Ape-X followed the academy's higher-up through the silent halls. His childhood friend tried to go with him, but the guards stopped her. "Only he is coming," they said. The last thing he saw before the doors shut was her worried face.
The man in the black coat led him deep into the academy, past restricted zones that no students were allowed to enter. Ape-X had never been here before, yet something about this place felt... familiar.
Finally, they arrived at a massive steel door. The man placed his hand on a scanner, and with a hiss, the door slid open. Inside was a dark room, lit only by glowing blue symbols on the walls. A single metal chair sat in the center.
"Sit," the man ordered.
Ape-X hesitated but complied. The moment he sat down, **chains shot out from the walls**, binding his arms and legs. His instincts screamed at him to fight, but he forced himself to stay calm.
"What's this about?" he asked.
The man folded his arms. "You're hiding something, aren't you? No normal ability allows someone to devour a monster and inherit its powers."
Ape-X stayed silent.
The man sighed. "Your powers… they don't match anything we've documented. The **Eat** ability was classified as useless, but what you did today changed everything."
Ape-X still said nothing. His mind was racing. **They don't know.**
The academy, the government—whoever these people were, they had no idea of his true nature. That meant he still had the advantage.
The man continued. "We've seen something like this before… but only in ancient texts. There was once a being with an ability similar to yours. A glutton that could devour the very fabric of reality itself."
Ape-X's heart skipped a beat.
**No way…**
The man leaned in. "Tell me, what are you?"
Ape-X met his gaze and smirked. "Just a guy who likes to eat."
The man's eyes narrowed. Then, he gestured to someone behind him. A scientist in a lab coat stepped forward, holding a tablet. "We're running some tests on your blood. If you really are just a normal student, this will prove it."
Ape-X's smirk faded. **This is bad.**
He had never thought about it before, but if his body was truly different from everyone else's, these tests would expose him. His secret would be out. He needed a distraction.
Then, he remembered.
**Lock.**
He focused, activating his ability in a way he never had before.
**Lock.**
The machine scanning his blood **froze** mid-process. The scientist's tablet **glitched out**, the screen going black. The chains binding him? **Unlocked.**
In one smooth motion, Ape-X leaped up, shattering the chains completely. The scientist stumbled back in shock. The man in the black coat barely had time to react before Ape-X was already at the door.
"STOP HIM!" the man shouted.
Alarms blared. Red lights flashed. Guards rushed in from all directions.
Ape-X took a deep breath.
**Trap.**
In an instant, the floor beneath the guards transformed into a massive labyrinth. Walls of energy appeared, twisting into an impossible maze. The guards were **trapped**.
Ape-X grinned. **Looks like my abilities aren't so weak after all.**
Without wasting another second, he sprinted down the hallway. He didn't know where he was going, but one thing was clear: **The academy was hiding something big. And if he wanted answers, he had to escape.