I played the song above for both scenes with Mark. Slowed & Reverb songs are just 😍

...

Sensation came back to him in a gentle, iridescent flutter.

    Mark's body felt like it was floating, resting between dream and reality. His nerves thrummed under his skin like a faint hum, soothing him like a warm, golden embrace despite the cold.

    It was quiet around him; only a soft droning croon echoed around him, bringing life to the darkness around him. He felt himself smile, then grew aware of each breath passing through his lungs. His heartbeat swelled to life in his ears, and then the darkness stirred.

    His lashes fluttered, eyes opened, and when they finally adjusted to the dim light, he looked around, still dazed, still light and airy.

    He was in the laboratory.

    There weren't many windows in the building, but from a small one far away, he could tell it was night. All of the lights were off, save for a lamp at the lab table nearest him. He blinked, finding Syl and Ox huddled together, drawing up equations in front of a peculiar device.

    Mark stirred, blankets rustling over his body. He looked down at himself, brows raising. The metal table with leather straps had been replaced with a small, spindly bed. He sat up and winced, catching the scientists' attention.

    "You're up," said Ox, jumping to his feet. He carefully padded down the steps and stood beside the bed, hand resting on the thin wire bed frame. "How are you feeling?"

    Mark's brows furrowed, and he closed his eyes. His hand subconsciously hovered over his mouth.

    "We stopped the bleeding," said Ox softly, searching Mark's features. "You worried us for a bit there."

    Mark's hand slid down his throat, feeling it, and when he swallowed, it was sore. His entire body buzzed with a dull ache—like something vital had been stripped from him, leaving him bare. Incomplete.

    He couldn't place what it was.

    His eyes fluttered open, and he glanced at Ox; his features looked softer in the dim lighting. Grave, actually.

    "What... happened?" Mark mumbled. Ox's lips pursed, and Syl cleared his throat from the table.

    "We have to tell him he woke up," he said loudly. Mark knew he was talking about Antinstine.

    "Yes, I know," Ox said, sending a hard look at Syl. "I just wanted to make sure he was alright."

    "You can't be too soft with him," said Syl, never once looking up. He continued to scribble on his parchment and tweak with the machine in front of him. "No one just switches sides like that."

    Mark dug his fingers into the bed under the blanket, his expression going hard. As true as it was, he didn't like to be reminded about it. Everything had been going so smoothly lately—Antinstine thinking that Mark was a victim of Dark's—or Celine's—experiments; him thinking that Mark truly joined his side; him thinking that Mark actually stood for his cause.

    For an Evolved as powerful as Antinstine, he sure was gullible. He didn't need Syl planting distrust in his head.

    Ox sighed and turned back to Mark. "Don't listen to him," he said quietly. He motioned to Mark's body. "Are you in pain?"

    Mark pulled the blankets back and looked down at his hands. Still painted midnight black. He sighed to himself, shoulders slumping.

    "Just sore," he said. His brows furrowed. "The last thing I remember was going back to the mansion in the car." He glanced at Ox. "How long have I been out?"

    Ox's eyes glimmered, and he drew into himself. "Well..."

    Mark's heart twisted, dread beginning to crawl up his throat and hang in the air. It reminded him of Ether, the healer—when she fixed up his wounds—both from running away and from Dark's abilities—and told him how long he'd been out.

    Mark glanced at the window again, the view pitch black.

    "A day," said Ox. "You've been out since yesterday."

    Mark stared at him a moment, then let out a relieved huff, smiling. Just a day? he thought. With Ox's reaction, he thought he'd been out longer.

    But his worried expression didn't fade. Mark's face fell.

    "The only way to stop the bleeding," said Ox, voice quiet, "was to..." He wrung his hands together, and he glanced back at Syl. The scientist spared him a glance, then looked at the machine. Mark followed their gazes with searching eyes.

    "What?" Mark breathed, eyes flitting between the two of them. His stomach churned. "Was to what?"

