The awakening was brutal.
A blinding white flash burned his eyelids. The mute slowly opened his eyes. His muscles were heavy, numb, and a dull ache throbbed in his chest and limbs. He blinked, trying to make sense of where he was.
Around him, everything was immaculate white. Neon lights cast a harsh glare on the floor, the walls, the machines lined up along the sides. The air reeked of that familiar, unpleasant disinfectant smell that stung the throat.
Other children were still asleep. Some whimpered softly. Others clutched their trembling hands to their knees, eyes shut tight as if trying to block out reality. The mute spotted Lina her black hair messy around her pale face. Further away, Jem was curled up, jaw clenched, eyebrows furrowed in a mix of fear and pain.
But Rash… Rash was nowhere to be seen.
The mute frowned. A terrible feeling twisted in his gut.
Then suddenly, the door burst open.
A gust of icy air swept through the room, making everyone shiver. A silhouette appeared in the doorway: a tall man, pale-skinned, lean, dressed in a spotless white lab coat. His features were sterrn and expressionless. His black eyes swept the room with a cold, distant gaze.
The Professor.
A shiver ran through the boy. No one moved. The children slowly straightened up—some rubbing their eyes, others lowering their heads as if trying to disappear.
- You're finally awake.
His voice was calm, cold, merciless. Every word dropped like a blade.
- It's time you understood what awaits you.
The mute felt a crushing weight in his chest. He furrowed his brow, gathering his strength to listen.
- Some of you are no longer with us.
Silence. Then a faint tremble, as if the very air shivered.
- They didn't survive the injection. Their frail bodies couldn't handle it.
He paused, eyes drifting into the void.
- Your little friend Ra… Rat, whatever his name was he was one of them.
A hammer blow. Brutal. Final.
Lina's head snapped up.
- Rash?? Are you talking about Rash? What? No… No… NO!
She stood, stumbled. Her eyes widened, filled with tears. She staggered toward the Professor, arms shaking.
- You're lying! He was here! YOU'RE LYING!
She screamed.A scream from the gut, from the heart, from a throat ripped apart by pain. She screamed again, and again, until her voice turned hoarse. Jem watched her, frozen, eyes glistening.
The Professor didn't flinch.
A guard stepped forward. Massive. Silent. He raised his hand.
And struck Lina across the face.
She fell, hard, like a rag doll. A sharp sound echoed. Silence followed, suffocating. Only her muffled sobs remained, mixed with panicked breathing.
- Anyone who gives in to emotion is dead weight.
The Professor said coldly.
- This world has no need for burdens.
He took a few steps.
- You were chosen for your potential. For your compatibility. We injected a fragment of energy from a Source into you. This power is unstable. Dangerous. And it demands a price.
He stopped, scanning the children one by one, as if weighing their worth.
- That boy, like others before him, didn't make it. And others after you won't, either."
The mute felt his heart pounding. Heat rose inside him a quiet rage. He clenched his fists but stayed still. Lina was curled on the floor, shaking.
Jem was crying in silence, biting his lip until it bled.
The Professor continued:
- Starting today, you'll be tested. Strength. Endurance. Resonance. Those who endure will advance. The rest… will vanish.
The doors groaned open. More guards appeared.
- The test begins now.
The mute glanced at Lina one last time. She wasn't crying anymore. Her eyes were empty. Lifeless.
He stood, slowly, painfully.
Jem grabbed his hand, briefly.
- We're gonna make it,
he whispered with a forced smile, heavy with sorrow.
But the mute didn't answer. Because deep inside, something had just shattered.
And something else darker had just awakened.