Eleven years ago.

"I cannot promise you it vill vork, sire. The procedure, it... it iz too bizarre, even for me."

There was a pause. A brief shifting of fine fabric.

"I have full confidence that you'll find a way."

Another pause.

"Vhen you say... electricity, Mr. Tear Stealer—are you... are you quite sure?"

Jack listened with bated breaths, his heartbeat pounding in his chest. It was dark, save for the warm light pooling from beneath the door. He could barely make out anything around him—just a few outlines of drawers and metal carts. But he could hear the two voices loud and clear.

"You told me your team redesigned the first experiment," said the lower voice, which Jack now identified as the Tear Stealer.

He didn't understand such a silly name. But—now that he thought about it, it sounded awfully familiar.

"Yes, zhey—zhey did," said the other voice, which Jack only knew as the doctor. "However—"

"He's a human," said the Tear Stealer. "Fresh off the streets. Clean blood, everything."

There was a sharp click of a footstep.

"He's ready."

Jack swallowed, his body shaking. The cold metal table beneath him didn't help matters, either—his bare arms pressed against it, but no matter how hard he tried to move away from the biting cold, his wrists met resistance.

There was another long, dreadful pause.

Jack shakily breathed in and out, the panic beginning to gnaw at his throat. He could sense it—danger. Something bad was about to happen.

"Very well," said the doctor, voice quiet. "I'll call ze team."

Jack swallowed, and when the door clicked open, his heart rate skyrocketed. Light pooled into the room he was in, but he quickly closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. He didn't think he could handle seeing his two captors—or whoever they were—at the moment.

With a metal clang, the entire room burst forth with white light.

The darkness beneath Jack's lids faded, and he squinted, the light burning. A series of claps rang throughout the air, and then fingers were snapping beside Jack's ear. He flinched, his face scrunching.

"Vakey, vakey!" called the doctor. "Time to get up, human!"

Jack began to hyperventilate.

He wearily opened his eyes, squinting at the light—it was so bright that it burned and sent pain through his head. He bared his teeth and groaned, eyes painfully adjusting to the light.

Human, he thought. They addressed him as human.

Now that his eyes focused, he took in his surroundings the best he could.

The room was enormous, arching up in a dome shape. Everything was pure white. Clinical.

Glass cabinets lined the walls, as well as silver metal carts, tables, and intravenous poles. Near the ceiling, there was a balcony, and on it stood a man clothed in pure black. He looked like a void against the stark white surroundings, but his eyes—so red, so bright...

He looked like a monster.

Jack swallowed, his body trembling, and when he looked down at himself, he found his wrists and ankles chained to the legs of the table. He tugged on them, and they clanged loudly, the littlest of sounds echoing throughout the enclosure.

"Zhere..." came the doctor's voice. "Feels good to be avake, hm?"

Jack's gaze whirled onto him, and his eyes widened. The doctor wore a white lab coat with a stethoscope draped around his neck—seemingly unthreatening—but what was even worse were the contraptions behind him.

Monitors, large rods, clamps, and more. Jack didn't recognize half of the items, but they were enough to send chills down his spine.

He knew exactly where he was.

There had been an ongoing series of abductions. People—plucked off the street like prey—never to be seen again. When the police tried investigating, a body turned up—on display—with the obvious marks of experimentation on it. A threat.

Clearly made by Evolveds, no human authority dared to continue the investigation. It was too risky, too impossible to solve.

Which meant there was no hope for Jack.

No one—not a single soul—would come to his rescue.

Jack shuddered, bile rising in his throat.

He was going to become one of those victims.

And when he realized that, he reached the next horrifying reality.

He was surrounded by Evolveds.

A group of people walked into the laboratory then, adorned with the same white coats. Jack began to panic—he thrashed against the chains; he hyperventilated; he shook his head furiously. His heart threatened to burst from his chest.

"N-no—" he managed out, body trembling. "No, let me go! Let me go!!"

The scientists were unaffected. They huddled around the metal table—huddled around Jack—their faces blacked out into monstrous shadows that loomed over him.

Tears sprang to Jack's eyes, and his vision began to close in.

"Noo, nonono no," he cried, shaking his head. A few scientists pulled out their clipboards, writing down his reactions and—from far off—his vitals. His heart rate was climbing dangerously.

"Calm him down," snapped the doctor. "It vill be no use if he's all hayvire."

A scientist wheeled over a metal cart and set it next to the table. They grabbed a syringe and held it over Jack, the needle glinting in the light.

His face paled.

"N-no—d-don't touch me!!"

While Jack struggled, the Tear Stealer watched from the balcony. The human looked so small from this height—so meager and helpless. The scientists crowded around him looked like vultures.

