Chapter 19: Rise of Monsters
I was too late. By the time I arrived, they were nearly done injecting the ELB serum into the final squadron. However, something had to be done. My pulse pounded in my ears—I had to act before it was truly too late.
I rushed to find General Flick. On my way, I collided with Captain Agatha. One look at her an I knew she had already crossed over. She was transformed—her eyes gleamed with unnatural sharpness, her stance exuding a restless energy.
“Cipher! Where have you been? Where are Dmitry and Yukio? They’re the last ones to receive the injection!”
“Captain, this serum—it’s dangerous. I need to speak to the general...”
“I’ve never felt so powerful!” She interrupted, her voice alight with fervor. “I feel invincible. Now I see why it drove Gwendowson mad. This kind of strength should only be wielded against monsters like the Vodocks.”
She’d already taken the serum. My stomach twisted into knots. Once administered, there was no reversing it. If the serum’s awakening was a ticking bomb, I had to defuse it before it overtook their minds. Pushing past her, I made a beeline for the general, clinging to the hope he’d have answers.
I found him in his office, hunched over his desk looking at papers. I explained my fears about the serum’s effects, but he dismissed them with a wave.
“My scientists have tested it on other subjects. There’s no evidence it alters the mind or emotions.”
Then I told him about the horrors I’d witnessed in the underground bunker—how his own son, Victor, had butchered innocents with terrifying, inhuman strength.
The general’s face hardened, a flicker of disappointment shadowing his eyes. “I thought he’d changed. Always a failure to the end. I’ll handle—”
Cutting his words short, a presence loomed from behind him. For the first time, I saw fear ripple across the general’s steely features. He turned slowly, and there stood Victor, his crimson eyes blazing with monstrous intensity, his presence suffocating the room with dread.
“Boy... when did you get here?” the general stammered.