Laying down on the operating table, I’m sedated. My arms and legs are bound preventing any movement and only my eyes are free to move about. The doctor who’s going to be operating on me, is a middle aged man along with his assistants. I fail to see his face as it is covered with a surgical mask.

Not bothering to cover my eyes from wondering, I look down to the rest of my body. While I’m looking they take a pair of scissors and begin to remove my clothes. First goes my shirt, then pants and underwear. Now completely naked in-front of these people, I can only close my eyes and pray.

If only Triss was allowed to come in here. I’m extremely nervous laying butt-ass naked if front of strangers. Who would’ve thought they would remove my underwear too. At least put a blindfold on me, so I can’t see what they’re doing.

Washing their surgical tools, they put on blue gloves and spray disinfectant all over them. Content with their preparations, they walk over to the 3D monitor and highlight the core areas of my body. Arms, legs, torso and neck have clear markings of where my major veins are at. Nodding to each other, they each begin to make an insertion at the indicated places.

My heart-rate speeds up as I watch them slice me open. Blood trickles down, while my veins are punctured. Putting pressure on the wound, one of the assistants hurried to bring out five hozes connected to a machine.

One after another, my veins are subjected to the forcefully entry of the plastic instruments. Eventually, my blood flows into the hozes and down into the blood processor. One minute passes, two minutes passes and I’m starting to feel lightheaded. Seeing splotches of black filling my vision, I hear the machine turning on and my blood reentering my body.

Coming back from the verge of unconsciousness, I realize all the surgeons decided to wait for the timer on the 3D model to run out. The five minute count down starts to tick and the anticipation on their faces become even more pronounce.

What are they doing? It can’t be they are only purifying my body. Didn’t I fasted for a few months on nothing besides vitamin pills and water. Their plan must involve me being in perfect shape.

Finally, the timer runs out and the doctors take a few notes of my current health and after double checking to see if I’m conscious, they begin their experiment.

Out of a door behind me, I hear something huge being dragged in. Curious to what is happening, I manage to catch a glimpse behind me.

Is that… What is that? It looks like a mix of a lion and a parrot. It has the lions mane and colorful feathers all down its backside. The legs are furry and have long talons on each end. But why is such a huge thing being wheeled in, behind me. Is this, one of their failed experiments….

“Subject 13’s blood pressure is rising. I’m going to administer a vasodilator to lower it.”

“Go ahead.” Turning around the head surgeon walks towards the beast. “All of us are rather experience with this procedure. I don’t expect any of you to make a mistake here. Out of the 50 specimens tested on, about 9 of them survived this. Subject 13 is different from those trial runs, he’s been reported to have a strong vitality and the best candidate for the improved version of this procedure.”

Agreeing with him, they all pull up a display of the anatomy of the beast. Pointing at several locations and assigning everyone their jobs, the head surgeon begins to cut into the monster.

After the first few incisions I can see its blood pouring out. It’s red like mine, but it has a certain glow to it. Almost like a glow-stick broken apart and puddling up. Shocked at seeing this, I watch the head doctor use great cation using his scalpel. Noticing he’s trying his hardest to not breath in or touch any of the vapors pouring out into the air.

Is that monster’s blood really abnormal? I know it’s glowing, but it shouldn’t be that dangerous. I really hope I’m right, considering you guys are going to be injecting me with it, based off the models I saw.

“We’ll proceed with a complete blood infusion replacing a quart of blood every hour.” Inserting tubes into the open wounds. “I’ll need one of you to inject the serum into 13 soon. Afterwards we’ll have to monitor his condition and prevent it from going critical.”

“Sir it’s every 45 minutes not every hour.”

“Are you sure? Nobody gave me an update about this.” Checking his notes he frowns. “You’re right… I’ll have to report this to Teresa and correct whoever screwed up. We’ll carry out the experiment with a 45 minute intervals instead.”