    Syl sighed, and he pressed a button on the machine. Its silver beams rattled, and a plume of smoke shot out. A cartridge snapped open, and a small, glowing pill appeared. Syl grabbed it and walked over, standing next to Ox. He held up the pill in front of Mark, the color highlighting their faces.

    "We used this," he said, expression unreadable. Mark squinted at it, his eyes adjusting to its brightness.

    Syl held it out for Mark to take, then pressed it into his palm. Mark could feel the faint buzz of power of the pill against his skin. He stared down at it.

    "A pill," said Syl, "made from the data of our experiments on you." His eyes swam with dread. "This," he said, pointing at the pill, "is a perfectly curated drug."

    Syl took a deep breath and grabbed the pill, tilting it under the gloom of the lab.

    "Specifically designed," he said softly, "to remove an Evolved's abilities."

He stared Mark in the eye.

"To strip them of every essence of power so that they are lesser than even humans."

Mark's eyes widened, the breaths stolen from his mouth. So that's what felt like it was missing. His abilities.

But he wasn't worried about them. It was part of the "deal" with Antinstine, after all. Join his side, and when the experiments were over, turn him back human.

No... what worried him were the continuous puffs of smoke from the machine on the table; the shudder of another pill produced; and the growing glow of the drug piling up inside the cartridge.

Specifically designed to remove an Evolved's abilities.

Mark's face paled, his heart beginning to race.

Just how many pills... did they need?

One worked fine for Mark. One was enough to reverse the side effects—to stop his bleeding mouth. One was enough to strip him of his abilities.

One was enough to leave him completely bare, vulnerable, and human.

One was enough to leave him powerless.

Mark's mind raced, and the room spun around him, dazing him. He recalled that night in Antinstine's room, now, when he lied to him—when he said he'd join his side. He remembered making the deal—saying he'd join only if Antinstine stripped him of the abilities they'd given him.

Antinstine smiled then. Something had glittered in his eyes, and Mark knew he was holding something back.

He told Mark he promised to take the abilities away. And he did follow through—Mark was human again—but—what if he was trying to go further?

Could this be it? he thought, breaths shallow. What Antinstine's really trying to achieve?

Stripping Evolveds of their abilities... leaving them lost and helpless, navigating a world that once bent under their abilities?

Mark's gaze drifted from the machine to the glowing pill in Syl's hand.

They wouldn't be able to fight back even if they tried. Humans could only get so far with pure strength and wit—Mark knew that by experience. There were always limitations.

Ox shifted, wringing his hands together. "It was Antinstine's orders," he said, mistaking Mark's reaction as shock over his now-removed abilities. "We can always inject bloodblending back into you... It was the only successful experiment without side effects—that we know about—but... you won't be able to have your original..."

"No," said Mark quietly, unable to remove his gaze from the pill. "No, it's... fine." He swallowed, his throat tight. "This pill, I—" His brows furrowed. "You already used it on me. You don't need anymore, then." He glanced at the lab table, dread closing in on his throat. "So what's with the machine?"

Ox's face paled. Even Syl grew unsettled, and the dread in his eyes deepened. He gazed at Ox, who simply bowed his head, and he sighed, stepping forward.

"Only we know of this pill," said Syl softly, "as an ability remover." His eyes flashed.

"But to the public," he said, "it's the hottest drug on the market."

Mark's breaths went shallow. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"We know of it as a poison..." continued Syl, his eyes dark. "They know of it as Cherub. A power enhancer."

    Mark's blood went cold.

    "Something that any Evolved would want to get their hands on."

            Syl closed his eyes in defeat and turned back to the lab table. Ox wrung his hands together, head still bowed.

            "And," said Syl loudly as he sat down, "now that it's worked on both you and Prada—" Mark's eyes widened. "—it's been unleashed in the City."

———

Konray's phone pinged.

    She pulled her gaze away from the large screen and rubbed her eyes, pulling her phone out of her pocket. It glowed to life, and her brows rose.