His eyes narrowed, and a frown settled on his lips. His fingers tightened over the railing.

"You look tense," said a voice from behind him.

The Tear Stealer swallowed, and he glanced over his shoulder, meeting another pair of red eyes. He quickly tried to contain himself, feigning passiveness but failing.

"It's just... loud," he said quietly, turning back to look down on the laboratory. The human's screams weren't as frequent now—more so grumbles and high-pitched cries.

The woman smiled at the other's mannerisms.

"Even now, you still can't quite control yourself, son," she said. "You let your emotions get the better of you."

Her heels clicked as she joined his side, her black cloak gracefully pooling on the glossy floor. By her neck were those crystalline, tear-shaped clasps that held her cloak together; signature for the Edwards family.

She hummed, gazing down at the procedure through thick lashes.

"Although..." she said, watching the human squirm on the table. "I'm proud of you for catching this one."

The Tear Stealer averted his eyes, scowling under his breath.

"This is wrong," he said.

The woman rose a brow at him. "This is progressive," she corrected. "Converting humans into Evolveds?" She smiled. "Our kind wouldn't have to hide any longer."

"And instead," muttered the Tear Stealer, "we'll have people who were once human—suffering in the masses." He glared at the woman through the corner of his eye. "If anything, that sounds worse."

The woman's face hardened, but the Tear Stealer continued, tilting his chin up.

"There's a reason why we're divided," he said. "Humans don't understand us, and we don't understand them. Each kind sticks to their own."

"But we could change that," breathed the woman, eyes glittering. The paleness of her face seemed to liven despite the clinical taste of their surroundings. "Everyone—all Evolveds... we wouldn't have to live in two worlds anymore."

She had the right idea. Just the wrong... approach.

The Tear Stealer gritted his teeth.

"Whatever," he muttered. "It's too late now, seeing as... well." He motioned towards the experiment taking place down below, and the woman smiled. She lifted a hand up to rest on his shoulder.

"When this is over, son... and when this works..." she said. "You will be thanking me."

The Tear Stealer frowned at that. He had a strong feeling otherwise.

The doctor looked up at the balcony and waved his hands, catching their attention.

"Mrs. Celine!" he shouted, voice bouncing off the smooth walls. "Ve are ready for ze procedure!"

Celine's smile widened, slowly, and she nodded.

"I expect this to work, Dr. Schneeplestein!" she shouted back. The doctor gave a thumbs up, and she glanced over at the Tear Stealer, raising a thin brow.

"Come on, Damien," she said with hubris. "You just sit and watch your mother make history."

She tilted her head, smiled, and walked through the door and off the balcony.

Dark swallowed, gazing down... and after a long moment, he followed after, closing the door. He headed down the steps, robes fluttering, his thoughts searching for a way to stop this. But, once he reached the viewing room, he still hadn't come up with anything.

Celine stood in front of the thick glass, her hands folded in her lap. Her smile was sinister, and it even sent chills down the Tear Stealer's spine.

"I've always wanted to see an Evolved," said Celine, "who could control electricity."

Dark stood beside her, jaw tight.

"Not manipulate it like the benders," she continued, "but... produce it from thin air." Her eyes glittered as she spoke. "This human will be powerful, no doubt. I just can't wait to see him in action."

Dark's face hardened; he still couldn't believe what he was hearing, even now that it was becoming a reality.

Humans... becoming Evolveds. And—choosing the powers to give them, it was—it was beyond dangerous.

"This is reckless, even for you," said Dark. "This amount of power, mother... he'd—he'd be stronger than us."

Celine hummed at that, tilting her head to look up at him. "My sweet..." she breathed. "Even so, there is no such thing as one absolute power." She raised her hand to gently stroke the side of the Tear Stealer's face.

"While this human may obtain physical power... you have the strength of intelligence."

Dark pulled away from her touch, and she only shrugged, turning back to watch the scientists mill about the human.

"That," she said, "is the greatest power anyone can have."

"Please," he scoffed. "I can relive people's memories through their tears. It's pathetic, really."

Celine smirked.

"You took down two administrations in one, single hour," she said smoothly. "The governor is still undergoing charges, you know. Awfully terrible secrets you found."

Dark frowned at that, but before he could answer, the laboratory shook—the ground, the walls... even the cabinets clattered from the force and threatened to tip over.

Dark and Celine stared through the glass, at full attention.

From above, two menacing, metal prongs mechanically tilted so they were pointing straight at the metal table. They were dangerously close to Jack's body, nearly slicing into him when he moved.

Dark's breaths went shallow.

He had to stop this.

