Felix sat in the back of an armored vehicle, staring at the heavy metal restraints binding his hands.
"Pretty tough stuff for a skinny guy like me,"
he thought, a wry smile creeping onto his face. He glanced to his left and right; next to him were two imposing soldiers clad in dull black metallic armor, their helmets completely obscuring their faces.
Turning to the man on his left, Felix adopted a mocking tone, grinning as he held his stomach.
"So, where are we headed, fellas? Are we going to grab a bite? I'm just famished!"
The guard shot him a sharp look before elbowing him hard in the gut.
"Still hungry?"
he taunted, his voice distorted and mocking through the helmet.
Doubling over in his seat, Felix struggled to catch his breath, the pain radiating through him. Gritting his teeth, he forced a grin and replied in a strained voice,
"I think I'm full now, thanks." But inside, he seethed,
*I'm gonna beat the shit out of you one day.*
Felix decided to remain silent for the time being; he had enjoyed his moment of amusement. After a while, the guard on the right broke the silence, saying,
"Did you hear? The number of them is increasing."
The other guard scoffed and replied,
"So what? We'll just move them to the rift like the others. That way, they won't endanger anyone."
The guard on the right retorted,
"So what?! What do you mean, 'so what'? Have you not heard about the ones that come back from the rift? They can do things—crazy things! I saw one twist a DET vehicle like a pretzel without even touching it. Now think about it: the more we send there, the more that may come out."
The guard on the left fell silent for a moment, contemplating his words before finally speaking.
"It's not like we can just kill them. The bill was passed to move them to the rift because they posed a danger to both the public and us. But they're still people—sort of."
Felix, listening intently, felt a wave of despair wash over him. The realization that he was viewed as barely human—not just by Maya and Harold, but by most people—was crushing. They saw him as a threat, and this perception deepened his sense of isolation. Yet, he quickly shook off the gloom. He had vowed to survive. So what if they didn't see him as human? He would live regardless, and perhaps he would treat them as they treated him.
Suddenly, the vehicle jerked to a halt, causing Felix to lurch forward and slam his face into the back of the seat in front of him.
"Shit! Couldn't you have warned me?!" he
exclaimed, irritation lacing his voice.
The guard on his left chuckled at Felix's misfortune as he pulled him back into his seat and opened the door.
"We're here,"
he announced, a smirk playing on his lips.
Now out of the vehicle, Felix felt the grip of the two guards restraining his arms as they flanked him. He looked ahead, his jaw nearly dropping in awe at the sight before him: the military base known as Cerberus. The name was fitting for a place designed to oversee a literal rift to what many considered hell.
The base rose like a pyramid, surrounded by towering walls adorned with turrets. Felix noticed figures moving in the windows that spiraled toward the top, each person seemingly consumed by their tasks. As he stared, lost in thought, one of the guards shoved him roughly.
"Keep moving!"
the guard bellowed.
"I'm getting real sick of this guy,"
Felix thought, his mind racing with ideas of how to retaliate. But his thoughts were abruptly interrupted as they arrived at the checkpoint. He was led through a revolving metallic scanner, and once cleared, directed toward the massive doors of Cerberus's main building.
Inside, chaos reigned. People rushed past him, their faces set in determination.
*What's got them all so worked up?*
Felix pondered, curiosity piquing his interest.
His question was soon answered when he was brought before a middle-aged man with graying hair, a scruffy beard, and a long scar that traced from his cheekbone, through his lip, and down to his chin. The man wore a uniform that signified a high rank.
"This should be the last one,"
he said, his voice deep and commanding.
"Bring him to orientation; it's about to start."
The guards saluted and led Felix toward another set of large doors emblazoned with the words
"Demonkin Education and Relocation"
in bold letters.
*I can't tell if this is good or bad,*
Felix thought, eyeing the label as they passed through,
*yea, probably bad*.
After passing through a couple more sets of huge doors, he finally arrived at orientation. The room was vast and open, filled with hundreds of people around his age. Most appeared to be in their late teens, though a select few looked quite young—at least compared to him. They were all lined up in rows in front of a staircase leading to a platform, which in turn led to another set of large doors. In front of these doors stood the scarred man he had seen earlier upon entering the facility, flanked by several uniformed individuals, all sporting protruding horns.
While deep in thought, observing the crowd, he failed to notice that everyone seemed to be staring at him. He glanced behind and saw only the guards and the doors closing.
"Seems like I'm the last one,"
he thought, turning back to face the others. The guards, impatient with his sudden stop, pushed him forward, moving him into formation with the rest.
The scarred man spoke up,
"Good, now that you're all here, I will explain what's next for you, so listen closely. I won't say it again. As you all know, you are Demonkin—individuals whose bodies have been altered by the energy leaking from the rifts. This energy is known as Dark Ether; it is the essence of what one might call a demon's soul. Even now, it circulates through your body like blood or the air in your lungs.
This, however, is common knowledge to most. Now, onto the important part: Dark Ether exists within all of you, but each of you has different concentrations of it in your body. The amount you possess will determine how strong you may become when you enter the rift, as well as how potent your manifesting ability might be.
