My heart raced as the two men moved towards the door, revealing a dark hallway. There were several doors along the wall, but what hit me first, was the puddle of red that glinted with what little light shone through the area. One guard stopped and stood guard, while the other went to a door on the left. I heard the beeping of something for a moment, and then a strained grunt. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There was a throbbing sensation as my anxiety surged while I strained to track the guttural sounds and clunking from the hall. Each second that ticked by felt like an eternity as I caught a glimpse of the guard carrying a sturdy crate. Atop the crate, I saw a strange device that resembled a metal helmet with a mess of wires and some kind of bulky metal parts. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The madman clapped and spoke in a jovial tone, \u201cYou see, #724, resistance is part of the process. The more you resist, the more efficacious the procedure. Besides… the more you resist, the more amusing this will be for me.\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He gestured at the device to be placed on my head, the cold steel reflecting my distorted face. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I forced myself to meet his frenzied gaze and grit my teeth. \u201cYou will regret this,\u201d I vowed with determination. \u201cWhatever you think you can achieve, you will fail. You believe you can create a god from man, but you are just a human. You are no different than me.\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He knelt beside me and brought his face mere inches from mine, his face twisting into a taunting grin. \u201cGood, good, such fire in your eyes. It will make your transformation more beautiful and much more magnificant!\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He pulled away and turned to the guards, \u201cStrap her in. Then inject the serum. Start slow, with vials 1-20 at 30-minute intervals.\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As the guards moved to obey, my mind scrambled for a way out of this nightmare. When they were about to put the helmet on my head, I ducked back and moved aside. I would not make this easy for them, even if it meant using these chains to my advantage. Now, just how I was going to do that, is another matter. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
They moved in to corner me, so I twisted around and wrapped the chains around the closest guard, then jerked back, yanking him toward me as I unwrapped my chains to smack him in the face. No matter what, I had to prevent them from getting this helmet on my head. Something about it felt off, it felt as though, if I let them put it on my head, I would cease to be me. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, I was so focused on the two guards, that I had forgotten the main threat in the room. The mad scientist had slipped under my guard and danced under the chains as I flailed against the guards. He took the helmet that had fallen, and before I had even realized what had happened, he had plopped it on my head and gave it a soft rap. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The madman exhaled a satisfied breath and smiled at me gently. \u201cWhat a curious thing you are, but that\u2019s enough now.\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It was then that I realized I couldn\u2019t move. \u201cH-how?\u201d I stuttered, I was gobsmacked and couldn\u2019t figure out what he had done. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cTsk, tsk, now is not the time for such questions, but if you must know…\u201d He paused, the syringe glinting ominously in his hands as he prepared it. \u201cI used an acupuncture technique. You wouldn\u2019t believe how effective that stuff is when mastered in this line of work.\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As he turned to face me, a shiver of dread ran down my spine. The sinister glint in his eyes made my stomach churn. What kind of madness was this?<\/em> I thought, straining against the invisible bonds that held me in place. My mind raced, trying to understand how a simple acupuncture technique could render me helpless. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou see, my dear #724,\u201d he continued, stepping closer, the syringe hovering just above my skin, \u201cthe right pressure points can bring forth a delightful state of compliance. A little trick to ensure your cooperation. Trust me, it\u2019s going to make our little journey so much smoother.\u201d <\/p>\n I fought against the rising panic. Cooperation? There was no way I would give in to his twisted game. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd as a bonus, it doesn\u2019t inhibit the serum’s function when you can\u2019t resist physically, as your mental resistance is all it needs.\u201d <\/p>\n My heart raced at his words, dread coiling tightly in my chest. He wants to break me, to twist my mind to his will. I clenched my fists, determination igniting within me. I won\u2019t let him take away who I am.<\/em> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNow,\u201d he said, his voice dripping with glee, \u201clet\u2019s begin, shall we?\u201d He took a step closer, raising the syringe as he examined me like a scientist observing an intriguing specimen. \u201cI\u2019ll administer the serum myself. It\u2019s much more efficient this way.\u201d <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d I gasped, the sharp sting of the needle piercing through my skin. As he pressed the plunger down, I felt the icy blue liquid surge into my bloodstream, a jolt of cold spreading through my veins. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere we go!\u201d he exclaimed, pulling back to admire his work. \u201cJust relax and let it work its magic. You\u2019ll soon feel different, perhaps even… liberated.\u201d <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Panic rose within me as I felt the effects of the serum begin to take hold. My vision blurred slightly, colors intensifying as my heart pounded in my chest. I could feel something shifting inside me, an alien sensation that felt both exhilarating and terrifying. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEach vial will enhance your abilities, draw out your potential,\u201d he continued, pacing around me with a manic energy. \u201cYou\u2019ll become something extraordinary, #724. A true testament to my genius!\u201d <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou may fight it, but it\u2019s futile,\u201d he said, his voice taunting. \u201cThis is just the beginning. I\u2019ve calculated every aspect of this procedure. You will thank me in the end, you\u2019ll see.\u201d <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A sense of urgency surged within me as I focused on resisting the rising tide of the serum\u2019s influence. I must hold on to myself. <\/p>\n With each passing moment, I felt the pressure mounting, threatening to drown my thoughts in a haze of confusion. I clenched my teeth, refusing to succumb. I would not let him erase who I was. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust wait until you experience the next dose,\u201d he said with delight, glancing at the clock. \u201cVial one will set the foundation, but there are many more to come. I can\u2019t wait to see how you evolve, #724.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1585,"featured_media":11752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-20089","novel-chapter","type-novel-chapter","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fore-lore.org\/wpforelore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel-chapter\/20089"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fore-lore.org\/wpforelore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel-chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fore-lore.org\/wpforelore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/novel-chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fore-lore.org\/wpforelore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1585"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fore-lore.org\/wpforelore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20089"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fore-lore.org\/wpforelore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel-chapter\/20089\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fore-lore.org\/wpforelore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fore-lore.org\/wpforelore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}