Kapitel 5: THE START OF AN UNSPEAKABLE DOOM
Adrian, dressed in a sleek black suit and a long coat, broke down the door, creating a chilling hush in the dimly lit garage. The footprint on the door indicated that it had been kicked in.
His eerie presence was emphasized by the stark contrast of his alabaster skin against the darkness of his attire. In his right hand, he held a needle, its gleam catching the weak light, and in his left, the case containing it—a tool of power and redemption in the face of malevolent forces.
Nine containers were arranged in front of him, each holding a terrified child. The air in the room seemed heavy with anticipation of what was about to happen.
Adrian saw himself as a harbinger of justice, ready to confront the malicious shadows who had dared to intrude on innocents..
Steve, one of the shadow manifestors, squinted at Adrian at the entrance. His own faith in the shadows had blinded him to what was about to occur.
He exchanged a look with Alice, the other shadow manifestor, whose eyes were filled with madness.
"What exactly do you think you are doing?" Steve inquired as he took a step forward, his gaze darting between Adrian and the children imprisoned in the containers.
Adrian's voice, though soft, exuded unmistakable authority. "Putting an end to this abomination? Making certain that these innocent lives are liberated from your malevolent clutches?"
Adrian, although sarcastic, was true to his character, being unable to reveal his true nature in front of children.
Who wouldn't want to be viewed as a hero and a savior?
"Ah, I'm sorry gentleman, but nobody requested a hero here." Alice sarcastically smiled at Adrian. "You will die in a way that no one, not even the three generations of future detectives, will be able to explain, so, with your tail tucked between your legs, run along~"
Adrian's gaze remained fixed and unwavering. "Power derived from the suffering of others is a false and corrupting promise, and I am not among those who forgive."
Adrian's remark caused Alice and Steve to exchange glances and burst out laughing.
As he twirled the needle, Adrian's face twisted into a wicked grin, a sadistic amusement dancing in his eyes. The needle's power rushed through him like liquid exhilaration, thrilling his senses with the promise of a twisted spectacle.
He strutted forward in the dimly lit garage, the ground trembling beneath the weight of his twisted, dark glee. He lowered the needle with a flick, the air crackling with the unleashed force, causing a gust of wind to disrupt the shadows clinging to the walls.
"Then I will do whatever is necessary to protect the innocent. Or perhaps I just want to have some fun," he quipped, a perverse chuckle slipping from his lips.
Alice, once defiant and devoted to the shadows, was momentarily taken aback.
"I do not know who you are, bur you are playing with powers you don't understand. The shadows offer dominion and power, something a human like you can never understand!"
"Oh no~," Adrian retorted, feigning a gasp, his voice darkly amused.
"You've reveled in your fantasies enough, I think. Now it's my turn to enjoy," Adrian laughed, the perkiness in his voice something he had missed dearly.
"Oh, and what a wicked show this is going to be."
Still seeing him charging, they laughed at Adrian, believing in their own shadow manifestation and how it had changed them more than they could have imagined.
"You will regret this," Steve taunted, his voice unhinged. "The shadows will consume you."
Adrian, now imbued with the enhanced strength of the needle, moved with unparalleled agility and ferocity.
His muscles surged with newfound power, granting him the prowess of a relentless werewolf. He clashed with Steve; their collision sent shockwaves throughout the room.
John, seeing all of this, could not help but laugh twistedly. "Embrace the chaos; revel in the anarchy!"
Adrian could feel the rush of his enhanced power coursing through him. Despite not being a complete transformation, the needle provided him with unprecedented strength, agility, and stamina.
His blows were brutally powerful, and his quick healing kept him in the fight.
Adrian reveled in the sadistic delight of the fight as the battle raged on. He taunted his opponents, pushing them to the brink of their senses.
Shadows clashed with raw power and malevolent amusement in the garage, creating a brutal spectacle. Adrian relished his newfound strength, sneering at them,
"I'm doing all this for the kids; yes, a just cause."
'Does this fucker think we are stupid? Hes just enjoying himself.'
Adrian's mind raced, grappling with the revelation that the powers he had just harnessed were akin to what he should have possessed from birth.
"This is what it feels like to be what you were meant to be! This is how I should have been!"
Fate had been cruel to him, withholding what was rightfully his. The frustration of years of struggle, the years spent feeling inadequate and powerless, surged to the forefront.
An imperceptible yet undeniable change began to manifest around Adrian. An unseen force, an invisible aura, seemed to emanate from him, pulsating with a unique energy.
Alice, Steve, and John exchanged wary glances, sensing something that unsettled the very essence of their being.
It was reminiscent of the feeling they had experienced in Henry's presence—the disquieting blend of malevolence and intellect that defined the deranged scientist.
Alice's voice quivered with uncertainty. "What... what is this?"
As Alice was not the one facing the full brunt of Adrian's punches, unlike Steve and John, she had the full chance to observe how he was pushing both Steve and him back with little to no effort as compared to the start.
John knew this couldn't keep going. He wasn't sure what kind of power this man had or how, but he didn't have the luxury to think about such stuff. Just as he was having all these thoughts, John got kicked right in the stomach and went flying.
In the wake of Adrian's transformation and the peculiar aura that enveloped him, Steve found himself momentarily lost, grappling with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.
The very ground beneath him seemed unstable as the invisible force unsettled him.
The intensity of the situation was amplified by the fact that it was already a formidable task to handle Adrian together with John, but now a different kind of challenge had presented itself.
'Am I supposed to fight this raging bull alone now?'
Steve's inner monologue raced with anxiety and uncertainty. The pressure weighed on his shoulders, and the unknown nature of Adrian's newfound power added to his distress.
A touch of frustration was creeping into his mind.
'Why is Alice not doing anything?"
Steve thought as he glanced at Alice, seeking support or some semblance of a plan in her eyes.
However, to his surprise and dismay, she appeared frozen, her usual confidence replaced by hesitation and a flood of doubt.
Alice, too, was struggling to process the situation. Her mind raced, conflicted by the desire to kill this man and the unsettling feeling that this aura, this change, held more depth than they could comprehend. She grappled with the existence of Henry and the unease he had always evoked.
Steve took a deep breath, attempting to muster the courage to confront Adrian. He knew he could not afford to be hesitant at this critical juncture. 'Alright,' he muttered to himself, steeling his resolve.
'Its not him. Its the doing of that stick like needle he's been holding.'
Adrian came to a sudden halt and turned around to face the entrance.
'Someone is coming.'
Steve and Alice, caught up in Adrian's strange behavior, looked in his direction, all of them spotting a silhouette of a man, every underling of whom feared disappointing.
Henry stood at the entrance of the lab; his piercing, intense eyes, similar to those of a predator, bore into Adrian, revealing a mind twisted by a relentless pursuit of power and control.
The clean white lab coat he wore seemed out of place among the mess that was the lab now, almost like a facade hiding the darkness within.
A chilling smile played on his lips as he spoke, his voice a dissonant blend of arrogance and malice.
"Ah, to whom do I owe the honor of your presence here? And how strange to see someone holding a relic here. I am now very interested in you. Have you had your fill of power?"
"However, I must say that breaking down my door was not very nice of you. If you wanted to free the children, we could have just talked."
He took his time approaching Adrian, as if he meant what he said. But no one was deaf enough to miss the vindictiveness hidden beneath his tone.
"So you made these pills? It is not surprising that you would notice good stuff."
Adrian tightened the grip on the needle, 'he knows what this is'.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
samandridaku
samandridaku Embrace the chaos; revel in the anarchy
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein