Darkness.
That was the first thing Cliff felt after losing consciousness in the hospital room. His body felt heavy—too heavy to move, too cold to be alive. Slowly, his eyelids fluttered open.
When his vision cleared, he realized he wasn't in the hospital anymore. The room around him was dimly lit, metallic, and smelled faintly of rust and medicine. His wrists and ankles were bound tightly with thick chains, holding him to a chair.
A man in a black coat stepped into the light. His voice was calm, almost casual.
"So… you're finally awake. You've been feeling strange lately, haven't you? Stronger… smarter… like something inside you changed."
Cliff's throat was dry. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The man smiled faintly. "I can answer everything. But first, you'll have to agree to work with us."
"Work with you? What does that even mean?"
"To become one of us," the man replied, pacing slowly around him. "We're government agents. We deal with the aftermath of biological experiments gone wrong—people injected with modified DNA. Some gain powers… others become lifeless monsters. We call them 'failed experiments.'"
Cliff stared, his heartbeat quickening. "And what does that have to do with me?"
The man leaned closer, eyes cold and steady. "Because you've already adapted to one of those DNAs. We've been watching you ever since the hospital incident. Your body's changing… slowly, but it's adapting. We kidnapped you to offer a deal—join us, help us clean up the failed ones, and we'll keep you alive."
He paused, letting the words sink in. "If you refuse… your unstable DNA will consume you, and you'll end up like the others—mindless, twisted, and dead inside."
Cliff clenched his fists. "You're insane."
"Maybe. But insanity pays well. Become an agent. Hunt the failures. Bring back their DNA. You can live your normal life by day—school, friends, whatever you want. But after 7 PM… you report here. Fail to show up, and we'll find you. Or worse—your family."
The man's tone softened, but only slightly. "If you collect a body part from a failed experiment, we can transfer their DNA to you. That means their powers—yours. Though side effects are still… unpredictable."
Cliff took a shaky breath. "So I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"Not unless you want your family to bury you."
He bit his lip, then nodded slowly. "…Fine. I'll do it."
"Good choice."
Within minutes, more agents entered the room. They unchained him and carried him into a sterile surgery chamber. The lights blazed down on him, white and blinding. He barely understood what was happening—needles, wires, and vials of glowing liquid surrounded him. They injected several DNA serums into his veins, mixed with adaptability boosters and pain suppressants.
The pain was unbearable. It felt like his entire body was being torn apart molecule by molecule. He screamed until his voice broke. Hours later, when the light dimmed, they finally unstrapped him and dumped him near his home.
When he rang the bell, his mother screamed. His father froze. Cliff was wrapped in bandages, bruises covering his skin. They rushed him to the hospital, terrified, but doctors could only say he'd suffered massive internal trauma—no cause found.
He returned home at 4 AM, exhausted, and collapsed on his bed. For the first time in days, sleep claimed him instantly.
—
The next morning, he skipped school. His body still ached from whatever they'd done to him. Around 10 AM, a black car pulled up outside. Two men stepped out and called his name.
He followed them silently back to the hideout.
Inside, the same man from before greeted him. "Glad to see you alive. Your next task is simple. A failed experiment was spotted near the city's edge. You'll go tonight."
Cliff frowned. "Why can't you just kill it yourselves?"
"Because this is training. You need to learn. Besides, if it kills a few people… consider that motivation. It's slow but deadly. Avoid its strikes, and you'll live."
Cliff said nothing. That night, he slept most of the day to regain energy.
When the sun vanished, he returned to the designated area—a quiet, abandoned park. The silence was eerie. He searched for the creature for almost an hour, but found nothing. Just as he was about to give up, his earpiece crackled.
"The target's signal just vanished," said the operator. "Stay alert."
Then, a voice—calm, human—spoke behind him. "What's a boy doing out here so late?"
Cliff spun around. A man stood there, wrapped in a scarf, his face hidden. His presence was heavy, suffocating.
"It's none of your business," Cliff said, stepping back.
The man tilted his head. "You shouldn't trust the people behind that voice. They're using you. Why don't you suffer a bit, so you can understand the job you've accepted?"
Before Cliff could react, a flash of light—then pain. His right arm was gone.
He screamed, collapsing to his knees. The man's voice echoed coldly. "Take your arm and run back to your masters. They know how to fix you. You're not human anymore anyway."
Cliff barely made it back to the hideout. Another surgery followed—three hours of agony as they reattached his severed arm. When it was over, he lay silent, eyes empty.
"I'm done," he whispered. "I'm not doing this anymore."
The commander's tone turned sharp. "Then we'll kill your family."
That broke him.
He lowered his head, trembling. "…Fine. I'll keep doing it."
They handed him an envelope. "¥10,000 for your trouble. You'll earn more soon. Don't waste it."
He deposited it in his bank the next day. When his parents asked where he'd been, he lied again.
By morning, he returned to school. His friends froze when they saw the bandages, the stitches, the hollow look in his eyes.
"What happened to you?" Valvet asked, terrified.
Cliff forced a laugh. "Got hit by a car. Again. Guess my bad luck's unbeatable."
They took him to a hot spring that evening so he could relax. The warmth of the water almost made him forget the pain. Almost.
But as night returned, he was called again.
This time, when he arrived at the site, there really was a failed experiment waiting. A grotesque creature with shredded flesh and glowing veins. Cliff fought with everything he had. For the first time, one of his implanted DNAs reacted—his arm glowed, and with a single strike, he tore the creature apart.
Half its body disintegrated on impact.
He dragged what was left of it back to the base. They harvested its DNA and injected it into him that same night.
The pain was the same—burning, endless—but when it was over, he could feel it. Speed. Strength. Power.
He received ¥50,000 for the mission. For once, he smiled. A broken smile, but real.
The next morning at school, they played a casual football match. Cliff joined in, his movements sharper, faster. He carried the entire team by himself, almost effortlessly.
Valvet stared from the sidelines. "When did you get this good?"
He just smiled faintly, eyes distant.
"Guess I finally adapted."