was both thrilling and unsettling.
When they reached the elevator, David pressed the button and the doors slid open with a soft hiss. They stepped inside, and the hum of the elevator filled the brief silence as it began its descent. David pressed a button for a specific floor, and Marcus felt his pulse quicken slightly, wondering what awaited them there.
Marcus turned and saw himself in the mirror on the elevator wall. He hardly recognized himself. His body was taller, probably around 1.90 m; the roots of his hair were a more pronounced gray, and his already gray eyes now appeared even more intense. He remembered the attack, the alley, the moment he had almost been slashed, and his neck reminded him of that instant: a horizontal, reddish, slightly raised scar ran across the center, marking that memory. His face now showed higher-quality skin, smoother and more even, and his expression was more handsome and serene than before.
Marcus stared in silence, touching his neck and face, trying to process the physical transformation that had happened in such a short time.
—David… how long have I been unconscious? —he finally asked, his voice still trembling.
David looked at him calmly and replied:
—A week.
The elevator continued its descent in silence, the steady hum filling the space. When the doors finally opened, they stepped out into the hallway leading to the floor David had selected. Marcus took a step forward, a mix of curiosity and tension running through him about what they would find.
Finally, at the end of the hallway, David stopped and pointed:
—Here we are.
Then, David opened that door.