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“Log ten dash seven dash five. Experiment Deity Advent slash Possession, subject four two eight. Supervisor, Doctor Peter Haumann. Time is, uh…” The tall man in a white coat checked the watch on his wrist. “Twenty-three hundred hours, October tenth, sixteen seventy-two of the Sun calendar. Begin log.”
The doctor stepped into the cell. The floor was encrusted with filth and grime, the walls stained with dried blood. His presence disturbed the stale air, though the room’s occupant gave no reaction.
“Subject four two eight shows minimal to no response. Examination commencing. As anticipated, crystalline tumors have formed across the subject’s body. The rate of progression for the Advent is within the expected parameters after five weeks of exposure. Torn skin and broken nails suggest the subject attempted to claw at her own flesh. However, it appears the subject expired shortly afterward. Blood and crystalline samples will be collected before disposal. End log.”
Once he finished drawing blood and scraping black crystals from the corpse in front of him, the doctor left the cell without so much as a glance behind.
“Prep the room for the next test. The kid goes to the furnace.”
“Roger.”
Two guardsmen saluted before carrying out the orders. One effortlessly lifted the small child that had been subject 479-C, while the other bathed the cell in fire magic, scorching it clean.
Meanwhile, Doctor Haumann headed towards the cell next door and started again.
“Log ten dash seven dash five. Experiment Deity Advent slash Possession, subject four two nine. Supervisor, Doctor Peter Haumann…”
♢♦♢♦♢
“What do you mean they’re not ready yet?!”
A short, plump man, resembling a pig lavished in gold attire, demanded with fuming anger. He made no attempt to conceal the extravagant accessories that hinted at his true identity, despite the secrecy of the place he was visiting.
The space was dim and windowless, with a large arena below and a viewing balcony above. Down on the floor, children chased and wrestled each other—not a single sound of laughter echoed, as each was armed with daggers. Their eyes were hollow, devoid of any light. Among them, masked adults prowled with whips, ready to correct any child they deemed stepped out of line.
The pig-like man stood on the viewing balcony alongside a military-looking figure. The cloak draped over the latter barely concealed his muscular frame, and his square jaw tightened as he responded.
“Your Imperial Majesty, you requested battle-ready soldiers. It takes time to prepare an adult for the battlefield, let alone a group of children.”
“I know what I asked, General!” The pig—or rather, the Emperor—squealed in frustration. “Who said they need to survive? These orphans have no records, and their numbers keep growing. What use are they if they come back alive, huh? None! Strapping them with bombs and sending them to enemy refugee camps is how they’ll serve me. So make these rats useful, now!”
“…As you wish.” The General’s reply was cut short by a pained yelp from the arena below. A young girl had been slashed across the face by another child, the wound deep enough to leave a scar she would carry for the rest of her life. Then again, the General thought, she likely wouldn’t live long enough for it to matter.
She would just be another spark for another war.
—But then, something far worse occurred.
Everyone—Emperor, General, masked adults, and even the children—paused as a gray-haired girl dropped her dagger and rushed to the injured child’s side. Her eyes were wide with worry.
“Jenny! Are you okay?”
Before her words could fully settle, the crack of a whip cut through the air. It tore into her skin, and she collapsed, surrounded by masked adults who wasted no time kicking her mercilessly.
“H-hel—” Her weak plea was silenced by a boot to her mouth. Through her tears, she caught a final glimpse of Jenny’s empty stare. This was her punishment for stepping out of line. Until finally, the pain snatched her consciousness away.
“Where are they taking her?” the Emperor asked, watching as the girl was dragged off to a different area.
“Haumann,” the General responded.
“Good. Nosy ones like her will spill everything to the enemy. Better to feed her to that pervert.”
With that, the Emperor dismissed her from his mind entirely. Once she was gone, the children continued on as if nothing ever happened.
♢♦♢♦♢
When she came to, the girl found herself strapped to a cold metal table. Every inch of her body throbbed with pain, her bruises burning like fire. Her mouth was gagged, preventing even the smallest whimper from escaping. The blinding light overhead made it impossible to see, and with her head firmly strapped down, she couldn’t turn to get a better view.
Minutes passed in agonizing silence before she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
“Those brutes…” a voice muttered, irritated. “I’ve told them again and again—subjects can’t be in this condition, or it ruins the tests. Now we’re just wasting potions.”
She couldn’t see the speaker, only catching glimpses of a white coat fluttering at the edges of her vision.
And then—
“Hnnf!”
A sharp prick, like the sting of a thousand ants, pierced her skin. A cold sensation followed, something thin and foreign crawling into her veins.
“Don’t be alarmed,” the voice said, almost too casual. “Just a potion. It’ll fix you up, enough to qualify for the experiments.”
The icy liquid spread through her bloodstream, numbing the pain but leaving something worse behind. As her injuries began to heal, her strength drained away, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion. She felt cold, empty, and hungrier than she had ever been.
“Now, let’s check if you’re still a virgin.”
The doctor pulled a lever, and the table slowly began to separate, forcing her legs apart. Panic flared in the girl’s chest, but her body remained limp—exhausted, powerless. She could do nothing but lie there as a cold metal instrument invaded her, the humiliation and terror mixing with her helplessness.
After what felt like an eternity, the doctor removed the tool and placed it aside.
“So,” he said casually, undoing the strap around her head, “you’ve come to an important crossroads. You have a choice, lucky because most of your friends didn’t. See, an unsullied maiden holds immense magical value. But, here’s the catch: magic and free will are inextricably linked. So it must be your decision. Refuse to choose, and you’ll become nothing more than raw material for the homunculus project. Do you understand?”
The girl didn’t fully comprehend, but fear forced her to nod.
“Good. Part of decision-making is understanding what’s in store for you, so here are your options. First: you will be sacrificed in a ritual to summon an Arch Demon. You’ll die, of course, but it will be quick and painless. Over before you know it.”
The girl shook her head violently.
“Second,” the doctor continued, “you will undergo a changeling procedure. You won’t die, technically. But you’ll be transformed into one of the fae folk. You’ll lose your memories along with your identity and become a being from beyond the Great Veil. What creature you’ll become depends on which bureau answers first. You could end up as a cait-shìth… or a troll.”
Again, the girl shook her head, faster this time.
“Third, and this is the last option: you will become a vessel to bind a Divine Entity—a Deity—to this plane. You’ll be baptized into a new religion and prepared for possession by a god. The process will be… painful, but you’ll receive wholesome meals throughout as part of the ceremony. And if successful, you’ll gain immense power beyond measure.”
The girl hesitated. Was it just her, or did that last option sound almost… appealing? Too good to be true.
“Or,” before she could think further, the doctor’s voice cut through again. “We can harvest your organs for the homunculus project.”
“Hnfh! Hnfh hnfh!”
The girl jolted against her bindings, eyes wide with panic.
“So, the third one?” The doctor smirked, watching as she nodded frantically, her breath ragged behind the gag. “Excellent choice.” His voice oozed with satisfaction. “Truth is, I’ve got a feeling we’re on the brink of a breakthrough with this experiment. Your participation is greatly appreciated.”
Something told her she would regret making this decision.
{ ♥ }
