Beyond Human: The Experiment Who Became a Monster

CHAPTER 1: Negative

"Negative."

A middle-aged man dressed in a white lab coat stared at the results on the screen, his expression sinking into disappointment.

"Sigh! The boy still hasn't awakened any powers. What a shame."

The other figures in the room exchanged glances before letting out similar sighs. Some shook their heads, while others simply stared at the results with undisguised disappointment.

"He's already sixteen years old, four years past the usual age of awakening," another man remarked. "If he hasn't awakened by now, there's little hope that he ever will. At this point, he's as good as useless."

"What should we do, Doctor Shaw? You've been in charge of his case from the beginning. What do you suggest?"

The man addressed as Doctor Shaw fell silent, contemplating the matter for a brief moment. After a short while, he leaned back in his chair and spoke.

"There's nothing more we can do for him. Continuing to invest our time and resources in a boy who shows no signs of awakening would be a waste." He paused briefly before continuing. "To recoup some of our losses, I suggest we use him as a test subject for our latest research. At least then, we might get something useful out of him."

"What?! You want to use him as a lab rat?"

A man seated farther down the table abruptly rose to his feet, his voice rising in disbelief.

Doctor Shaw turned to look at him, his expression unperturbed. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Of course, there's a problem!" the man retorted. "He's just a boy! His body won't be able to withstand the strain of the experiment. He'll die!"

"Doctor Zho, you shouldn't allow your emotions to cloud your judgment." Doctor Shaw's voice remained calm, almost indifferent. "People die every day. If not him, then someone else. Are you suggesting that his life is somehow more valuable than theirs?"

Doctor Zho opened his mouth, but Doctor Shaw continued before he could respond.

"Besides, if his death brings us one step closer to a breakthrough, then it won't have been in vain. Sometimes, sacrifices are necessary for the greater good. If he can contribute to our research, even at the cost of his life, then his death will have served a purpose."

Doctor Zho stared at him in disbelief. He had known Doctor Shaw to be a cold man, but he had never imagined the other would so casually sentence a sixteen-year-old boy to death in the name of scientific progress.

Desperate for some sign of opposition, he turned to the other doctors around the table, hoping that at least one of them would share his concerns. However, none did. Some remained focused on the documents before them, while others exchanged indifferent glances. Not a single person spoke up in the boy's defense.

The sight left Doctor Zho with a bitter ache in his chest. He had thought that, as doctors, they shared a common responsibility toward human life. Yet, faced with the prospect of sacrificing a boy for their research, they seemed to have no reservations whatsoever.

But what could he do?

His objections carried little weight among people who had already made up their minds. With so many of them in agreement, anything he said would be dismissed as nothing more than an emotional outburst.

Just then, another doctor broke the silence.

"There's still one matter to consider. We need to inform General Conrad and obtain his approval first. After all, he seemed particularly interested in the boy."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Of course." Doctor Shaw smiled faintly as he rose from his seat. "I wouldn't proceed with something like this without informing General Conrad and obtaining his permission."

He straightened his coat before turning toward the door.

"In the meantime, have someone bring the boy in and prepare him for the procedure. We don't have much time to waste."

With that, he left the room.

Doctor Zho remained where he was for a moment, watching helplessly as the situation slipped further beyond his control. Eventually, he let out a weary sigh and followed the others out.

Although he was a doctor just like the rest of them, however, his position within the facility carried little authority. His rank was too low, and his influence too insignificant, to change the course of events.

For now, all he could do was watch.

A short while later, one of the doctors made his way toward a transparent glass chamber.

Inside, a young boy lay on a narrow bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

He looked terribly pale and sickly, as though his body lacked even a single drop of blood. His white hair contrasted sharply with his striking violet eyes, which, despite their unusual beauty, seemed devoid of any light or vitality. He lay motionless, his gaze fixed on an empty corner of the room, seemingly lost in a world of his own.

Click!

The sound of a door opening broke the silence. The moment he heard the accompanying footsteps, the boy's head snapped toward the entrance. The lifelessness in his violet eyes briefly gave way to a glimmer of hope, and he hurriedly sat up.

"Doctor Kay! Are the results out yet? Did I awaken my powers?" The questions came in quick succession, his voice betraying the eagerness he could barely contain.

Doctor Kay stood by the entrance, silently observing him for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. You failed to awaken your powers again."

The boy's expression stiffened.

"At this point, the facility has concluded that you may never awaken. You've already surpassed the usual age for awakening by several years, and the chances of that changing are practically nonexistent."