Edoran stepped out of the elevator into the sterile, brightly lit hallway. The hum of machinery and the rhythmic beeping of distant monitors filled the air, but his senses were heightened. He knew he was being watched, not just by the people here, but by something else. The collar around his neck pulsed once, a subtle reminder of his reality.
"You're the newest addition to the Faulkner family," a voice said, smooth and cold, coming from hidden speakers in the walls. The voice was feminine, sharp like a blade. "You will do well to remember that."
Edoran's fingers tightened around the collar instinctively. He hated how it seemed to crawl into his thoughts, pushing him to conform, to obey.
"Move forward," the voice instructed, and Edoran's body obeyed. He didn't want to, but the collar tightened, sending a sharp pain up his neck. He took a step forward, his resolve growing as he did. This isn't freedom, he thought bitterly. Not by a long shot.
He reached the hallway's end, where the door to a large meeting room swung open. Inside, voices mingled, creating an air of anticipation. Edoran stepped inside, and the moment his foot crossed the threshold, all eyes turned to him. He froze.
"Ah, yes, this is the homunculus I mentioned," Harold Faulkner said with a grin, his voice filled with pride. "His potential is on par with the Warmonger."
Edoran's heart sank. His shoulders stiffened under the weight of every pair of eyes on him. He was no longer a person in their eyes. He was a thing—an object to be displayed.
The crowd started clapping, their faces filled with eager curiosity, admiration, and some hints of fear. Edoran forced a smile, trying to mask his discomfort. They're treating me like I'm a celebrity, he thought, his mind turning inward. But I'm no one's idol. Not here. Not now.
He tried to retreat into the corner of the room, but the stares followed him, cold and calculating. Aria, ever poised, walked over to him. "Harold is a good boy," she said in a soft tone, but there was an unmistakable edge in her words. "I trust you'll keep him safe. If you hurt him in any way, I'll make sure you regret it."
Edoran instinctively took a step back. Her smile didn't reach her eyes. He glanced over to Harold, who was dancing with a young woman on the far side of the room. The music played, the people mingled, and the room slowly filled with warmth, but Edoran remained distant, watching with a feeling of dread gnawing at him.
He helped himself to some cake and juice, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that had settled in his chest. His body had already fully recovered from the fight. The collar had done its work, repairing and enhancing his strength. But there was something more. He couldn't ignore the feeling that something was off like he was being pushed towards an unseen cliff.
When the party wound down, Harold instructed a maid to arrange a room for Edoran to sleep in. "We'll be heading for the capital tomorrow. The company headquarters is located there," Harold had said, his voice full of enthusiasm.
That night, Edoran fell into a dreamless sleep. It was peaceful, almost unnaturally so, as though the collar had quieted his mind, allowing him to rest. When he awoke the next morning, they were already en route to Verdantia, the capital of Greenglow.
The city was a contrast to the green, almost idyllic surroundings of their last stop. Verdantia was a blend of nature and technology. Towering skyscrapers and sleek, modern buildings stood side by side with sprawling parks and greenery. As they drove through the heart of the city, Edoran felt like a small speck in a vast, ever-moving world.
They passed a towering green structure emblazoned with the words Nova Star Corps—a building that looked as though it could reach the heavens. But they didn't stop there. Harold guided the vehicle toward a smaller, more unassuming building, its dull grey walls almost blending with the sky.
"It's not much to look at but trust me, it's a very efficient place," Jake remarked, flashing a grin.
They entered the building, which seemed to be empty except for a few maintenance staff moving about. It was clean, but there was a starkness to it that made Edoran uncomfortable. He followed Harold into an elevator, and soon they were descending to the basement.
The underground level was cold and clinical. The walls were lined with high-tech equipment, and monitors flashing with various data. A few cages sat in the corner of the room, and Edoran could hear strange noises coming from within.
"Both of you are too weak to fight savages right now," Harold said, his voice laced with urgency. "But your cores need to be activated. Otherwise, they'll remain unstable, and you'll be a liability."
He motioned toward the cages. Inside, savage creatures paced, their unnatural forms shifting and growling.
"I brought in some fresh ones, courtesy of Nova Star," Harold continued. "Jake, you go first. Show Edoran what to do."
Jake took a deep breath, stepping toward one of the cages. He pulled out a saber, its blade glowing with an eerie light. Harold opened the cage, and a creature—the Chimeraborn, a hybrid of several animals—crawled out with a low hiss. It looked like a twisted version of a dog, its face a grotesque mixture of flesh and sinew, and its arms ending in jagged claws.
Jake gripped his saber tightly. The moment the creature lunged, he slashed out, the blade cutting through its flesh with ease. The creature howled in pain as it fell. Jake stood over it, his core glowing as the savage's energy flooded into him.
It was Edoran's turn now. He stepped forward, not the slightest bit intimidated by the sight of the creature's corpse. He looked at the other savages in their cages, sizing them up. The collar pulsed again, but this time, he ignored it.
The lights flickered suddenly, and the room was plunged into darkness. A low rumble reverberated through the floor, followed by a screech that set his nerves on edge. The emergency lights snapped on, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
Harold cursed under his breath, his eyes darting around the room. His flashlight flickered to the cages. One of them was cut clean through. A hole had appeared in the bars, and the creature inside was missing.
"Something's wrong," Harold muttered. He turned to Jake. "Stay alert."
Before they could react, a high-pitched screech echoed from behind them. They spun around, only to find a small, pink bunny sitting innocently on the floor. Its eyes, glowing a deep red, fixed on Edoran with an unsettling intensity.
"Don't move," Harold hissed. "That's a Tier-2 savage. It's a Gorehop. It's deadly, and if it touches you, you're done."
The creature started crawling toward Edoran, its movements quick and erratic. He felt his heart hammer in his chest. The collar pulsed again, this time more violently as if warning him.
But then, just as suddenly, the building shook. The walls trembled, and a loud crash echoed from above. The alarms blared through the facility.
"Get back to the surface," Jake said, his voice strained as he pulled his saber from its sheath. "We need to leave. This place is going down."
The Gorehop lunged, but before it could reach Edoran, Jake intervened, his massive form now towering over the creature. With a single, crushing blow, Jake slammed it into the ground. The Gorehop let out a final, guttural scream as its body went limp.
But Jake wasn't unscathed. His body was riddled with scratches and bleeding heavily from deep gouges in his skin.
"Jake!" Edoran yelled, rushing to his side. Jake's breath was shallow, his eyes dim with pain. The Gorehop had left deep marks across his chest, and blood pooled around him.
"We need to get out of here," Harold said urgently, glancing nervously at the shaking building. "Jake, can you move?"
Jake shook his head weakly. "I can't... not like this."
Edoran turned to Harold. "I'll go. You stay here with him."
Harold hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Stay on the move. The Blazing Whale is wreaking havoc above. I'll handle things here. Get to the med bay."
Edoran didn't wait for another second. With one final look at Jake, who gave a weak thumbs-up, he dashed out of the building and into the chaos outside.
The city was engulfed in smoke, the sound of destruction echoing through the streets. The Blazing Whale had arrived—massive and terrifying. But Edoran's only focus was getting to the nearest med bay to help Jake.