Don't be fooled into thinking you can gain powers without consequences—there are always repercussions. When your horn reaches its full length, your powers will manifest. At that moment, you will be pulled deep into your mind, to a realm you never knew existed. There, you will confront the true owner of your power and the Dark Ether coursing through your veins… a demon. If you wish to wield your abilities, you must first subdue the demon lurking within your mind.
That is what you are here to train for. Once you are ready, you will be sent into the rift—
Suddenly, a voice interrupted him, cutting through the tension.
"Why do we have to go into the rift? Why can't we just go home?"
The scarred man responded in a cold tone, though Felix detected a hint of pity beneath it.
"You are being sent into the rift because you are dangerous—to us and to yourselves. Even if you manage to subdue your demon, you could lose control at any moment, unleashing it upon the world. The decision has been made to relocate you to the rift, a place that, while perilous, has proven to stabilize you better than remaining here."
As his words hung in the air, a heavy silence enveloped the room, thick with a grim atmosphere.
"So we have to choose between becoming a monster and maybe becoming a monster. What a load of crap. Either way, they're dooming us to die. You're going to die anyway at some point—might as well struggle, right? That's what he's really saying,"
Felix thought, wrestling with the implications of the man's words.
The scarred man continued, his voice steady and commanding.
"With that said, we will now begin the evaluation process. You will be escorted to the room behind me, where your dark ether will be measured on a scale from one to ten. Remember, a higher number indicates a greater possession of dark ether. Do not mistake a low reading for weakness; it may simply mean that your abilities require less dark ether to manifest.
Now, please line up in front of the instructors standing behind me and follow their lead."
Felix stepped into one of the lines, instinctively following the person ahead of him as they ascended the stairs through the imposing metal doors.
As he entered the room, his eyes widened at the sight before him. The walls were lined with an array of tubes and high-tech equipment, creating an atmosphere that felt both futuristic and unsettling. In the center, against the back wall, stood a chair equipped with restraints, connected to various devices by a web of tubes.
"This looks like something out of a mad scientist's lair,"
Felix thought, a shiver running down his spine as he observed the first person being secured in the chair.
"And that chair doesn't exactly inspire confidence."
Just then, a voice cut through his thoughts. A woman with long purple hair and spiraling horns stepped forward, her presence commanding attention.
"You will be brought up one by one to have your ether measured,"
she announced, her voice raspy and monotone.
"You may experience a draining sensation; try to stay awake for as long as possible."
Then she nodded at the personal operating the machines and a man at a console flipped a switch and lights turned on and it was as if everything came to life.
Felix found himself lost in thought again, his gaze drifting over the intricate machines that filled the room. Suddenly, a sound broke through his reverie—a muffled groan. He turned to see the man strapped into the chair, his fingers clawing at the armrests, a look of sheer discomfort etched across his face. Tubes snaked from the machinery, siphoning something dark from him.
Felix watched, captivated and horrified, as a thick, shadowy substance began to flow through the tubes, only to stop abruptly as the man slumped forward, unconscious. A number flickered to life on the screen: one.
"So, the longer we stay awake, the more ether we have, huh?"
Felix mused, his curiosity piqued. He continued to observe as more people took their turns, most registering low numbers—ones and twos—with the highest so far being a mere five.
Then, a new contender stepped forward. He had shoulder-length light brown hair and lifeless, dull amber eyes, and he was notably shorter than the others. As he settled into the chair and was strapped in, Felix noted the lack of emotion on his face. The machines whirred to life, and Felix leaned in, intrigued. Minutes ticked by, and the man's expression remained unchanged until, finally, his head drooped, and he passed out. The screen lit up with a bold eight —the highest score yet.
Felix was impressed.
"I wonder if I can last that long?"
he thought, though the likelihood seemed slim. Pain was something he didn't enjoy, but he had grown accustomed to it over time. He would just have to wait and see when it was his turn.
The next two participants were a boy and a girl who appeared to be siblings, both scoring **seven**. The girl had long, silky black hair and striking golden eyes, her figure captivating.
Felix couldn't help but stare, but as he did, her brother shot a glare at the onlookers, causing Felix to quickly avert his gaze. The brother was tall, with the same black hair—shorter—and those same golden eyes. He was undeniably good-looking, and Felix couldn't help but think,
"Unfair… just so unfair."
Once they stepped down, Felix found himself scanning the room again, but no one else caught his eye.
Felix heard his name called, jolting him from his thoughts. It was his turn. He settled into the chair as they secured the restraints around him, a sense of dread washing over him. All he wanted was to get this over with.
Suddenly, he felt a draining sensation, as if something were trying to pull his very soul from his body. He hated it. Gritting his teeth, he instinctively arched his back, desperate to escape the confines of the chair, but it was futile.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly. He could barely see, and he had lost track of how long he had been there.
"How long has it been? A minute? Two? It feels like forever… I just want to close my eyes… just for a moment… that's all."
Then, a flash of realization struck him:
*I can't sleep. Don't fall asleep.*
He bit down on the inside of his cheek, hoping the pain would keep him awake. It helped a little, but ultimately, it was in vain. Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and succumbed to the forced embrace of sleep....