CHAPTER 5
1221 Words
Adrenaline kicked in.
I didn’t think—I acted.
My pulse pounded in my ears as I spun away from the door, scanning the dimly lit hospital room for anything I could use as a weapon. My body was still sluggish from whatever they had injected me with, but my instincts screamed at me to move.
Who were these guys?
The system pulsed in my vision.
[Threat Level: HIGH]
No kidding.
A soft knock on the door. “Mr. Kelly?”
Not Stella.
My grip tightened around the IV stand beside my bed. My knuckles turned white.
I didn’t answer.
The doorknob twisted.
Shit.
The door swung open, revealing a man dressed in a sleek black suit. His expression was unreadable—calm, calculating. Everything about him screamed authority.
His eyes locked onto mine. “Caden Kelly,” he said smoothly. “I need you to come with us.”
Yeah. That wasn’t happening.
I moved.
With every ounce of strength I had left, I swung the IV stand at his head. He was fast—faster than I expected—but I still managed to clip his shoulder. He let out a grunt, but before I could press my advantage, another presence surged behind me.
I didn’t even have time to react.
Cold metal pressed against my neck.
A syringe.
My heart skipped. No—
A sharp prick.
The world tilted. My knees buckled.
I barely registered the suited man catching me before the darkness swallowed me whole.
The last thing I heard was his voice.
"Welcome to Obsidian Heitt."
---
I woke to a dull, rhythmic humming.
For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I was still dreaming.
My body felt heavy; my limbs were slow to respond. A throbbing headache pulsed behind my eyes.
I forced them open.
Dim lights flickered above me. The ceiling wasn’t the sterile white of the hospital—it was darker, metallic. The air smelled of antiseptic, cold steel, and something… off.
I wasn’t in the hospital anymore.
I was restrained.
Thick leather straps bound my wrists and ankles to a steel chair. The metal was cold against my skin.
Panic clawed its way up my throat, but I forced it down. Stay calm. Assess the situation.
The system flickered in the corner of my vision.
[Status: Stable]
[Energy: 37%]
[Abilities Locked]
My jaw clenched. Locked?
I exhaled slowly, trying to suppress the frustration bubbling inside me.
The sound of footsteps pulled my attention to the door.
Slow. Deliberate.
The heavy steel door groaned as it opened.
A man stepped inside.
The same one from before.
His suit was pristine, not a single wrinkle out of place. He moved like someone in complete control, exuding quiet confidence. But it was his eyes that unnerved me—cold, calculating, as if he were looking at an interesting puzzle rather than a person.
He stopped a few feet away, hands clasped behind his back.
“You’re awake sooner than expected,” he mused. “Impressive.”
I didn’t answer.
He studied me for a moment before continuing. “Do you know where you are?”
I forced a smirk. “Judging by the décor? I’d guess it's some underground villain's lair. You guys really went all out on the ‘ominous’ aesthetic.”
His lips twitched slightly. Not quite a smile.
“Humor. That’s good. You’ll need it.”
I tugged at the restraints. “You know, if you wanted a conversation, you could’ve just asked. Drugging and k********g me? Bit excessive.”
His gaze sharpened. “We needed to ensure compliance.”
“Yeah, see, that’s the part I have a problem with.”
I yanked hard against the restraints, testing them. They didn’t budge.
His expression didn’t change. “You’re in no position to negotiate.”
I let out a breath, forcing myself to relax. “Fine. I’ll bite. Who the hell are you?”
He took a step closer. “My name is Victor Hale. I work for Obsidian Heitt.”
The name meant nothing to me. But the way he said it, like it carried weight, sent a chill down my spine.
I kept my expression neutral. “And Obsidian Heitt is…?”
“A necessary force in maintaining balance.”
“Wow. That means absolutely nothing.”
His eyes darkened slightly. “We ensure that certain… anomalies remain in check.”
Anomalies.
I didn’t like the way he said that.
Victor placed a thin folder on the metal table beside him and opened it. “You are an anomaly, Mr. Kelly.”
He turned the folder toward me.
It was filled with documents. Photos.
Photos of me.
Chilling, high-resolution images from different angles—some from the hospital, others from before the explosion. My entire life is documented in pages of neatly typed reports.
My mouth went dry.
“We’ve been watching you for a while,” Victor continued. “Ever since your… miraculous survival.”
I forced myself to meet his gaze. “You guys always this obsessed with hospital patients, or am I just special?”
His lips curved slightly. “Special, indeed. But not because of your survival.”
He leaned forward. “We know about the system, Caden.”
My stomach dropped.
I kept my expression unreadable, but inside, my mind raced.
They know.
Victor watched me carefully, waiting for a reaction. When I didn’t give him one, he chuckled.
“No denial? That’s interesting.”
I inhaled slowly. Stay calm. Think.
“Let’s say, hypothetically, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I tilted my head. “What exactly do you think you know?”
He smirked. “I know you should be dead.”
Silence stretched between us.
He picked up a document and read it aloud. “Caden Kelly. Age 24. Reported as the sole survivor of an explosion that killed twenty-seven people.”
He set the paper down. “Except, that’s not quite true, is it?”
I clenched my jaw.
“Something happened to you that night,” he continued, eyes gleaming. “Something beyond human capability. We’ve seen the signs. Accelerated healing. Increased stamina. Sudden physical enhancements.”
I didn’t speak.
Victor stepped closer, lowering his voice. “We are very interested in what makes you… different.”
His fingers tapped the folder. “And we’re prepared to find out—one way or another.”
My skin prickled. “You mean you want to dissect me, right? Study me like some kind of experiment?”
He smiled. “Oh, nothing that crude. We have more refined methods.”
I exhaled through my nose, forcing my body to stay relaxed. “You’re wasting your time. I don’t know anything.”
Victor studied me for a long moment.
Then he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small device. A single button gleamed in the dim light.
“Then let’s see if we can jog your memory.”
He pressed it.
Pain exploded through my body.
Every nerve ignited in white-hot agony. My vision blurred, my muscles locked, and a strangled sound ripped from my throat.
I barely heard his voice through the static of my own suffering.
“Welcome to Obsidian Heitt, Mr. Kelly.”
Darkness closed in again.
And this time, I wasn’t sure I’d wake up.
- Writer