The prongs whirred with energy, the sound growing louder with every second. It vibrated the laboratory, and the group of scientists rushed into the viewing room to safety with Dark and Celine. Dr. Schneeplestein stayed where he was, adjusting everything and making sure everything was correct.

Jack began to struggle again, the sedating serum wearing off. He screamed and wailed and begged, but over the generating sound of the prongs, no one could hear him. They were sinister-looking, pointed straight at him; they took up the entire space of the laboratory, gleaning with metal and rings.

With a devastating clang, heat began to pulse from them.

"No, God—PLEASE!" Jack cried, thrashing against the chains. "PLEASE! PLEASE D-DON'T DO THIS!"

The doctor pulled up a lever, and the prongs sparked with electricity. He stared at Jack for a moment, meeting his wet eyes—then ran off to cover in the viewing room.

Jack sobbed.

Everyone huddled behind the glass, watching the prongs spark and come to life. The heat was so strong that they could see the waves.

At the very tip of the prongs, the electricity sparked into a ball, growing bigger—and bigger—and bigger by the second.

Dark watched with bated breaths.

This was the worst experiment of them all. It was—it was worse than inhumane! It was—God, it was—

Jack's screams were muffled from the sound of the machine.

This was the Devil's work.

Dark gazed at Celine through the corner of his eye. She was smiling, bright and wide, like it was her birthday. Her eyes glowed with excitement, and they never once left the sight of the procedure.

The machines whirred louder, until it looked like Jack was just screaming in silence.

He had to stop it—but how?

The ball of energy glowed like the sun, and everyone squinted. Dr. Schneeplestein handed out anti-radiation sunglasses to everyone. Dark forced himself to accept one.

He had to focus.

He examined the contents of the lab in seconds, eyes darting over every facet of the rattling cabinets and machines. The light was growing brighter, blocking out the entire laboratory—but when he squinted, he could just barely make out the outline of Jack's body. He was struggling, his entire body thrashing like a fish out of water.

Dark's mouth went dry.

There wasn't enough time.

His mind racked through the possibilities.

The lever—

He stared at it, breathing hard. He couldn't go into the laboratory; the heat, the radiation—he'd die in a matter of minutes.

No, he had to pull down that lever from where he was.

But how?

How?

The electricity sparked dangerously, a few bolts whipping against the glass. The scientists jumped back.

Dark thought, and thought, and thought. Until he came across—

Everyone was too enraptured to notice he'd gone quiet.

—an idea.

He could bend tears.

Tears were water.

He clenched his fists, breathing hard.

There was moisture—water—in the air. If he could focus hard enough—focus on the individual droplets—

He might be able to break the machine.

He swallowed, his heart pounding in his chest. It was a long shot, but he had to try. He had to try.

With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, heightening his senses to the moisture around him. He could sense the wet of everyone's eyes, first—the water that made up their bodies. But he had to go deeper—smaller.

His brows furrowed, his jaw clenched tight. The entire room seemed to vibrate around him, coming to life—and when he opened his eyes, he could see them.

Each individual droplet in the air—practically glowing against the bright electricity.

He had to focus.

Trying his hardest, he used his ability to gather the droplets. A few in the corner merged, collecting and collecting—until it became a droplet that was visible to any other person.

He had to focus.

He gathered more—quickly, subtly—until, hidden from his mother and the scientists—there was an orb of water the size of his palm.

Schneeplestein walked forward then, wedging himself between Dark and Celine. He nearly lost control of the water then, furiously blinking to keep control.

He had to focus.

"I vant you to do ze honors," came Schneeplestein's voice, which sounded like an echo to Dark. The doctor handed Celine a clunky device with a single, red button on it. He smiled. "Once you press it... ve vill make history."

Dark swallowed, allowing himself a moment to glance over at them. Celine gazed over the doctor's shoulder and smiled at her son. It sent chills down his spine.

There wasn't much time. Once she pressed that button—

He had to focus.

He had to focus.

Dark breathed hard, returning his attention to the orb and guiding it towards the lever. His fingers flicked beneath his cloak, and the orb rushed towards the other side of the room.

If he put the orb of water into the mechanics behind the lever, the system would burn out and crash.

Hopefully.

He swallowed.

It had to work.

With a flick of his finger, the orb pressed against the lever, threatening to break. It hovered there, glittering against the electricity.

Celine gazed at her son, and she gently pushed Schneeplestein aside. She stood right beside Dark, gazing up at him—and grabbed his wrist through his cloak.

Dark tensed up, the orb nearly breaking right then and there—and his eyes flicked down to his mother. Her eyes went half-lidded.

"I think," she said, pulling Dark's hand out from underneath his cloak, "that Damien and I should press it together."