    "Sojour's back in town," she said, unlocking her phone. It pinged two more times. Ethan and Eyes continued to stare at the screen, studying locations, footage, and audio. The noise blended into a quiet chaos that echoed around the room.

    "Hey, you know the dark market?" Konray chimed. Her fingers tapped away on the phone. "Apparently a drug's been getting really popular there. Popped out of nowhere. It's just called..." She squinted. "Cherub. Huh... Oh! And listen!"

    Ethan sighed, and he spared a glance at Konray; as annoyed as he was, he was grateful for a moment away from the screen. He didn't know how Eyes could stand to look at it all day and night.

    "Apparently it's a power enhancer," said Konray. "Sojour says everyone's going nuts over it." She hummed, pressing a finger to her lips, then looked up at Ethan.

    "We should get some," she said.

    Ethan rose his brows at her, and he blinked. "You... do know who you're talking to, right?" he said. "I try to be as human as I can, Kon. A power enhancer is the last thing I need." He turned back to the screen, crossing his arms. "We should be focusing on this, anyway."

    "Aww, come onnn..."

    Ethan chuckled under his breath. "What're you gonna do with it, anyway?" he teased. "Hide better? Go invisible?" He grinned. "Maybe you'll become an actual chameleon."

    "Wha—I'm just curious!" she laughed. She rolled her eyes with amusement and began tapping a reply on her phone. "I'm getting one for the both of us." When Ethan made a sound of protest, she said, "Oh, come onnn, it'll be great."

    "Kon, I really don't need—"

    "Hey, Eyes, I'm gonna take a quick break," Konray sang. "Ta-ta!"

    "Wait—Kon—!" Ethan shouted. She skipped over to the door. "T.S. ordered us to stay here. We have to keep watch."

    Konray smirked, and she leaned against the doorway. "Eyes," she said, raising a brow at her. "You'll be fine watching over for a bit, yeah?"

    Eyes adjusted her glasses, and she swirled around in her chair to face them. The screen lightly fizzed when she broke focus. "I've been doing this for years," she said with a smile. "I'll be fine." She gazed at Ethan. "Let her go. You can stay and watch with me."

    Konray gave a victorious 'hmph' and stuck her tongue out at Ethan. Before she left the room, Eyes spoke.

    "Bring back three," she said, holding up the digits with her fingers. "Something feels off about that drug and I want to examine it."

    Konray grinned, and she nodded. "On it," she said, and with that, she dashed out the door.

    Eyes smiled at Ethan, patted his shoulder, then turned back around to face the screen. Ethan sighed and shook his head, sitting in the seat next to her.

    "Hey, uh—VOXE!" Konray's voice echoed in the halls. "How do I get out of here?"

    Ethan couldn't help but roll his eyes and smile.

——

Antinstine and Mark were alone in the laboratory. He had ordered Syl and Ox to leave.

    The lights were still dim, and the machine still puffed on, and Mark's dread heightened with every passing second.

    He had to tell Dark.

    Dark had influence; he had power, and status... he had the resources to warn the Evolveds about what that pill really did.

    He had to tell Dark.

    Mark sat on the bed, wringing his hands together. Antinstine sat at the edge, his legs hanging off the bed, awfully quiet; he didn't face Mark—only his side was visible—but it was enough to see his expressions.

He didn't look Mark in the eyes, or at his face; just at his fidgeting hands, as if he were ashamed. Mark knew that wasn't the case—would never be the case.

Mark glared at the single, glowing pill that rested on the sheets between them, his breaths shallow. His thoughts raced, and he had so many questions, but no way to word them.

Instead, he said simply:

"Why?"

Just a word, a single syllable—yet it was enough to cut through the heavy silence in the lab. Antinstine gently huffed under his breath, barely audible.

"Why?" said Mark again.

Antinstine stared at the floor through his lashes, calm. It was disturbing. Danger began to twist and coil in the air.

    "You passed out," said Antinstine, his voice empty. "If you kept bleeding..."

