Chapter 1: Awakening in Darkness
The last thing Lux remembered was the screeching of tires, a scream, and a blinding white light. Then... nothing. When he regained consciousness, there was no blue sky, no gray asphalt, not even his familiar bed. He was surrounded by dense darkness, and a strange smell, like burnt metal and rust, filled his nose.
He opened his eyes with difficulty. These weren't his eyes. The vision was blurry, but the colors were different, sharper and colder. He tried to move his limbs. They were heavy, as if made of lead. He felt sharp pains in every joint.
"Where am I?" he whispered. The voice that came out wasn't his. It was hoarse, deep, and filled with a tone he didn't recognize. A tone... evil?
Gradually, he began to perceive his surroundings. He was inside a cold metal chamber, with faint lights emanating from cracks in the walls. The floor was rough, and the air was stale. He felt something heavy on his wrist, looking down to find a massive metal shackle connected to a thick chain extending to the wall.
"What is this nonsense?" He tried to pull the shackle, but it didn't budge an inch.
Suddenly, a metal door screeched open, and three figures entered. They weren't entirely human. One was tall with gray skin and glowing red eyes, his arms resembling claws. Another was shorter, covered in gleaming armor, his helmet completely obscuring his face. The third, a woman with dark blue hair flowing over her shoulders and sharp violet eyes, wore a tight military uniform that accentuated her athletic build.
"You're finally awake, lunatic," the woman said in a voice as cold as ice, approaching slowly. "Rebooting your brain was a difficult process. You won't remember anything from your previous identity."
Previous identity? What did she mean? Lux felt dizzy. Who were these people? What did they want from him?
"What did you do to me? Who are you?" Lux asked in his strange voice.
The gray-skinned man laughed, a sound like a death rattle. "It doesn't matter who we are. What matters is who you are now. You are Raven. A new member of the Shadow Organization."
"Raven? Shadow?" Lux mumbled, the words foreign on his tongue.
The woman with blue hair moved closer, raising her hand to touch his cheek. Her fingers were icy cold. "Your new memories have been implanted. You are now our agent, our weapon. Your first mission will begin soon."
Suddenly, Lux saw the reflection of his face in the woman's eyes. It wasn't his face. It was a pale, sharp-featured face, and his eyes... his eyes were red, glowing in the darkness in a terrifying way. He felt horror creep into his limbs. This wasn't just a nightmare. He had truly been reincarnated. And in the body of a villain.