She rose a brow, forcing the device into Dark's palm. He wearily wrapped his fingers around it, struggling to focus on both the orb of water and his mother.

Fuck.

Dark wearily smiled at her, eye twitching.

"That's awfully... kind of you, mother," he managed out, "but this was your idea, after all." He pushed the device in front of her. "You deserve it."

Celine gazed down at it, and with a deep breath, she smiled.

"Always the flatterer, my son," she cooed. She cupped Dark's hand with her own. "You hold it, then... while I press it."

Godammit, thought Dark. It was like she knew exactly what he was doing.

His brow twitched, and he forced himself to nod.

"Go on, then," he breathed. "Get this over with."

Celine hummed, and she gazed through the viewing glass. The orb of light was enormous, and there was no doubt it was burning into Jack's fragile body.

Dark swallowed.

He had to time it just right.

Celine's fingers shifted over Dark's hand, resting on the button—

Dark focused on the orb of water, which was right beside the lever—

And just as she pressed the button—

Dark let the orb drop.

The machine coughed and sputtered, and in a flash of pure white, the laboratory exploded with sparks.

The scientists reeled back.

The lab shook.

The metal prongs jolted.

But the electricity didn't die.

Dark watched in horror as the prongs exploded. The orb of energy grew bigger, and with a violent lurch, it shot into Jack's body like a laser beam.

"NO—!!"

He didn't know who was screaming anymore.

He had failed.

The machine was failing—but it was making the experiment even worse.

What should have lasted minutes molded into a blur of hysteria.

Schneeplestein held his head in his hands. The other scientists grabbed at each other.

Another violent lurch.

A spark of energy cracked out like a whip. It cracked the glass, and everyone fell back.

But it didn't come from the machine.

Metal creaked and groaned—the laboratory shook like an earthquake—and the metal prongs crashed into the floor. A wave of heat and force boomed in the laboratory, and the glass exploded into millions of shards.

Screaming.

"GET DOWN!" Schneeplestein.

The machine powered off with a loud sputter.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" Celine.

The lights went out.

And then a flash.

White burst from inside the lab, and Dark squinted over the broken glass. His body went cold.

There, huddled and clawing at the floor, screaming, was Jack.

He was the source of the light.

His body twitched, and everytime he tried to get up, his feet scuffed and slipped. Sparks bolted around his body, shocking into him and lacing through his very being. Even his skin glowed—every single vein laced with electricity.

Dark looked behind him, eyes wide. Everyone had collapsed onto the floor, aching under piles of glass shards.

Celine was the first to shift.

She grimaced, the glass cutting into her palms. She met eyes with Dark, wavering—then, seeing the look on his face, peered over the wall.

Her eyes widened despite the brightness, and her mouth fell open.

"Damien..." she gasped. She slowly stood, using the wall to help herself up. Glass dug into her palms, and black blood dripped to the floor, but she could care less. She stared at the sight with wonder.

"Mother," hissed Dark. "Get down."

Celine didn't listen. Instead, she hoisted herself out of the viewing room, her cloak tearing on the glass shards that were once the viewing window.

Dark cursed. He glanced back at the scientists. They were beginning to wake up.

"Mother!" he called, turning away from them and jumping over the ledge. He chased after her and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. "We need to get somewhere safe."

Celine tugged her wrist out of his grip, staring at Jack's writhing figure. She continued to walk forward, heels clicking on the floor—until she stood over Jack's body. A few sparks shot out from him, and she narrowly dodged them. But instead of running away, she knelt down, tilting her head to get a better look at Jack's face. Dark stepped forward.

"It's too dangerous—"

Celine held up a hand.

"My darling," she said, looking at Jack. She knelt closer to him. "Can you hear me?"

Jack gave a few shuddering, throat-gargling gasps. He clawed at the floor, and his body gave another violent lurch. It was like he was glitching out of reality.

"My darling," Celine said again. She gazed at Jack with utmost admiration, eyes glittering. "Can you—"

Jack's hand shot out and grabbed Celine's throat.

"Mother—!"

She gasped—eyes wide—

"Yes," Jack hissed, and when he breathed in, his throat rattled with a terrifying sound. "I can hear you, darling."

He gazed up then, and he stared Dark right in the eye—like he was tearing through his soul. His eyes glowed, sparking with electricity, and thick, black blood dripped down his face.

He took another deep, rattling breath, and dug his fingers into Celine's neck until she bled.

"I hear you loud and clear."

And he snapped Celine's neck.

...

Y'all... There is so much more to this scene that I'm so excited to add on to, but foR NOW aAAAAA i hOPE yOu enJOYEEDDDD

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful dayY!

Love,

Kas xoxo