Wow. I can’t believe you guys almost screwed up. This is my life on the line and a simple miscommunication could’ve gotten me killed. If you ever find out who did this, please smack him for me.

Saying my peace, I laid here until one of the scientist decided to administer me the serum. I don’t know what was in it, except for a deathly cold chill that soon followed. This chill isn’t one you get from a breeze, but something similar to a brain-freeze. It’s so severe, that the sedative isn’t able to block out all of my pain receptors.

I can only feel the chill of death. It’s slowly making it’s way up from my waist and has already reached my feet. My toes are giving off a mist and the coldness is now making its way towards my neck. Am I going to freeze to death by something so strange?

“13’s condition is starting to deteriorate.” Looking away from his screen he motions for the infusion to start. “Hurry, we have less than 15 seconds before he freezes.”

Watching with pained eyes, I can’t even scream. I can see my blood being drawn out of my body and in its place, a bright red syrup is pumped into me. After a full minute, I can start to feel my body warming up a bit. Almost as if, I’m defrosting at an astoundingly speed.

Thank you, I was almost a goner. I didn’t know what to say. Fuck you for putting me near death or thank you for saving my life. Either one works, but I’m happy to still be kicking. At least the chill went away...but why am I starting to feel warm? Like really warm.

As fast as the deathly chill appeared, a searing heat overcomes my body. It intensity is a level below the coldness, but I can already feel my skin blistering from the intense heat. My insides feel like its about to boil and my veins in my body are starting to rupture one by one. The only thing I wish for now is the numbness I felt earlier.

“Subject’s heart rate is stable. The infusion looks like a success.” Flipping through his monitor. “We’ll need to administer the serum every-time we repeat the infusion. Take note on his brain functions and see if we can tweak the experiment to improve its effects.”

Can you guys shut up. My head feels like it’s about to explode and I don’t think you guys would like to clean that up. I think this can be ranked number 1 in the most painful experiences I ever had. Having your body freeze to the point you think you’ll die and all of a sudden you’re body is burning inside out. I can hardly think as is.

Unable to keep my mind off the pain, I try focusing my attention elsewhere. The sweat all over my body has traces of blood in it. My damaged shoulder has protruding veins appearing out of it. I can’t even explain how my body has a slight glow like the monsters blood from earlier. I’m most likely radioactive now.

What feels like hours, passed with in a handful of minutes. I’m laying on the operating table, and the pain finally subsides for the most part. However, my next injection of this crimson alien blood begins. Once again, I go through the near death experience of freezing and burning up. This time it’s more manageable as my body becomes more use to it.

After the fifth time of the blood transfer, my body starts to dim noticeably and the burning sensation starts to subside. Eventually the doctors decided to stop injecting the chilling fluid and have a constant injection of crimson blood into my veins.

Hours passed and the surgeons left one by one. Watching the head surgeon sitting on his chair monitoring my condition, he finally lets out a loud laugh.

“I finally did it! Phil and Ralph you can’t be as boastful now. My subject has made a complete recovery and hasn’t suffered any long term damages.”

Walking over to me, he nudges me awake.

“Tell me. What’s your name.”

My name? What is it again...Will. I almost forgotten due to the torture you guys put me through. I thought my mind was about to break and I’ll be forever changed.

“...Will.”

“Good good. Will is it. I’m called Raimund and you just proved I was right all along.”

“Right? What do you mean?”

“Right about everything! You see, I created a model using you’re DNA and realized we had to be very subtle in the change of your genetic makeup. First you have to be feed special medication and detox your system. Afterwards we used the blood of a A class beast to help slowly change your body from the inside.” Smiling cheerfully, he throws his hands in the air. “I showed them all! They all took dramatic approaches in their research. Replacing organs, nerves, and body parts, all taking shots into the dark. All of them said you would die and my vaccine I created was a hoax and illogical. But, you’re alive and the changes are already happening to you!”

“Ch.Changes?”