    "That's not what I meant and you know it," Mark said. He grabbed the pill and held it tight between his fingers—felt the pulse of his skin against its buzzing surface. "You never intended to use this on just me, did you? Was this all part of your plan? Huh? This whole time?"

    Mark's fingers squeezed the pill tight.

    "When I asked you to take away my powers," he breathed. "You knew, even then, didn't you? My request just happened to go along perfectly with this... with this poison."

    Antinstine took a deep breath through his nose and straightened himself. He tipped his head back... rolled his shoulders... a deadly quiet settled about the room, and his gaze slid onto Mark's and locked on.

    A shudder went down his spine.

            Mark sat still, clutching the pill in his fist, wavering under Antinstine's merciless gaze. It went silent again, the air thick and heavy... hard to breathe... The dimness of the lab didn't help matters, either; it made Mark feel vulnerable... cornered like a wounded animal. He swallowed and stared at Antinstine, whose lips twitched.

    "I thought you'd like this," he said softly.

    Mark blinked, his heart quickening; Antinstine sounded calm... too calm. Mark could feel the venom beneath his words, ready to strike. It had him on edge—tense. He could attack at any moment—kill him right now—if he really wanted to.

    "Don't you want revenge?" Antinstine breathed, gaze intense. Mark swallowed. Kept quiet. Antinstine sighed and gazed ahead—past the lab tables and the walls. His face relaxed, eyes half-lidded, solemn. Mark could only stare, watching as Anti took a deep breath and sighed.

    "Everytime I see an Evolved," Antinstine breathed, "I just see another Dark." His hands curled around the edge of the bed. "I see the same monster who stole me off the streets. Who knocked me out, strapped me to a lab table, and had scientists experiment on me." His nostrils flared.

    "I see the same monster," he growled, "who watched as I screamed and begged for my life, aimed a fucking ray at my body, and proceeded to blame me for what I'd become."

    His voice grew with intensity, but it never got louder. It stayed quiet and low, the decibels rattling in Mark's ears like a bad omen. Antinstine bared his teeth.

    "Dark says he's good, Viper," he breathed. "Says he stands for a benevolent cause." His lips curled into a sour smirk. "It's all bullshit."

    Mark swallowed, and when Antinstine turned to face him, his heart shot into his throat. Anti's eyes were glowing, and the veins around his eyes simmered blue with electricity.

    "There's no such thing as good or bad when it comes to Evolveds," he said quietly, leaning forward. "All that matters here, is power." He stood in a flourish, and Mark flinched.

    "I don't just want Dark to feel the pain he's caused me," Anti breathed. He walked along the side of the bed, his heels click, click, clicking... ran his hand along the metal rail of the bed... and leaned down to stare Mark in the eyes. "I want each and every one of them to."

    Mark's blood ran cold, and he leaned back. Antinstine followed, leaning forward, gaze intense, breath hot over Mark's face.

    "I will leave every single Evolved powerless," he seethed, "and I will kill them." His eyes glowed with sparks. "And for the ones that survive—or the ones I happen to like..." He gazed at Mark pointedly, and he swallowed. "I will remind them—every day, every hour, every second, that I am now in control."

He pressed a hand onto the bed. Leaned closer to Mark.

"I will show them how it feels to be the hunted."

Mark swallowed, and he scooted back; his back hit the metal railing.

"Even the people who trust you—" breathed Mark. "—who've helped you with your—your cause—" Antinstine's frown deepened, and his fingers dug into the sheets. "Cibil, Prada, all the others..."

Mark swallowed, his breaths shuddering when Antinstine leaned closer—practically hovered over him.

"You're starting to sound like the bastards from the other side," hissed Antinstine. Mark leaned back, pulling his legs into his chest to try and get some distance between them.

They stared at each other a moment, breathing through the thickness in the air. Antinstine stayed there, leaning against the bed rails, hovering over Mark too close. He waited for a response—anything—even an ounce of approval.

Mark swallowed, and he searched Antinstine's face, gaze flitting between his multi-colored eyes.

    "You'd be all alone," Mark breathed.

    Antinstine flinched as if the words cut him. He let out a curt breath.

