I was still trying to wrap my head around everything when I was pulled into the center of the room. The cold concrete floor under my feet felt strangely real, grounding me in the chaos. The scientists kept scribbling notes, glancing up at me, then back down to their papers. It was like we were both objects of fascination and fear.
Lucas stood next to me, his body stiff, eyes darting around the room. He wasn't making eye contact with anyone, just focusing on the floor. The swirling blue flames that had appeared around him faded, leaving behind a buzzing tension in the air.
I could feel the eyes of everyone on us. Every kid, every guard, every scientist. They were watching us like we were something... new. And the worst part was, I didn't know whether it was fear or awe that they were looking at us with.
One of the scientists stepped forward, his glasses reflecting the harsh light above. He was the one who had been writing the most. "Name?" he asked, his voice clipped.
"Chinwe," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I didn't want to show them how terrified I was.
"And you?" he asked, turning to Lucas.
"Lucas," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Show us your abilities again," the scientist ordered.
Lucas's jaw tightened, but he nodded, taking a deep breath. Then, just like before, the flames exploded from his body, but this time it was even more intense. The blue fire swirled around him like a storm, sending waves of heat that made the air shimmer. I could feel the heat on my skin, even though I wasn't the one it was meant for. It was mesmerizing, terrifying.
"Enough," the scientist said, holding up his hand to stop him. "Impressive. Both of you," he added, his eyes flicking between us. He scribbled more notes before stepping back.
I didn't know what he was thinking, but I could tell he was trying to figure out what to do with us. We were different. Different in a way that made them uncomfortable.
The room felt even colder after Lucas stopped. The scientists gathered, murmuring to each other in hushed voices, glancing between us and their notes. I felt like they were dissecting us, like they could see through me, like they were trying to figure out how to control what we had.
I glanced at Lucas again. He was still staring at the floor, hands shaking at his sides. I wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come.
A scientist came over and handed each of us a card. The number was printed on the front, cold and impersonal. It wasn't even a name. Just a number. I swallowed hard.
"Go with them," one of the scientists said, gesturing to the guards near the exit.
The guards stepped forward, their expressions hard and unreadable. They were armed, and the sight of their weapons sent another jolt of fear through me.
We were led out of the room, still in our jumpsuits, to a hallway that felt like it stretched on forever. The sound of our footsteps echoed off the metal walls. I looked at Lucas, but he didn't meet my gaze. He was lost in his own thoughts, his lips pressed tight together.
We were separated then—Lucas taken down one hallway, and I was pulled down another. The guard leading me didn't speak, and the silence only made the weight of everything worse. The tension was thick enough to slice through. The fear that this was just the beginning of something bigger, darker, something I couldn't escape.
They were experimenting on us. The thought hit me like a brick wall. And there was no way out. Not now.
The hallway led to a small room. The walls were bare, and a metal chair sat in the center. A desk was at the far end, stacked with papers. More guards stood near the door, and a scientist who looked far too calm for the situation stood in front of the desk, looking over his notes.
"Sit," the scientist instructed, his voice cold.
I hesitated for a moment before sitting down, the cold metal of the chair pressing against my back.
"Your powers are... interesting," he said, still scribbling on his papers. "Unpredictable, but powerful. You'll be monitored closely. We will begin the tests soon."
Tests.
I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. I had no idea what was coming next, but I knew it wouldn't be good. They were going to break us, piece by piece. They were going to test how far we could be pushed before we cracked.
A door opened, and two more scientists walked in, both wearing lab coats. One of them was carrying a syringe.
I stiffened, my heart hammering in my chest.
"We need to take more blood," one of them said. "For further analysis. Don't resist."
I wanted to scream, to run, but I was too scared to move. What would happen if I resisted? What would they do to me?
I held out my arm, and they injected the needle into my vein, taking more blood. It was the same process over and over again. They didn't care about who we were, about our names, about our lives. We were just... specimens. Experiments. Numbers.
And they were never going to stop.