“Changes that would shake the world. Even I was starting to doubt myself, but being given such a good specimen… I mean you Will. Has proven a high vitality is all I was missing to complete everything I hypothesis.” Pacing back and forth. “Now we just need to find a way to boost the average constitution of a person. It won’t be easy, but using your data as a base line will help change everything.”

“Um Raimund. W.What is going to happen to me?”

“Hmm. Besides a few more tests, I honestly don’t know. The most likely thing is you’ll need recover and be lead outside into the void zone. If you feel fine and nothing happens than we succeeded. After that we’ll need to find a way to produce the magic outside.”

“Magic? Are you talking about the phenomenons produced by those foreign creatures?”

“Not just creatures, even plants and sometimes natural disasters.” Pointing towards the sedative beast. “This chimera we captured was able to produce lightning out of thin air. It’s red bolts were able to bypass our force fields and is the main reason its categorize as a level A threat. How he was able to create this red lightning is un-explainable. The only thing we discovered, was its core in its body was absorbing and releasing the contamination from outside its body, and ended up creating lightning.”

“Magic… Are you guys trying to make me able to do that too?”

“Of course we are. This is the main reason for all of this.” Pointing to all the lab equipment. “Our first priority was to make us immune to the radiation from outside. And the second one was to level the playing field with the inhabitants here. I believe our next experiment will be trying to transplant this monsters core directly into you.”

Not giving me anytime to retort, he lets in two guards to wheel me out. In the elevator I can feel my head pounding and a cold sweat dripping down my back. My room comes closer and the exhaustion starts to set in.

This is all too much to take in. I’ve been kidnapped and isolated for months. Told I was the perfect specimen and others died going through what I have. Now I learn I will be able to use magic and the only thing I need to do is survive having an organ from that chimera being put inside me. It’s to much to think about, I’ll have to lay down and sleep it off.

Exhausted I finally was pushed into my familiar room. White wall, bed and bathroom. Cameras in every corner and the TV remote sitting on the bed. Sluggishly I crawled my way to the shower and rinse all the blood off of me. Noticing I was all alone, I discovered my skin was already healed.

“Is this a side affect from the procedure?”

Hurried I looked into my mirror. My shaggy brown hair is slightly darker and my iris’s have streaks of green in them. The scar on my shoulder has disappeared and my veins are more pronounced.

Is this all the changes that have happened? Eerily greenish eyes and faster healing?

Cutting my hand with my razor, I discovered my blood is bright red like the lion’s. Also, the cut on my hand heals visibly to the eye. After an hour of watching my wound close, I conclude I’m definitely not normal anymore.

Like a chimera but in human form. I’m happy with the changes, but my eyes are a little bit too different for my taste. Am I slowly becoming nonhuman? I look human and feel nothing wrong, unless I’m mentally different. This room I’m in, has already changed my outlook on life so a few experiments won’t change me much. I hope.

Standing back up, I can feel the exhaustion becoming to much to handle. Making my way to my bed, I flip on the TV and fall into a deep sleep.

In my dream, I was a lion’s cub. I walked around with my mother and hunted smaller creatures. Ripping them apart and swallowing them, I soon became the king of my domain. My mother became older so I had to manage my territory alone. Until one day, I notice hundreds of metal monsters crossing my domain. Threaten at a possible evasion, I woke my aged mother up and attempted to flee. However, a blue field covered us and my strength was starting to dissipate. It was around this time my mother was killed and I became vengeful. Escaping out of my territory I began to strike them repeatedly over the next few weeks. One red bolt after another, I managed to kill most of them. However, I was careless and got trapped before all went black.

Waking up sweating, I realized dark lines fading from my skin.

“What the hell was that?”

Was I dreaming of that chimeras past? This is way to weird to be a coincidence. And what was those lines from earlier. I really need to be careful and monitor any more changes.

Standing up, I notice another note from Triss.

And after today, I started to have dreams of being that monster every night. All they way up to the schedule day I can finally go outside.