Forged by The Flame

Chapter 1: Hell-Hole

 "W-what happened," I muttered, struggling to open my eyes, "Drew?" I called out, but in return, received only an echo. My eyes were having trouble adjusting due to the light hang overhead, blinding me. When my sight cleared, I slowly realized I was in an unfamiliar space. I tried to move, but my arms and legs were bound to the table I was lying on. I took another look around to see if I could find an exit or at least a window to scream for help, but there was nothing but a double door behind me. The room was empty. There was a stand-up table with a tin tray on top placed next to me, like being in a dentist's office. Suddenly, there was a creaking sound coming from behind me. I turned to see what it was, and that's when he walked in.

"How are you feeling, not too much of a headache I hope?" a man wearing a white lab coat and an Einstein mask entered through the doors behind me, his voice was muffled behind the plastic.

"W-who are you?" I asked, but he ignored my question and began to fiddle with the tools on the tin tray. One of them was definitely a scalpel. I tried to loosen the straps by moving around, but they didn't budge. I was wiggled so much they started causing marks on my arms and legs.

"Ah, ah, ah, no escaping allowed. You are part of something great here, why would you want to leave?" he looked back at me, and I swear he was staring into my soul. His eyes were a light gray, and reflected in them was me, bound to that cold metal table with whatever fate had in store.

"What do you mean, 'part of something great,'" I asked, "I'm just a kid."

"That is where you're wrong, my little hamster. You're not just a kid, you're the catalyst for our latest project." He giggled to himself and turned back to his tools.

What the hell was he talking about? What serum? I was the catalyst? Those questions ran through my mind over and over so much, that I didn't notice him bring up the syringe. It contained a ruby colored liquid inside.

"Are you ready for your shot?" he asked bringing it closer.

"W-wait," I yelled, "What's that going to do to me?" I asked, trying to give myself time to figure a way out.

"Well, if you must know," he sounded annoyed, "this needle contains a serum which can enhance not only your body but changes the very essence of what makes you human. You may gain an ability, something not many of my testers get to obtain," he explained.

"An ability? Wait, 'may' obtain? What do you mean by that?" I asked, concerned.

"The serum has a 50/50 chance of killing you," he said.

He didn't give me a moment to prepare myself, he just stuck the needle in my arm and let the ruby fluid flow into me.

"Sorry, I was too excited to wait any longer," he placed the empty syringe onto the tray and looked back at me. "Now, tell me, how do you feel?" he looked me up and down.

Nothing happened. He looked just as confused as me.

"Ha, maybe your serum was a dud—" before I finished, my right hand began to shake. It slowly began to spread up my arm then all over my body. It got faster every second and before I realized it, my body was violently convulsing. Then I felt pain all over, it was like the blood in my veins were boiling, every inch of me was being covered with immense jolts like I was being beaten by a dozen people. In an instant, I passed out, but a rush of memories flowed into me.

My friend Drew and I were walking home from school, it was freezing cold.

"It's got to be below zero," Drew said, rubbing his hands together to keep them warm. Drew was my age, which was 17 at the time. He was a little taller than me, maybe 5'10, with a mohawk. He always said it made him different from other people, more unique. He had tan skin like me. He was also my best friend, but he had his flaws like being annoying and stubborn at times, like a younger brother.