The study was steeped in silence, thick with anticipation. High ceilings loomed overhead, dark wood swallowing the last light of dusk that leaked through the lone window.
The six children stood before the Baron's desk—Rhys, Felix, Briar, Corbin, Beatrice, and Emmett. Their clothes were crisp, their bodies rested, but the last two weeks had carved shadows into their faces.
Baron Calvin smiled with unnerving warmth and gestured to the leather chairs.
"Please, sit. No need for formality. You've all done remarkably well—especially in the final trials. We were impressed."
Rhys did not move.
"What was the point of the tests?"
His voice was steady,
"You said you'd tell us after the tests were completed"
The Baron's smile deepened.
"An excellent question."
He slid open a drawer and drew out a vial of glass, holding it to the lamplight. Inside, a purple liquid coiled sluggishly, faint glimmers flickering in its depths.
"This,"
he said softly,
"is the point."
Felix leaned forward despite himself.
"What is it?"
"Calvanite,"
the Baron replied, savoring the name.
"Discovered by me. Named after me."
Briar's voice was cautious.
"Where did it come from?"
His eyes drifted to the window.
"The southern forests of Reed. My miners work day and night there. No one else knows about it—not the public, not even the other barons."
He set the vial of Calvanite on his desk and leaned back in his chair, a chilling, triumphant glint in his eyes. He let the silence hang for a moment, like a showman waiting for the applause.
"I imagine you're all wondering what made the contents in that little bottle worth a full-scale mining operation."
His gaze, sharp and cold, swept across their faces.
His fingers tapped the vial.
"At first glance, it is worthless."
A predatory smile stretched across his lips.
"But we discovered something fascinating. When introduced into the body... it awakens potential—strength, speed, endurance, raising it to tremendous levels... temporarily, and at the cost of the user's life."
Corbin's voice cut in, steady but sharp. "And this has to do with us… how?"
The Baron leaned forward, folding his hands. His grin sharpened into something predatory.
"You of all people should have figured it out by now, Corbin. We've refined Calvanite. No longer instant death. On the contrary—power, and longevity. This success was built on the remains of our past test subjects, both those who were willing, and those who were... not so willing."
Beatrice's small voice trembled into the silence.
"So... the people you used as test subjects are all... dead?"
"Yes."
he said without hesitation. The word dropped like a stone. The children flinched: Felix's hands shook, Briar's breath hitched, Rhys's fists clenched, they all took a step back. Only Emmett and Corbin stayed still, their eyes locked on the Baron.
"All of them?"
Briar whispered.
The Baron tilted his head, amusement flickering.
"Not all. Two survived. Twins. Resilient little brats. But that is a story for another time."
He lifted the vial again, its glow twisting across his face.
"This batch is stable. Safe, or so we believe. And you all,"
he murmured, pointing a finger at the six of them.
"will be the first to prove it."
The air thickened like smoke. Felix's face drained of color, Beatrice clutched Briar's sleeve, and Rhys stepped forward, teeth bared as if to shield the others.
He rose, his shadow stretching long across the desk.
"Prepare yourselves. Soon, Calvanite will be injected into your bodies."
The children froze. For a heartbeat, no one breathed. Even the composed Corbin had begun to slowly withdraw, his eyes tense and filled terror.
Their fate pulsed in purple light.