    "That doesn't matter," he said.

    Mark stared Antinstine in the eyes, determined, though his breaths wavered. "I think it does," he muttered, heart racing. "I think it means everything to you."

    The air began to spark with heat and electricity, building and building. Mark knew he should stop talking—knew he was aggravating Antinstine—but he wanted to pick at him where it hurt.

    "That's why you wanted me on your side, wasn't it?" continued Mark. "It's why you've wanted me ever since you realized that I was an experiment, too."

    Mark's shoulders relaxed.

"Because you don't want to be alone," he said.

    Antinstine wavered, and his gaze faltered. His fingers curled in the sheets.

    Mark lingered for a moment, studying the other, then leaned in carefully. He could see Antinstine swallow. Could see the human side of him, weak and fragile, cowering behind the corrosive shell of an Evolved.

    "People won't bow to you like some... God," said Mark, "if you're the only one with powers." Antinstine closed his eyes, his brows furrowing. "They'll treat you like a monster. Something to be trampled out."

    Mark felt the pill still buzzing in his palm. "And this," he said, lifting it. He clutched it tight, and it crumbled in his palm. The pill melted and slid past his fingers in a glowing liquid. "This is sick, even for you."

    Antinstine's eyes slid open, and he gazed at the liquified pill. Something glimmered in his eyes—opportunity—but before Mark could catch it, the light died and left his expression blank. He tipped his chin up to gaze at Mark, eyes hooded. The human side of him was gone; erased.

    "When you kill people," whispered Antinstine, breath hot over Mark's face. "How does it make you feel?"

    Mark swallowed, a muscle in his jaw twitching.

    "Ecstatic?" breathed Antinstine, locking eyes with him. "High on adrenaline?" He leaned forward. "Powerful?"

    Mark's brows furrowed, and Antinstine tilted his head, their faces close.

    "When you eat people," breathed Antinstine, voice intense. "How does it make you feel?" Mark frowned, knowing exactly what Antinstine was getting at.

    They were both hypocrites.

    "Do you ever reminisce on your victim's lives when you eat them?" said Antinstine, eyes dark. Sparks flickered in them. "Do you think what they were doing, or who they were going to see, or what they were going to achieve—before you showed up?"

    Antinstine's hand slid up the bed beside Mark's thigh, and he leaned forward, lips brushing up Mark's ear.

    "Or do you just enjoy the taste of the meat?" he hissed.

    Mark swallowed, and he glared at Antinstine. He smirked at his reaction.

    "You're just like me, Viper," he said. "Not a care for anyone else but ourselves." He lingered there for a long, long moment, hovering over Mark and staring him in the eyes. The air was thick and hot—too hot. Mark couldn't breathe.

    "So..." In a fluid motion, Antinstine slid away and stood up straight, staring down at him. Mark quietly gasped at the sudden gape of space. "Let me ask you again."

    Antinstine slid his nails along the bed rails, the metal scratching under his touch. He gazed at Mark through the corner of his eye.

    "Don't you want revenge?"

    Mark swallowed, and he shifted in his spot. He stared up at Antinstine with his fists clenched, and with a tense breath, he answered.

    "Yes," he said tightly.

    But he didn't want revenge like Antinstine did. He didn't want revenge on the Evolveds in the City, or in the village, or even on the ones who mingled with the humans... he didn't want revenge on any of Dark's or even Antinstine's people.

    No. He wanted—needed—revenge on the man that stood before him. The one who put him through hell in only a matter of weeks. He was more determined about the plan, now; determined to help both humans and Evolveds alike, and prevent them from Antinstine's tyranny.

    He would kill Antinstine himself.

He would kill him with nothing but his hands.

The tension just builds and builds... hehehe

Thank you so much for reading! I'm really having a blast writing these chapters !! 😂 Also, sorry if I don't reply to comments! It won't let me reply if there's cursing in it which is buLLshiiittTTTT

Have a wonderful day, and stay safe out there!

Love, Kass xoxo